The Home Orchard

Resources

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Websites

• General fruit tree information from The California Backyard Orchard website covers the basics including soil, tree selection, planting, first year care, irrigation, pruning and training, harvest, pests and diseases, and more!
  
  
• Fruit tree pests? Go to the experts at UC IPM for help. Choose from a list of commonly grown fruit and nut trees for photos and guidance on dealing with pests and disorders specific to each tree type.
  
  
• Plant problem diagnostic tool - UC IPM gives you the ability to solve plant problems.
  
  
• Maintenance calendars for common backyard fruit and nut trees provide guidance on seasonal care.
  
  
• From Dave Wilson Nursery:
  
  
  • Fruit tree varieties
  • Recommended varieties and taste tests
  • Backyard orchard culture - grow tree-ripe fruit in a small space
    
    
• Frost protection for sensitive plants.
  
  
• Citrus:
  
  
  • Frost Protection - cold weather can damage citrus and other sensitive plants.
    
    
  • Citrus Culture and Pests - or home gardeners from UC Integrated Pest Management
    
    
    • Asian Citrus Psyllid and Huanglongbing Disease - new invasive pest and the disease it spreads
    • Detecting Asian Citrus Psyllid - video from UCANR
    • Selected common citrus pests:
      • Citrus leafminer
      • Cottony cushion scale
        
        
  • Picture Guide, leaf and twig - citrus diseases and disorders from UC IPM
    
    
  • Picture Guide, fruit - citrus diseases and disorders from UC IPM
    
    
  • Citrus Leaf and Twig Problem Diagnosis (PDF) - chart from UC IPM to help diagnose citrus pests, disease and cultural problems
    
    
  • Citrus Pest Management - intended for commercial growers, UC IPM offers a comprehensive list on citrus culture and pest management.  Note: many pesticides mentioned are not available to home gardeners.
    
    
  • From Four Winds Growers
    
    
    • Citrus varieties
    • Growing citrus

Publications

• Citrus:
  
  
  • Growing Citrus in Sacramento (PDF 222KB) (GN 127)
  • Citrus Resources (PDF) (GN 135)
  • Budding and Grafting Citrus and Avocado (PDF 168KB) (ANR 8001)
  • Tried and True or Something New (PDF) (ANR 8472)
  • The Citrus Family Tree (PDF) - article about the origin of citrus from National Geographic Magazine
    
    
• Fruit tree training and pruning:
  
  
  • Planting and Care of Young Trees (PDF 112KB) (ANR 8048)
  • Pruning Overgrown Deciduous Trees (PDF 97KB) (ANR 8058)
  • Training and Pruning Deciduous Trees (PDF 226KB) (ANR 8057)
    
    
• Budding and grafting:
  
  
  • Bud Grafting (PDF 216KB) (EHN 85)
  • Budding and Grafting Citrus and Avocado (PDF 168KB) (ANR 8001)
  • Grafting Affinities of Some Common Fruit Tree Species (PDF 166KB) (GN 104)
    
    
• Pest management:
  
  
  • Information about the cherry tree cover for Spotted Wing Drosophila control that was tested at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center
  • Results of the 2012 Peach Leaf Curl Trial at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center
  • Codling Moth Management at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center
  • Codling moth management using computerized tools (PDF) (EHN 100)
  • Summary of Reduced Chemical Pest Management (PDF 88KB) (EHN 81)
  • Winter Pest Management in Backyard Fruit Trees (PDF 5.3 MB) (ANR 8368)
    
    
• Other:
  
  
  • Thinning Young Fruit (PDF 109KB) (ANR 8047)
  • Why Fruit Trees Fail to Bear (PDF 202KB)(EHN 68)
  • Orchard Bee Nesting House (PDF 200KB) (GN 102)

Videos

• Netting Fruit Trees: An Easy and Inexpensive Method (5.17 min.) - UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County
• Detecting Asian Citrus Psyllid - video from UCANR
• Pruning demonstration – watch Ed Laivo prune fruit trees.
• Manage Aphids and Ants and other pests by watching short instructional videos from UC IPM.

ANR = free publication from the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Catalog
PN = free publication from UC Integrated Pest Management
EHN = Environmental Horticulture Notes from the UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County
GN = Garden Notes from the UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County

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