The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 19 Summer 2016/17 | Page 46

fruit trees fruit tree care by Dr. C Nyakanda always select the right variety of fruit when buying new plants. Moist conditions and warm temperatures during this period make lighter work of planting new fruit trees, yet these same conditions, along with high humidity, promote disease and pest outbreaks. Roots are equally vulnerable to pests and diseases at this time. This problem often goes undetected until the plant suffers leaf yellowing, drying of plant parts or the gradual decline in plant vigour and eventual death. New Plantings Trees generally have a long lifespan, but before settling on a choice, make sure you choose the right site and variety. Fruit Type You may grow backyard mangoes anywhere in Zimbabwe. However, for commercial production where high yields are critical, it is only possible to achieve satisfactory results in low altitudes that are below 1,200m. Similarly, you may grow citrus, including Valencia oranges, and litchi anywhere in Zimbabwe. This excludes Navel oranges and naartjies, which can’t withstand hot lowveld conditions. Whilst macadamias prefer mild winters, pecans, apricot, apple, plum, pear and nectarine require the cooler environments that are generally found at highveld altitudes above 1,500m. Variety selection Personal preferences and end-use determine variety choice, as well as local weather conditions. Among early fruiting mango varieties, Tommy Atkins tolerates cool conditions, whereas Irwin suffers many leaf diseases in similar conditions. For late mango varieties, Sensation and Keitt tolerate cool conditions, but Kent does not. For the peach varieties, Earlibelle, Orion, Duet and, to some extent, San Pedro, which are all extra- early fruiting varieties, may be grown 46 in marginally cool areas where long- season varieties fail to produce fruit. At times, this early-fruiting attribute allows these peaches to escape the peak fruit rot season. Choose Barton, Ukulinga or Desirable if growing individual varieties of pecan, since each has a good pollination overlap. Localised Site Conditions Avoid planting avocado, citrus, banana, granadilla, mango and pawpaw in frost- prone sites. Always select free-draining sites since all fruit trees cannot tolerate temporary soil waterlogging, except guavas. Shallow soils are generally not ideal for fruit trees, unless you are seeking to dwarf the plant. Watering Ensure that citrus, granadillas and grapes receive regular watering during dry spells between rainfall and throughout the year. Drain away standing water on and around trees to discourage root diseases. Root Pests and Diseases Source your plants from reputable suppliers to avoid importing pests and diseases into your garden through untreated planting media. Banana suckers are notorious for introducing sap-sucking eelworm (nematodes), if collected from diseased sites and untreated. Avoid mulching plants close to the stem to minimise root collar or crown rots, which can girdle the stem and kill the tree. Crown rot symptoms are seen by removing soil from around the tree trunk. If rot is present, it will show dead areas between the soil line and crown roots. Exposing the stem collar may halt disease progression. General root rots may be minimised by preventing waterlogging and avoiding poor soil drainage sites. These rots can be treated with fungicides, including copper oxycloride or Ridomil. Fruit-it (Pvt) Ltd Registered wholesaler and bulkselling of a wide range of fruit trees-both deciduous and sub-tropical. Supplier to order for specialist trees including gum seedlings. Provider of advisory, technical and consultancy services on fruit production. [email protected] Chris 0778 219 148 Patie 0772 935 658