Yearly Archives: 2018

Training Young Walnut Trees: No Pruning/No Heading vs. Minimum Pruning Compared

Training young walnut trees occurs in the first 1-6 years in the life of an orchard. Traditionally it has been done using a modified central leader with a minimum pruning style. Research conducted since 2004 investigating pruning versus non-pruning on young walnut tree growth and productivity has challenged that paradigm. Continue reading

What to Do this Spring for Flood Damaged Trees

2017 brought us unprecedented high and fluctuating water flows in the Sacramento and Feather Rivers, damaging orchards from direct flooding and indirectly via under-levee seepage. Many trees had a long exposure to waterlogged conditions through the winter and spring. This article discusses strategies for minimizing losses in 2018 in flood-impacted orchards. Continue reading

2017 Research Results on Flood Damaged Trees

2017 brought us unprecedented high and fluctuating water flows in the Sacramento and Feather Rivers, damaging orchards from direct flooding and indirectly via under-levee seepage. Many trees had a long exposure to waterlogged conditions through the winter and spring. This article details our observations and research on tree survival, disease, and recovery. Continue reading

It’s That Season Again: Growers Are Being Asked to Buy Products

Growers are faced with an ever-changing list of commercial “tools”, each with the promise of providing some advantage to the farmer. With the large number of new products available, and the number of salespeople promoting them, it is often difficult for growers to distinguish between products likely to provide real benefit, and those that may actually reduce the profitability of the farm. When approached with a new product or technology it is obligatory to challenge claims with the following questions: Continue reading

Observations from the Prune Rootstock Trial – 2017

As soil treatment options become increasingly limited, more restrictive and less effective, the priority to identify a genetic solution to solve or reduce the replant issue is of increasing interest. One genetic solution is to find or develop rootstocks to help manage soil related problems. Also of interest are root and tree characteristics imparting canopy size control, good anchorage and little or no root suckering. In 2011, University of California Farm Advisors and campus based faculty designed and planted 3 large rootstock experiments to evaluate 29 prune rootstocks. Continue reading