Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/yd36aoyt 🍑
Stone Fruit Field Day 2022 Flyer and link
Peach fruit thinning and Stone Fruit Field Day 2022
Greetings! We hope your trees and orchards are coming along well so far this season. We wanted to provide some information on peach fruit thinning practices, which can help to increase the fruit size at harvest time!
Our EDIS publication:
Our YouTube video showing the steps (like and subscribe
)
Also, we want to announce our STONE FRUIT FIELD DAY 2022!, taking place in-person this year on April 26th, at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit, Citra, FL. More details will follow soon with a flier and registration link!
Summer peach tree management
Greetings, we hope the harvest season has been abundant for everyone. We wanted to share some resources and information on summer peach tree management practices, which can help prepare the orchard for another productive season next year.
– Summer pruning: This practice helps restructure the canopy, direct the tree’s resources into fruit production, and improve fieldwork efficiency, by controlling tree height. Without summer pruning, peach orchards in subtropical regions will continue to grow vigorously through the year. Here is the link to our YouTube channel with a video on summer pruning: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCal2Z8bRu_g7XgCQqxR-CAQ
– Fungicide applications: Controlling peach rust is important, as it causes early defoliation and significantly impacts the tree performance for the following season, read our EDIS publication on the subject at: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HS/HS126300.pdf
-Postharvest tree pests: For information on borers and scale (white scale and Jan Jose) visit page 41 to 44 here: https://secure.caes.uga.edu/…/files/pdf/B%201171_14.PDF
Virtual Stone Fruit Field Day 2021 coming up soon!
REMINDER– Our virtual Stone Fruit Field Day 2021 is coming up soon! This is a FREE event that will take place on Zoom, on April 28th from 9:00am-3:30pm. Join us and learn about the latest research on stone fruit in our region. Hope to see you then!
For an outline of the event, and instructions on how to attend and register, please see the following links:
Peach Brown Rot
Now that we are beginning to welcome springtime weather, along with it also comes the blossoming of another type for stone fruit in Florida: Brown Rot.
Brown Rot has been most detrimental in the panhandle and northern regions of our state, and at times in central growing areas. The pathogen typically overwinters on fruit mummies and diseased branches or leftover debris from the previous season. Ideal conditions for the fungus include temperatures between 68-77F, and humid weather.The fungus can be found on blossoms and shoots, and is easily recognized on fruit nearing maturity, which may be completely covered in brown powdery texture as the pathogen expands.
Control of the pathogen includes orchard sanitation, such as removing debris and fruit mummies, and removal of diseased branches. A deliberate fungicide program is also an important step in maintaining fruit in harvest-able condition when in the last stages of ripening.
For more detailed information on Peach Brown Rot, please have a look at our EDIS publication on the subject:https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1357
Happy Harvesting!
Virtual Stone Fruit Field Day 2021
MARK YOUR CALENDARS-We are pleased to announce our virtual Stone Fruit Field Day 2021! This is a FREE event that will take place on Zoom, on April 28th from 9:00am-3:30pm. Join us and learn about the latest research on stone fruit in our region. Hope to see you then!
For an outline of the event, and instructions on how to attend and register, please see the following links:
Peach defoliation information
Greetings, we hope all is well with you and your family.
We wanted to give you a heads up to be prepared to defoliate your peach trees either in the last week of November or the first week of December. A common peach tree defoliation method uses a tank mixed spray of Zinc sulfate with a concentration of up to 15 percent (15lb of Zinc sulfate per 100gal of water).
Using a zinc spray will also help correct a common issue of zinc deficiency in peach trees growing in sandier soils. Using an air blast sprayer is a very effective delivery system, especially for larger orchards. On a small scale of just a few trees in a backyard, defoliation by hand would also be very effective.
For more information about peach production in FL, you can visit the following links:
https://hos.ifas.ufl.edu/stonefruit/
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_a-sarkhosha
Please let us know if you need any further information. Let’s hope for a great season for Florida peaches!
New YouTube account
We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this time of uncertainty.
We’re excited to announce we now have a YouTube channel for our program involving tree fruit and grape growing information. Summer pruning of peach trees is an important aspect of orchard management, and our most recent video goes into detail of how to perform that task:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNbRskMLSbY
Feel free to subscribe to our channel to stay up to date with our latest videos on peach production and more!
Florida peaches in stores now!
Florida peaches have arrived in some grocery stores! Florida peaches are the first domestically produced peaches each year, with a targeted harvest window from late March through early May.
Operation Peaches in Florida 