Harvest Day spotlights wide range of varieties in demonstration orchard
Asian pears grow on an espaliered tree at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. (Photos: Kathy Morrison)
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Ever see a pawpaw? What about an atemoya or a pluerry? Those are just a taste of the exotic fruits that grow in the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center’s demonstration orchard.
Designed to be easy-care and easy-picking, the orchard is pruned for compact spaces – such as a typical Sacramento backyard. But small spaces can produce big harvests.
See for yourself Saturday, Aug. 6, during Harvest Day, the Sacramento region’s celebration of gardening know-how.
Hosted by the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Sacramento County, this free event is annually Sacramento’s biggest free garden party. But due to pandemic restrictions, this will be the first in-person Harvest Day since 2019. Hours will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
Sacramento County master gardener Quentyn Young, a longtime professional nurseryman, oversees the 60-tree orchard. Young and other volunteers will be on hand Saturday to answer all sorts of questions. What’s the best tasting peach? How can you get more fruit in a small tree? Can you grow tropical fruit in Sacramento?
At the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, the master gardeners experiment with techniques of care as well as testing varieties for hardiness, disease resistance and flavor.
Says Young, “We grow a lot of fruit: Peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, pluerries, cherries, apples, pears, Asian pears, avocado, atemoya, pawpaw, guavas, figs, pomegranates, persimmons and all kinds of citrus.
“We’re having a really good fruit year, especially peaches and plums,” he adds. “(Ripening) is maybe running a week early, but it’s pretty close to our harvest guidelines.”
The master gardeners keep their fruit trees short – under 7 feet. That makes their harvest easier to pick (no ladders necessary) as well as reduces the water needs of each tree. (There’s less tree!)
Ever seen pawpaws? This Shenandoah variety grew in 2018
in the FOHC orchard. |
Young trees (under 3 years old) may need extra water to get established; figure an extra 5 gallons per week. To retain that moisture and keep roots comfortable, use lots of mulch. That also keeps down water-robbing weeds.
“Mulch definitely helps,” Young says. “We have layers and layers of wood chips, a mix of everything (Sacramento County) crews chipped. We put down a fresh layer two or three times a year.”
Some fruit trees get by with less water better than others; in fact, they prefer it, Young notes. “All the biblical fruit: Olives, almonds, pomegranates, grapes, dates, figs. They’re native to the Mediterranean or desert regions. (Most varieties) require very little water. Everything else needs weekly irrigation.”
Fair Oaks Horticulture Center is located at 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks, in Fair Oaks Park. Details: https://sacmg.ucanr.edu/ .
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Garden Checklist for week of May 19
Temperatures will be a bit higher than normal in the afternoons this week. Take care of chores early in the day – then enjoy the afternoon. It’s time to smell the roses.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. If you haven’t already, it’s time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters.
* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Don’t forget to water. Seedlings need moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants.
* Add mulch to the garden to help keep that precious water from evaporating. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.