I promised my friends at the last fruit tree workshop on pruning that I would publish a calendar of operations for fruit trees in the Eastern Mojave desert climate. This is at a 2000 foot elevation. Elevations lower than this will be earlier and elevations higher will be later. It is up to you to make some adjustments but I will post something about what the fruit trees are doing so the calendar can be shifted to a different calendar date. These are not exact dates but can vary two or three weeks either way. December – January. Fruit trees have no leaves  Dormant winter pruning  Pruning of the trees including any major structural changes including removal of limbs with saw or loppers and hand shears. Sharpen and disinfect pruning equipment at the start of each pruning day. More often if diseases are suspected. Winter insect control Spray oil application to fruit trees for prevention of outbreaks from aphids, scale insects, mealy bugs and spider mites.These spray oils are marketed under several brand names including Horticultural Oil, Horticultural Oil Spray, Dormant Oil, Ultra Pure Oil, Dormant Spray, Dormant Oil Spray, and others.Two examples are below.Sprays are applied to the trees following label directions after pruning and include all branches and the trunk down to the soil. All weeds are removed. All fruit is removed from the tree and picked up off the ground.  Fireblight  Fireblight is a horrible bacterial disease that is commonly controlled through pruning or even tree removal in severe cases. If there was fireblight in fruit trees the previous year, you might see remnants of this disease while you are winter pruning of Asian pear, European pear, apple and quince. If suspected, disinfect pruning equipment BETWEEN each separate cut on the same tree. If severe, remove the tree. Immediately remove infected wood from the property. Fertilizer application – Two weeks before peach growth begins  Complete fertilizer mineral fertilizer application or compost application. Fertilizer stakes, fertilizer injectors, mineral fertilizers, guanos, fish emulsion, rich compost, many different fertilizers exist to use or put together your own concoction. Use last years growth to tell you how much to apply for the current year. Use mineral fertilizers or compost that you know is rich in nutrients Iron fertilizer application – Combined with a fertilizer application Apply iron fertilizers to the soil for season long control of yellowing due to iron chlorosis. Most iron fertilizers will work but the best all around iron fertilizer contains an iron chelate called EDDHA. March – May – Fruit trees have finished flowering and small fruit are developing  Limb Spreaders Limb spreaders are used to increase the angle of attachment of a small limb or branch to the tree. The best angle of limb attachment for growth and fruiting is about 45 degrees from horizontal. Limb spreaders can be used during winter pruning but there is a risk of splitting limbs and branches. These limbs and branches are much more supple and easier to bend to a 45 degree angle after new growth starts. Fruit Thinning Removal of fruit from peach, plum, apple, pear so that remaining fruit gets larger. Remove extra fruit when they are the size of a thumbnail. Summer Pruning Remove unwanted growth from fruit trees before this growth gets big. Redirects energy and nutrients into fruit production, helps keep fruit trees smaller and reduces the amount of winter pruning. May – First apricots and very early peaches are beginning to ripen Pheremone traps This is the time when the first pheremone trap for codling moth and peach twig borer (other insects if you have them and there are pheremones for them) are placed in the fruit trees to catch the first flight of these pests. Getting some insects under control very early will reduce populations of them later. First catches are used to time insecticide sprays for best control and reduced pesticide use (IPM). It can also be used to time the deployment of traps for mating disruption.  Fireblight  Fireblight is an insidious disease of Asian pear, many European pear, apples and quince. This is when this disease first appears if it was not present before this. Cut at least 12 inches below where it is visible. If the infected limb dies to the trunk, remove the tree. General insect control Patroling and inspecting fruit trees on a regular basis (at least once a week) and inspecting fruit and leaves (bottoms and tops of leaves) helps identify if other pests and diseases might be a problem. Harvest – May through December The rest of the year is focused on protecting what you are growing and harvesting fruit. This requires frequent tree inspection and watching for insects, diseases, irrigation problems, mulch renewal, borer removal, etc.

Q. So, I live in the high desert of Southeastern Utah, about 4500 feet. Minimal precip. Temps up to 110 in summer and down to 20s at night in the winter. Fast draining soil, actually just sand, but I do amend some when planting to “slow the flow” and try to make it more like soil. I have 2 Italian Cypress about 4-5 years old and 3 Hollywood Juniper about 3 years old. They were doing well up till  beginning of last year. Now something seems to be killing them from the ground up. Initially I thought maybe rabbits were eating them but I no longer think that. I have tried more water, less water, more amendments, iron, etc. Spray with Liqui-Cop after leaf fall on my fruit trees and include the conifers. The Cypress seem to be doing a bit better than the Juniper, at least there is some green growth there. The Juniper look like they are totally dried out and peeling away. Can you tell me if it is a disease? Insects? Critters? And what I can do about it, if anything, before they die completely! Guess my question is whether you think I can save the cypress or should I just give up? A. You live in some beautiful country.   Why are the lower branches of the Italian cypress missing? Was this due to rabbits? I have seen rabbits devour newly planted, small pine trees during the winter but this is the first time I have seen it on Italian cypress. I think you have a problem with these lower branches removed from the Italian cypress. Those lower branches are needed for several reasons. First, that foliage produces energy for the tree and improves growth by providing energy for its growth. Without that foliage, new growth is going to be minimal and weak. Secondly, the growth along the trunk is needed for proper trunk development. Branches are needed for the trunk to develop proper caliper, i.e., taper along the trunk. Without this growth, the trunk never gets strong enough to remain upright or erect. The plant will never get strong enough to remain upright. When they are planted make sure they get a good soil amendment such as compost and not just planting amendment. If you use planting amendment, make sure you put some 16-20-0 or some type of starter fertilizer at planting time. They should be fertilized at least once a year in early spring. If in sandy soil, twice a year. If this was rabbit damage, next time plant them with a cylinder of 1 inch hexagonal chicken wire around them to keep the rabbits from eating them. I would use 3 to 4 ft tall cylinders. Jackrabbits can reach up to nearly 3 feet when they are on their back legs. Eating foliage that high should not be a problem but lower foliage missing will be a problem. I think you may have some sun damage to the lower trunk on the cypress from missing branches along the trunk. Check for borer damage in them as well. Hollywood junipers are notorious for borer damage. Look close at the trunks and I am willing to bet you have them. Use Bayer Insect Control as a liquid drench around these to protect them from borer damage. Better yet, don’t plant them here. Plant something else.   Borers in Hollywood Twisted Juniper from 25 years ago I think it will be okay. I would just protect it with some chicken wire if rabbits are the cause. You need to push new growth. That will be done with fertilizer and timely watering. Fertilize twice during the year, February and again in about June. Throw one or two handfuls of fertilizer about a foot from the base of the tree and sprinkled on the soil. Water it in. If you have basins, put it in the basins and water it in. Keep fertilizer away from direct contact with the trunk. You have the self watering containers around the base. I am wondering why you are not using the drip irrigation that is there in the pictures. Italian cypress like wet winters and dry summers. Water as you would any tree during the summer. Probably twice a week during high temperatures and I would give them about 5-10 gallons when they are small each time you watered. Winter time maybe once  a week or ten days. Keep the amount of water you apply the same each time. Apply this amount of water more often as it gets warmer.

Q. When is the best time to trim Lantana and how much of the plant should I cut back the plant? Thanks for your response. Cutting back lantana during the winter and re-growth in the spring A.  Cut them back to 1 inch above the soil after a hard freeze and leaf drop. If it is a warm winter and there is no hard freeze, cut them back 1 inch above the soil before spring growth occurs. In Las Vegas that would be late January. Apply your favorite fertilizer or compost, water and stand back.

What Is “Organic”? I posted this to show the confusion which exists about the term “organic”. I don’t share my opinions much on my blogs. I try to post facts. But this term, organic, has me concerned. The term “organic” is confused by the public. This confusion leads to sales opportunities. Some marketing people capitalize on this confusion. Others don’t know the difference. If this confusion is not addressed or removed it could open the doors towards abuse in marketing and sales. Three types of “organic” products; 100% Organic, USDA Certified Organic and just plain “Organic”. What do they mean?   “Organic” Compost I do quite a bit of consulting. Now that I am retired from my University position I am free to do that. It gives me a lot of chances to see things that I don’t see in academics. One of my consulting jobs is with a composting company in the United States. One of the products they market and sell is a compost made from biosolids. The biosolid content was somewhere around 20% by volume. Most composts made from biosolids are 100% “organic” and high in phosphorus. When a consumer asks if this product is organic, what is the correct response? In one sense of the word, it meets this definition 100%! But is this what the consumer is really asking or wanting? “Organic” compost made with composted biosolids. Biosolids are rich in nitrogen. No additional nitrogen needed to speed up composting into weeks. Is this “organic”? If the components were left to “rot” on their own, it would takes months without the biosolids. I found that about 80% of the people who understood the difference (after a long explanation about organics by me) decided it was something they could use. Most of these reasons, I believe, were based upon price. But 20% refused the product and were willing to pay a higher price for a product that contained 0% biosolids. I developed a low-cost compost that contained a 0% biosolid. To speed up the composting process of these “vegan” products, nitrogen was added as a mineral fertilizer. Now the compost was no longer “organic” but it contained no biosolids. Compost made using biosolids. Biosolids contain human waste. Many states no longer allow burying human waste in landfills. This creates a huge potential disposal problem. The US Environmental Protection Agency has worked very hard to develop protocols for composting biosolids and recycling it back into the environment. These protocols include extremely low human pathogen levels and “caps” for heavy metal content. Some of these composted biosolids meet the US EPA levels for “safe” application to fruits and vegetables. Compost, all organic components made from plants, made without composted biosolids but nitrogen fertilizer is added to speed up composting. Without additional nitrogen added, composting can take a very long time.. “Organic” Weedkillers There is a weedkiller, that is 100% organic and high in phosphorus. It is extremely effective and systemic as well. In other words, if I applied it to the leaves, the plant could take it to the underground roots and kill the entire plant. If I told this to a consumer they might buy it, relying on the word “organic”as the key word for purchasing. What if I told you that this description is 100% accurate but it describes the weedkiller called Roundup? Would the consumer still buy it? Technically speaking, Roundup is a 100% organic, high phosphorus, systemic weedkiller. Consumers looking for a 100% organic product might be sold this when it’s not what they wanted. This is the active ingredient in Roundup weedkiller. It is an “organic” compound, high in phosphorus.  “Organic” Fertilizers  What is an “organic” fertilizer? These same principles might apply to fertilizers as well. Unlike “mineral” fertilizers, urea fertilizer, 46-0-0 or 45-0-0 could be classified as “organic” because, like glyphosate, it has an “organic backbone” in its chemical structure. The basic structure of urea, whether it comes from animal waste or manufacturing  Like all mineral fertilizers, the biggest problem is not in the pure, basic chemistry of the fertilizer. The plant doesn’t care if the nitrogen comes from bat guano, urea, chicken manure or cow manure. The potential problems are with the chemicals “associated” with the fertilizer, “contaminants” if you will. These contaminants might come from its manufacturing process, minerals associated with the mining of this fertilizer, or even (heaven forbid!) what the cow ate (animal maures) or how it was cared for (antibiotics)! But most antibiotics are also “organic”! “Organic” Label The organic label for food in the United States must meet some very specific, legal requirements before this label can be applied to it. These legal requirements are required by the United States Department of Agriculture before this product is “awarded” this label.  http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/04/non-organic-substances-permitted-by.html  http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/04/natural-substances-prohibited-by-usda.html The USDA requires a fair amount of bookkeeping that must be presented to a certifying body before the “organic” award is granted. There is fraud sometimes. There are unscrupulous producers who lie about the legal requirements and obtain an organic certification when they shouldn’t. Hopefully, the number of producers who are fraudulent are in a very small minority but they are out there.  http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/05/national-organic-program-alert-on.html Add captionThis is the “Certified organic label owned by USDA. All products awarded this certification can apply it to their label. Are there fraudulent products which receive this certification? Yes, but hopefully the numbers are very small. Compost Made from Animal and Plant Waste  If the nitrogen comes from animals or plants then its “naturally organic”, right? But is that type of “organic” safe? Isn’t that what we are looking for? The word “compost” is frequently equated to “organic”, “natural” and “safe”. But is it? Compost piles “cold composted” or “hot composted”. The difference can be the presence of weeds when it is used or an abundance of potentially life threatening microorganisms. Compost does not necessarily mean the product is “safe”.  Compost thermometers are used in commercial composts to kill weed seeds, human pathogens and indicate when the pile

            Winter fruit tree pruning starts as soon as leaves drop from the trees. It’s easier to see the branching structure of the tree, I call it the tree’s “architecture”, after the leaves are gone. This is also the time for the major pruning of landscape trees and shrubs. One-year-old Peach tree ready to prune as soon as the leaves drop             Palms are pruned after new growth and flowering in late spring or early summer and coinciding with flowering and seed production. Removal of flowers and seed at the same time reduces Palm tree litter. Weight to prune palm trees until after they flower but before they drop their seed.             Speed up leaf drop by shutting off the water. This puts them under a little bit of stress which speeds leaf drop. Turn the water back on when the leaves begin to turn color. Plum parfait pluot just turning color and ready to drop leaves soon. Speed it up by turning off the water.             Prune fruit trees anytime in December and January. Reserve grape pruning for the end of February. Roses are traditionally pruned in January.             Fertilizer applications to most fruit trees, landscape trees and shrubs is done in mid-January and into February. If you see buds swelling on branches, fertilize the trees.             Lawns, annual flowers, vegetables and “specialty” plants like roses are fertilized 3 to 6 times a year depending on your expectations and budget.