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THOSE with a closer eye on nature will have already seen some blossoms on fruit trees.
The very first to show off around the Eastern Bay is the flowering cherry (Prunus campanulata).
The dark pink flowers are out now. It’s also quite common around bush margins where birds have spread the seed during summer.
Next most obvious blossom will be the white flowers of plum trees.
While these are not in full bloom yet I’ve noticed a few starting.
Christmas plums with their red leaves(not green) are a bit earlier and a combo of white/pink blossoms.
Pale pink blossoms from peach and nectarine will be out later on and arrive just after plum flowers.
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Flowering time is connected to temperature.
In the warmer parts of the Eastern Bay such as Matata these plants flower a bit earlier than the cooler parts such as Waimana.
There are also minor differences in flowering within the family, eg Pargon peach flowers two weeks earlier than golden queen.
Early flowering will lead to earlier maturing fruit, however there is a risk.
If we get unseasonable late frost then these flowers can get damaged resulting in little or no fruit.
If you are in a colder area it’s safer to do some research and choose later flowering varieties (for all your fruit trees).
There are some technical terms.
- Bud swell – This is the first sign that winter is over and that sap is beginning to rise again. Peaches will get slightly fluffy. Apple buds become softer and fatter.
- Bud break – This is when the dormant bud begins to open but no colour has shown yet.
- Bud burst is when the dormant bud fully opens to a leaf (green) or flower (pink or white).
- Petal fall – all the petals have dropped off.
Black spot on apples. Mildew on grapes, brown rot on peaches and nectarines as well as “curly leaf” need to be controlled now by spraying organic copper.
Copper needs to be put on before bud burst. It needs to be present the entire time the bud is opening for it to work well.
Apples, pears and apricots are still dormant … but not for much longer so get the copper on now.
If you are a tad late on this job then double check where the buds on your particular tree at your particular location are at developmentally.
If there is any sign of colour then wait until leaf petal fall.
The golden rule is spray copper before bud burst or after petal fall to avoid any damage.
Spraying fruit trees while the buds are developing is risky and can cause the flowers to drop off leaving you with little or no fruit.
If in doubt leave it out.
Removing the “mummies” that were last year’s fruit is a job you can do now so the spores on the old fruit can’t make it on to the developing buds which is when they infect them.
Clean up old leaves. fruit and any debris around the base of peach and nectarine to reduce sources of infection
Remove any old dead twigs and branches. These often harbour insects as well as diseases that will move from the dead wood into the buds as they swell and open.
It’s time for a “winter clean up” of fruit trees.
Prune, tidy, spray.
Other jobs to do
- Complete grape pruning urgently
![SPRING: A busy time to prune fruit trees.]()
SPRING: A busy time to prune fruit trees.
- Complete pruning roses
- Prune all deciduous fruit trees
- Prune away old boysenberry and raspberry growth and tie in the new fresh green canes
- Spray weeds or cover them with carpet, iron or plywood so they will be dead in readiness for labour weekend planting
- Dig over existing and leave big clods to incorporate air. Air warms up faster than water which will get your plants off to a good start
- Start kumara plants off in banana boxes of river sand. Place eight to 10 big kumara on a 10cm layer of sand and cover them over with river sand or pumice to the top of the box. By Labour Weekend they will be ready (and the box still untact ... just).
- Fertilise citrus
- Start new lawns.
- Graft peaches (collect and graft on the same day ... last chance this week before the flowers open)
- Divide rhubarb crowns
Shane O’Leary
Head of Horticulture at Waiariki Polytech
-Contributed