Home Propagation Techniques
Learn how you can make new plants and save money by propagating your own plants.
Read this article about propagation.
Home Propagation Techniques
By Ronald C. Smith, Horticultural Specialist - NDSU Extension Service
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/landscap/h1257.pdf
Read this article about propagation.
Home Propagation Techniques
By Ronald C. Smith, Horticultural Specialist - NDSU Extension Service
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/landscap/h1257.pdf
THE FRUIT TREE TRIO
Living in the state of California has its advantages. California is the number one agricultural state in our United States. California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities. The state produces nearly half of U.S.-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables. Here in the San Joaquin Valley, our local farmers grow an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Our local grocery stores purchase these fruits and vegetables that have been picked “early” to prevent bruising and prolong shelf life. But there is nothing better than sweet and juicy fresh picked fruit from your own backyard. It has more sugars, great taste and better nutritional value.
One of the good problems that we have as a backyard farmer, especially with fruit trees is excessive fruit production at harvest time. A healthy, single fruit tree depending upon age and variety can produce anywhere from 30 – 150 pounds of produce. In many cases, the harvest season will occur in a 2 to 3 week period. The quantity can overwhelm a small family and the fruit rots on the tree or drops to the ground. One local news personality told me that he had over 500 pounds of fruit harvested from 4 trees. That’s a lot of fruit for a couple of people.
Another problem is that our yards are getting smaller and for those families who want some variety, they don’t have room for lots of trees. The third problem that occurs for some gardeners, they have a pretty flowering fruit tree with no fruit production. This occurs because certain fruit types require a cross pollinator or “mate” to insure fruit development.
Here’s the solution for these dilemmas. Why not plant 3 trees in the space for one. The idea is that each of the 3 trees that are planted together will behave as 1/3 of the tree’s canopy. This reduces down the total quantity of fruit that may be harvested at one time period. Instead of having 60 pounds of peaches that are ripe at one time period in July, why not have 20 pounds each of peaches that are harvested in June, July and August? Plus, it gives a little taste variety so we don’t tire of the same fruit taste. Our space requirement for tree growth is for one tree instead of three. And if your fruit choices need a pollinator, the proper mates can be planted.
One of the good problems that we have as a backyard farmer, especially with fruit trees is excessive fruit production at harvest time. A healthy, single fruit tree depending upon age and variety can produce anywhere from 30 – 150 pounds of produce. In many cases, the harvest season will occur in a 2 to 3 week period. The quantity can overwhelm a small family and the fruit rots on the tree or drops to the ground. One local news personality told me that he had over 500 pounds of fruit harvested from 4 trees. That’s a lot of fruit for a couple of people.
Another problem is that our yards are getting smaller and for those families who want some variety, they don’t have room for lots of trees. The third problem that occurs for some gardeners, they have a pretty flowering fruit tree with no fruit production. This occurs because certain fruit types require a cross pollinator or “mate” to insure fruit development.
Here’s the solution for these dilemmas. Why not plant 3 trees in the space for one. The idea is that each of the 3 trees that are planted together will behave as 1/3 of the tree’s canopy. This reduces down the total quantity of fruit that may be harvested at one time period. Instead of having 60 pounds of peaches that are ripe at one time period in July, why not have 20 pounds each of peaches that are harvested in June, July and August? Plus, it gives a little taste variety so we don’t tire of the same fruit taste. Our space requirement for tree growth is for one tree instead of three. And if your fruit choices need a pollinator, the proper mates can be planted.
How to plant my Fruit Tree Trio
1. Select trees that have a compatible root system and growth habit. Because the individual trees will be growing closely together, their root system may graft together. Incompatibility causes fighting. For example, many peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots may be grafted on nemaguard root stock. You can even create a “fruit salad tree” and plant self-pollinating peach, nectarine, plum and apricot together. You may also plant citrus together. Do not mix citrus with deciduous fruit trees. Ask your local nursery about growth compatibility.
2. The trees should be planted in a triangle 24-inches apart at a slight outward angle. The tree’s trunk acts as an individual branch. The individual trees should be trimmed to eliminate cross branches or limbs that grow back into the center of the triangle. After they establish, trim as if they were a normal tree.
Here are some more suggestions from L. E. Cooke Company, one of the nation’s top bare root fruit tree growers located in Visalia, California.
Selection considerations
Where pollination is required, include varieties that pollinate each other. For example, if you plant Early Ruby, Black Tartarian and Bing Cherries, you have varieties that pollinate each other and provide an abundance of cherries from Late May through Mid-June.
Considerations for a winning combination:
Almonds: Ne Plus, Nonpareil and Texas Mission.
Apples: Red, Green and Yellow or Early, Mid and Late Season.
Apricots: June, July and August ripening.
Cherries: Early June ripening, Mid June ripening and a Sweet Pollinizer.
Nectarines: June, July and August ripening or a White fleshed variety.
Peaches: June, July and August ripening or a White fleshed variety.
Asian Pears: July, August, September ripening.
Domestic Pears: Early Season, Late Season, Red Skin.
Plums: Red meat, Purple meat and Yellow meat.
2. The trees should be planted in a triangle 24-inches apart at a slight outward angle. The tree’s trunk acts as an individual branch. The individual trees should be trimmed to eliminate cross branches or limbs that grow back into the center of the triangle. After they establish, trim as if they were a normal tree.
Here are some more suggestions from L. E. Cooke Company, one of the nation’s top bare root fruit tree growers located in Visalia, California.
Selection considerations
Where pollination is required, include varieties that pollinate each other. For example, if you plant Early Ruby, Black Tartarian and Bing Cherries, you have varieties that pollinate each other and provide an abundance of cherries from Late May through Mid-June.
Considerations for a winning combination:
Almonds: Ne Plus, Nonpareil and Texas Mission.
Apples: Red, Green and Yellow or Early, Mid and Late Season.
Apricots: June, July and August ripening.
Cherries: Early June ripening, Mid June ripening and a Sweet Pollinizer.
Nectarines: June, July and August ripening or a White fleshed variety.
Peaches: June, July and August ripening or a White fleshed variety.
Asian Pears: July, August, September ripening.
Domestic Pears: Early Season, Late Season, Red Skin.
Plums: Red meat, Purple meat and Yellow meat.
Plan for Fall
In California we are blessed with a great Fall Season. The problem is all the literature, from most books, talks about cleaning up & putting plants to bed. On the other hand in this part of the world we are recommending Fall is for Planting! I think people are missing the best time to plant all together. At Robby's Nursery Fall is our favorite season. Here are some tips for this glorious time of year.
If you plant in the Fall the roots get established before the Spring. You then get the full benefit of that Spring growth. Plants can nearly double their size with this push of growth when the roots are established. I think people get afraid to plant with tales of frozen ground. Guess what, although we get some nice frosts our ground doesn't freeze.
Plants are also more apt to be able to deal with our summer heat with this more established root system. They can get the moisture they need to get through our scorching Summers. Giving plants a chance to put out roots slowly during the cooler months will greatly increase your new plants survival rate as well. Now, that being said, don't run out and purchase a bunch of tropical plants and try to put them in this fall. That won't work. We are speaking here of trees, shrubs and bedding that do well in our climate with "little fuss".
Fall is a great time to pick and plant trees. You can see the changing leaf color as well as get some great deals on good sized trees. Although bare root trees (usually available in mid Jan) are a little cheaper, size and quality are better now. I have noticed a better success rate when planting from containers as well. Remember to mulch the hole really well with a mixture of organic mulch and native soil, your plants will love you for that.
Cool season color and veggies go in now...........no it's not to late. We are in California remember, Fall just started! This is another misconception coming from the literature. In this end of the Central Valley, Sept. is a Summer month, we usually get a hint of cooler temps about mid Oct. So this gives us a later Fall than the Midwest or East coast. All the Spring bloomers and cool season vegys can go in now. The yards you will admire in your neighborhood with huge pansies and nice tall snaps are planting now. If you wait to plant the size and longevity of your color will suffer greatly. So plant in the Fall for beautiful Spring flowers.
Fall is also a great time for that final feeding on plants that are going dormant. Again getting those established plants a reason to burst forth in Spring and perform at their top level. Remember though, plants that grow all year (keeping their leaves through Winter) need to be fed all year. Fertilize these plants with low nitrogen in the Winter but make sure your food has trace minerals.
Fall is the Best time of Year and this Fall will stand out even more for us. Robby's is having our Grand Opening of our new location.
So far we are getting rave reviews on our progress. We have actually remained open during our entire move but will officially open Robby's Nursery and Calico Gardens this Fall. Our Christmas Shop is scheduled to open the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Directions to Robby's Nursery and Calico Gardens, from the corner of Allen Rd & Hageman (old nursery) travel W on Hageman Rd. Make a quick L onto Hageman Frontage Rd the R on Terracotta Ct. We are at the end of the culdesac.
Come in and celebrate Fall with Us!
If you plant in the Fall the roots get established before the Spring. You then get the full benefit of that Spring growth. Plants can nearly double their size with this push of growth when the roots are established. I think people get afraid to plant with tales of frozen ground. Guess what, although we get some nice frosts our ground doesn't freeze.
Plants are also more apt to be able to deal with our summer heat with this more established root system. They can get the moisture they need to get through our scorching Summers. Giving plants a chance to put out roots slowly during the cooler months will greatly increase your new plants survival rate as well. Now, that being said, don't run out and purchase a bunch of tropical plants and try to put them in this fall. That won't work. We are speaking here of trees, shrubs and bedding that do well in our climate with "little fuss".
Fall is a great time to pick and plant trees. You can see the changing leaf color as well as get some great deals on good sized trees. Although bare root trees (usually available in mid Jan) are a little cheaper, size and quality are better now. I have noticed a better success rate when planting from containers as well. Remember to mulch the hole really well with a mixture of organic mulch and native soil, your plants will love you for that.
Cool season color and veggies go in now...........no it's not to late. We are in California remember, Fall just started! This is another misconception coming from the literature. In this end of the Central Valley, Sept. is a Summer month, we usually get a hint of cooler temps about mid Oct. So this gives us a later Fall than the Midwest or East coast. All the Spring bloomers and cool season vegys can go in now. The yards you will admire in your neighborhood with huge pansies and nice tall snaps are planting now. If you wait to plant the size and longevity of your color will suffer greatly. So plant in the Fall for beautiful Spring flowers.
Fall is also a great time for that final feeding on plants that are going dormant. Again getting those established plants a reason to burst forth in Spring and perform at their top level. Remember though, plants that grow all year (keeping their leaves through Winter) need to be fed all year. Fertilize these plants with low nitrogen in the Winter but make sure your food has trace minerals.
Fall is the Best time of Year and this Fall will stand out even more for us. Robby's is having our Grand Opening of our new location.
So far we are getting rave reviews on our progress. We have actually remained open during our entire move but will officially open Robby's Nursery and Calico Gardens this Fall. Our Christmas Shop is scheduled to open the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Directions to Robby's Nursery and Calico Gardens, from the corner of Allen Rd & Hageman (old nursery) travel W on Hageman Rd. Make a quick L onto Hageman Frontage Rd the R on Terracotta Ct. We are at the end of the culdesac.
Come in and celebrate Fall with Us!
Planting Baby Right
It has been said, “When planting a tree, dig a 5-dollar hole for a 50-cent tree.” This is a nurseryman’s saying from decades past. Now if we were to put that into today’s values, I don’t believe we will have very many people that want to dig a 500-dollar hole for a 50-dollar tree. But, the meaning behind the saying is still true. The best way to insure a plant’s vigor and longevity is with good soil preparation.
Think of the tree as you would think of a baby. When a baby comes into the world they need lots of attention and care. Babies require good nourishment, they seem to be eating constantly, just ask any mom with a newborn. They require warmth, so we dress them properly for the weather conditions. And a young baby needs protection from illness or the dreaded diaper rash. When a baby receives the attention, care and love, they “grow up like a weed” and become big, strong, healthy children.
Young plants also can use the same kind of care when newly planted. When a tree is grown at the nursery, they have received constant nourishment. Nurseries will feed these plants on a regular schedule to promote faster growth and healthier trees. They grow trees that are adaptable to our climatic conditions. They can handle our winters and summers. They keep a constant eye out for insect infestations and disease. When the trees have problems they will use the proper “medicines” to cure those problems.
Now that you are bringing your “new baby” to their new home, now’s the most important time to give the tree the love and care it needs to grow up big and strong. The first step for long term success is to prepare the soil properly. The soil is a living organism. It can be full of insects and worms, microorganisms, and beneficial fungi. Adding organic soil amendments feeds the living organisms in the soil and encourages the breakdown of organic matter into usable forms of nutrients for our plants. Amending the soil is the most important part for developing a rich growing zone for your trees and shrubs.
For most of us living in Bakersfield, our soil is very low in organic matter and nutrients. Our soils can vary drastically depending on where you live. Northeast Bakersfield around the Bakersfield College area is known for having heavy soils with lots of round rocks. The south side of town also has heavy soils but it’s also known for having high alkaline problems. In some of these areas, the excess alkaline salts will leach to the surface and turn sidewalks and the ground white. In parts of the Rosedale areas on the west side of town, we may have almost pure sandy soils. Other areas could have a clay layer on top and then pure sand below. The good location in town is the Westchester area in the middle of town. They have some of the richest soils because of silt runoff from the Kern River when Bakersfield was a swamp.
When preparing your garden or yard, remember, not all soil amendments are the same. Some soil amendments may be used for specific types of growing conditions in your yard. Steer manure is the one that grandpa used to use. It’s a great one for early preparation of the vegetable garden. However, it is high in salts and can injure plants when used in heavy quantities. Peat moss is an excellent organic material for planting acid loving plants, like the azaleas and camellias. It also does a great job at improving water retention in the soil. By itself, peat moss can be expensive but it is commonly found as an ingredient in other soil amendment products. Forest humus is decomposed bark that improves soil acidity and soil structure.
For our planting project we incorporated the Gardener and Bloome Soil Builder into the soil. This product has forest humus, peat moss, organic fertilizers and beneficial fungi. If you are starting with a new area, till or turn the organics into the soil as deep as possible. Using a shovel, we mixed the organics with the existing dirt to produce a rich garden soil. The use of a rototiller can save the back and long hours of labor. Unfortunately, a rototiller was too large for this area. In existing gardens, rototilling may cause root damage to established plants. To reduce possible damage, use a hand cultivator to incorporate soil amendments.
Where trees or shrubs are going to be planted, dig your hole as deep as the root ball of the plant and three times as wide. Amend the soil that is removed from the hole. Place the tree, (without the container), in the center of the hole and backfill with the soil mixture. This procedure insures that the root zone of the tree will have a great start in your yard.
Anytime that you may be planting seasonal bedding plants or flowers, it’s always a good idea to incorporate more organics into the garden. It will make your flowers grow faster, stronger and bloom better.
So remember, the first step to success in the garden is by putting your “babies” in a good bed. A bed that’s rich and full of life. With a little nurturing and love a little acorn may one day become a majestic oak.
Think of the tree as you would think of a baby. When a baby comes into the world they need lots of attention and care. Babies require good nourishment, they seem to be eating constantly, just ask any mom with a newborn. They require warmth, so we dress them properly for the weather conditions. And a young baby needs protection from illness or the dreaded diaper rash. When a baby receives the attention, care and love, they “grow up like a weed” and become big, strong, healthy children.
Young plants also can use the same kind of care when newly planted. When a tree is grown at the nursery, they have received constant nourishment. Nurseries will feed these plants on a regular schedule to promote faster growth and healthier trees. They grow trees that are adaptable to our climatic conditions. They can handle our winters and summers. They keep a constant eye out for insect infestations and disease. When the trees have problems they will use the proper “medicines” to cure those problems.
Now that you are bringing your “new baby” to their new home, now’s the most important time to give the tree the love and care it needs to grow up big and strong. The first step for long term success is to prepare the soil properly. The soil is a living organism. It can be full of insects and worms, microorganisms, and beneficial fungi. Adding organic soil amendments feeds the living organisms in the soil and encourages the breakdown of organic matter into usable forms of nutrients for our plants. Amending the soil is the most important part for developing a rich growing zone for your trees and shrubs.
For most of us living in Bakersfield, our soil is very low in organic matter and nutrients. Our soils can vary drastically depending on where you live. Northeast Bakersfield around the Bakersfield College area is known for having heavy soils with lots of round rocks. The south side of town also has heavy soils but it’s also known for having high alkaline problems. In some of these areas, the excess alkaline salts will leach to the surface and turn sidewalks and the ground white. In parts of the Rosedale areas on the west side of town, we may have almost pure sandy soils. Other areas could have a clay layer on top and then pure sand below. The good location in town is the Westchester area in the middle of town. They have some of the richest soils because of silt runoff from the Kern River when Bakersfield was a swamp.
When preparing your garden or yard, remember, not all soil amendments are the same. Some soil amendments may be used for specific types of growing conditions in your yard. Steer manure is the one that grandpa used to use. It’s a great one for early preparation of the vegetable garden. However, it is high in salts and can injure plants when used in heavy quantities. Peat moss is an excellent organic material for planting acid loving plants, like the azaleas and camellias. It also does a great job at improving water retention in the soil. By itself, peat moss can be expensive but it is commonly found as an ingredient in other soil amendment products. Forest humus is decomposed bark that improves soil acidity and soil structure.
For our planting project we incorporated the Gardener and Bloome Soil Builder into the soil. This product has forest humus, peat moss, organic fertilizers and beneficial fungi. If you are starting with a new area, till or turn the organics into the soil as deep as possible. Using a shovel, we mixed the organics with the existing dirt to produce a rich garden soil. The use of a rototiller can save the back and long hours of labor. Unfortunately, a rototiller was too large for this area. In existing gardens, rototilling may cause root damage to established plants. To reduce possible damage, use a hand cultivator to incorporate soil amendments.
Where trees or shrubs are going to be planted, dig your hole as deep as the root ball of the plant and three times as wide. Amend the soil that is removed from the hole. Place the tree, (without the container), in the center of the hole and backfill with the soil mixture. This procedure insures that the root zone of the tree will have a great start in your yard.
Anytime that you may be planting seasonal bedding plants or flowers, it’s always a good idea to incorporate more organics into the garden. It will make your flowers grow faster, stronger and bloom better.
So remember, the first step to success in the garden is by putting your “babies” in a good bed. A bed that’s rich and full of life. With a little nurturing and love a little acorn may one day become a majestic oak.
