Apricots

I am familiar with two varieties that grow well in No San Gabriel Valley. These are early blooming and fruiting. They do not need high chill.

Fruit bears on last year's growth. They should be trimmed and thinned as needed. Branches should not get so tall that the fruit cannot be reached. A pole picker can facilitate. I just use a ladder so I can be more careful with the fruit. Heavy pruning and shaping is needed for a new tree as with all new fruit trees.

Fruit ripens fast and largely at once. They are wonderful dried and preserved. Squirrels love them, so if the tree is small enough, netting can work.

Blenheim (Royal) - all purpose freestone, sweet, aromatic and very flavorful. They are little garden candies and are ripe when still a bit crunchy. Once they are soft, they are not so good. This has been a favorite in So Cal for a long time and bloom early.

Moorpart or Tilton? - My other tree might be one of these. It also does well, early bloomer with bigger fruit that is best on the softer side.

Tomato Varieties

For North San Gabriel Valley, So Cal.

In this area, NO tomatoes need all the hot sun in the latter afternoon. If possible, water in the morning. Do not keep wet, and do not spray the leaves except occasionally for a rinse.

• Sungold Cherry - orange, prolific, loves the hot sun, add a tangy flavor different than others.
• Cherokee Purple - abundant, strong, loves the hot sun, not temperamental, a strong heirloom type hybrid. Purple/ dark red inside and outside. Black Krim is also good.
• San Marzano - plum type, meaty with no core, abundant throughout the season, loves the heat.
• Green Zebra - green striped, firm texture, a bit tangy, like the heat and sun. Yes, they can be fried.
• Mr. Stripey - yellow and red striped. They are good with the heat but can do with less sun in the afternoon.
• Brandywine - these are tricky. They are not as vigorous as the others. I had better luck with these when planted in a floral landscaping environment near trees or other shade. My garden now is hot for these, so I plant then on the north east end of the planter box to provide the most shade. They still do not do very well because of the heat. Since they are so big, they ripen unevenly as well. There are numerous colors of these, yellow, red, pink.
• Persimmon - pink fruit, not as strong as some others or abundant. Fruit is good.
• Others - Yellow Boy, Early Girl, Sweet 100 and 1000. German Johnson, Yellow Zebra.

Tomatoes Types

Tomato Types

Indeterminate - This is the most common. They grow and produce new fruit all summer into the fall, even over the winter. I found that those tomatoes during fall do not have a very good flavor. I pull them up in September in order to plant winter vegetables. Cages are necessary since the plants grow large, and the fruit needs to be kept off the ground.
Determinate - These grow to a certain size, bear fruit one time early in the season, then die back. These are the ones that grow in those upside down hanging basket kits.
Beefsteak - Large fruit and ripen late in the season.
Cherry / Grape / Pear - Small fruit varieties. They product MUCH fruit.
Globe - Most common.
Dwarf - Patio type varieties like cherry but larger and grow well in containers.
Paste / Plum - Meaty fruit, few seeds that are desirable for paste. Fruit is rather pear shaped.

• San Marzano does well in No San Gabriel Valley So Cal. It likes the heat, and is a high producer.
  
  http://www.tomato-cages.com/tomato-plants.html

Pears

Pears usually do best in high chill climates. I have a European French butter type pear that does very well. With reshaping and basic care, it is doing very well. There was an abundance of fruit last year.

Fruit bears from spurs. Developing these spurs is part of the initial years of shaping. Each year the tall branches are cut back to spurs. Branches should not be so tall that fruit cannot be reached. Keep this little paperback handy How to Prune Fruit Trees by R. Sanford Martin (1944).

The fruit should be picked just before ripe when a little hard. the ripen very well inside, and this way the squirrels will not damage them. They are so juicy and wonderful!

They should be allowed to get a little soft when the color changes slightly from real green to a paler green.

I get a very little black leaf wilt called fire blight in early Spring. It does not seem to be a problem even though it is a disease and can spread into the trunks. It can be treated every year, but I have not.

This site is an excellent source of information.

http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/general-tree.html/

Persimmons

Persimmon is a low winter chill, temperate climate fruit tree. This means it grows well in North San Gabriel Valley.

The most common are Fuyu and Hachiya in SoCal. I have Fuyu (apple persimmon) which is non-astringent, has a squat shape and is eaten like an apple. There is almost no core, and the skin is quite edible. They are NOT good when allowed to get soft. Fruit is picked when almost ripe to ripe and orange. October - November is their time. The crop is BIG every other year.

Some fruit can get mealy bugs around the crown but no big deal. Otherwise, I have not experienced any other pests or diseases.

Tree has a vigorous and upright shape. Fruit bears on last year's new growth. On big fruit years, every other one, the branches will bend from all the fruit. I don't thin the fruit, but will be observant of trimming as necessary to keep branches from breaking. Leaves turn orange before dropping.

Because the branches grow so long on big fruit years, it is necessary to prune more which will reduce the crop the next year. Once the tree is shaped in the initial few years, prune with visual instinct. It is not necessary to wait until dormant to do some damage prevention trimming as needed. Keep this little paperback handy How to Prune Fruit Trees by R. Sanford Martin (1944).

http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/crop/crops/i_persim.htm

Thinning Fruit

Some fruits need to be thinned or not much of it will be very good. Technically, the way it works is that the tree is all about the seeds. The fruit is wrapping the seeds to protect them. If fruit is not thinned, the tree puts so much energy into wrapping all those seeds. Thinning puts more energy to wrapping less fruit, so we get bigger fruit. PLUS we usually no not need SO much fruit.

1. Apples - My Anna apples grow in clusters on espalier. I remove all but 1-2.
2. Peaches - I removed almost half the fruit on the tree! At least it seems like it. Mid to late April is a good time because it is early enough to successfully redirect tree energy, but the fruit is big enough to see which are already weak. Leave one peach every 6-8 inches.
3. Apricots - These should be thinned, too. My trees are too big to consider. I have not found this to negatively affect the fruit quality.
4. Pears, persimmon, quince, plums, citrus, jujube, fig - I find these have not needed fruit thinning.

Jujube

This is an interesting fruit tree originally from China that does very well in North San Gabriel Valley summer heat. In fact, they thrive on the more heat the better.

The tree needs little care, is not messy and does not grow very big in SoCal. They are drought resistant. They need little pruning.

The fruit looks like a date and tastes like apple and date. They are really fun little gems from a tree.

Quince

It is a relative of the apple and pear and is one of the earliest known fruits, predating apples. There are various varieties that grow in North San Gabriel Valley. I have Karp's Sweet Quince. It is eaten like an apple and is wonderful in a salad.

The flavor is sweet, less juicy than an apple. This is the variety that grows well in this warm climate because it is low chill. It is NOT the kind that is sour and must be cooked into the jellies and pastes one hears of. They are WONDERFUL.

The coddling moth LOVES them. These trees need little pruning but lots of protection from the moth that will ruin each fruit. Regular spraying with organic Spinosed.

Peaches

There are various varieties. I have white peaches. They have a delicate and wonderful flavor vs the yellow ones that are stronger, love them both.

New trees need shaping the first few years into a vase shape. Typically, they are trimmed in early January in No San Gabriel Valley. They benefit by heavy but proper trimming. Keep this little paperback handy How to Prune Fruit Trees by R. Sanford Martin (1944).

They are susceptible to peach leaf curl. If the fungus is light, it usually burns off as the days get hotter. However, the fungus never really goes away. It is a good idea to do dormant spray once in December and again in January before the leaf buds break open. Lime sulfur is less toxic than copper sulfate.

They are also prone to coddling moth that will drill into and ruin each fruit. Spray regularly with organic spinosed. Follow the label directions.

Fruit needs to be thinned or there will not be much of it. The latter part of April is a good time because fruit is big enough to see which are already weak. The fruit protects the seeds. With less fruit, more energy is put into more meat around the fruit seeds that are left. Thin as much as half, leaving one every 6-8 inches. It is hard to see that much fruit go to the ground, but I know that we usually do not need that much fruit anyway, and what matures is much better quality.

White peaches are great sliced with raspberry sorbet and a touch of mint.

http://www.gardenguides.com/106278-prune-peach-trees-california/

Diseases

Vegetables -

Fruit Trees -

Figs

The best resource I have found to keep on hand is a small and inexpensive paperback book copyrighted in 1944. Armstrong Nursery carries it - How to Prune Fruit Trees, R. Sanford Martin. It is easy to take outside to follow along. It covers training in the initial years of new trees as well as maintaining older ones.

Fig - There are many kinds, and the most common in San Gabriel Valley are White Kadota, Brown Turkey, Black Mission. I love the white.

They are easy to grow and like full sun. After initial training of a new tree, they can do well with or without yearly trimming. If not trimmed, they can get too big to manage and have too much fruit.

Fruit does not ripen after picking and is best picked on or one day before perfect ripe, But if you want any, throw a net over. The animals like perfect figs, too.

East warmed brown figs drizzled with olive oil or add a piece of prosciutto.

This link has very good further details.
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/fig.html/

Feeding

Vegetables
1. Start with the well prepared soil discussed in previous blog, using the alfalfa. Every month move the mulch aside and cultivate in some organic tomato/ vegetable food. Put the mulch back in place or add more if needed.

http://www.harvestwizard.com/2009/05/symptoms_of_nutrient_deficienc.html/

Fruit Trees
1. Citrus - I apply granular citrus food every 3 months. Work in around drip line and water deeply.
2. Other fruit - I use food spikes along drip line in January. There is a very short dormant time in San Gabriel Valley. Allow the rains to dissolve these spikes.
3. Watering - All fruit trees need periodic, deep watering during the growing season. This can be cut back in the fall as the tree activity winds down.

http://www.sandybarnursery.com/articles-on-fruit-trees.htm/

Apples

Apples usually like a chill. I have had good luck in No San Gabriel Valley with Anna Apple which is low chill and good for this climate. It is typically trellised. Very little clean up trimming is needed to maintain trellised form.

Since they are early, they are not susceptible to coddling moth. There will be a small second crop. Thin the fruit for bigger size.

The fruit needs to be thinned. Of clusters, leave 1-2 per cluster.

It can be easy to pick too soon. They can look ripe but will be sour. Fruit should be pale green and may or may not have a pink tinge on one side. If they are medium green, the are NOT yet ripe. They are great dried for winter.

Citrus

San Gabriel Valley was citrus groves. Remnants remain. Many neighborhoods have trees that are 60+ years old throughout back yards.

If you are fortunate to have any of these trees, they take some special care.

1. Cut out dead wood.

2. Pull grass away from drip line.

3. Do not let sprinklers hit the trunks.

4. Feed.

5. Consistently deep water.

Fruit is good for several months. Pick it all, do not let it rot on the tree.
In Sierra Madre there is an old citrus ranch where where citrus products were made and still are. There is a store on site that makes great stuff! They also sell in town.

With citrus try making marmalade, meringue pie (orange, lemon and lime), lemon or lime curd. Also, for lemon/ lime juice in off season that can be used in salads or anything else, juice the fruit, freeze in cupcake trays, remove when frozen and layer them between plastic in freezer bags.

Avocados can be made into guacamole with salt, pepper, garlic powder and lots of lemon. Freeze in flat sandwich containers, filling mostly to the top with least air. Thawed product is just like fresh!

http://www.waldoward.com/
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.citrus.html/

How to control squirrels???

Does anyone have a good idea for getting them to feel un-invited?
Help...

Pests

Those diggers!

1. Raccoons/ possums/ skunks - digging for grubs uprooting the plants. That is where straw or wood chips can help get them less interested. Also, net where possible and repellent spray.

2. Something that will eat whole peppers right off the plant. Does anyone know? Nothing chewed is left, the whole plant is gone...

3. Squirrels - They live up in the palm trees in the dead stuff along with who knows what else. They do significant damage to a garden along with rats. The squirrels are eating avocados like no tomorrow and bite into the best ripened fruit. If fruit tree is too big to net, I have to pick just before ripe. They don't go for apples or citrus.

4. Birds - They do some damage to fruit like apricots. If the crop is decent size, they don't make too big an impact.

5. White flies/ beetles/ mites/ coddling moth - Every other week use organic spinocad spray. They will damage leaves.

6. Ants - Not normally troublesome. They might make nests in wood planter boxes. If there seem to be too many and bothersome, they can be controlled. They can cultivate aphids. A ring of sticky stuff can be put around the base of tree trunks to keep them off.

7. Aphids/ mites - They will damage the flower buds and tender new leaves.

8. Moles and Gophers - They will do a number and fast. Boxes with screen on the bottom will keep them out. Otherwise, traps and poison http://www.pestproducts.com/

Cover the soil

I learned that I need to cover the dirt better to hold in moisture and nutrients. This creates a better environment for worms to thrive and for the soil to become increasingly richer. In No San Gabtriel Valley, the hot sun makes the soil crusty, dry and dead. It packs down, grows weeks and needs continuous working. Crops will be hit and miss unless covered. No amount of feeding will overcome. Some options are:

1. Mulch - Can be expensive for big areas and not last long.

2. Wood chips - More sturdy with better coverage. Can be easily moved aside to feed and put back in place. Hinders animals that dig. Break down nicely to turn under after the season.

3. Straw - this is what I will try. I will get 2 bales, use one now and put one in the corner to break down for next year's mulch. I hope there aren't any rogue seeds in the bale I use now.

Does anyone know more about using straw or wood in a vegetable garden?