The Home Orchard

Whether you are thinking of planting your first fruit tree, or you have been tending fruit trees for years, here is a collection of fruit tree resources just for the home gardener.

Resources

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.

• Maintenance calendars for common backyard fruit and nut trees provide guidance on seasonal care.

• Fruit tree variety and tree care information from two major wholesale nurseries in our region:

What is Backyard Orchard Culture?
Growing Dwarf Citrus

Publications

• Citrus:
- Growing Citrus in Sacramento (GN 127) (PDF 222KB)
- Budding and Grafting Citrus and Avocado (ANR 8001) (PDF 168KB)

• Fruit tree training and pruning:
- Planting and Care of Young Trees (ANR 8048) (PDF 112KB)
- Pruning Overgrown Deciduous Trees (ANR 8058) (PDF 97KB)
- Training and Pruning Deciduous Trees (ANR 8057) (PDF 226KB)

• Budding and grafting:
- Bud Grafting (EHN 85) (PDF 216KB)
- Budding and Grafting Citrus and Avocado (ANR 8001) (PDF 168KB)
- Grafting Affinities of Some Common Fruit Tree Species (GN 104) (PDF 166KB)

• 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 (EHN 100) (PDF)
- Summary of Reduced Chemical Pest Management (EHN 81) (PDF 88KB)
- Winter Pest Management in Backyard Fruit Trees (ANR 8368) (PDF 5.3 MB)

• Other:
- Thinning Young Fruit (ANR 8047) (PDF 109KB)
- Why Fruit Trees Fail to Bear (EHN 68) (PDF 202KB)
- Orchard Bee Nesting House (GN 102) (PDF 200KB)

Videos

• Pruning demonstration – watch Ed Laivo prune fruit trees.

Want a fabulous local reference book on growing fruit trees? The Home Orchard is the one to get:

Click to preview book contents with Google Books.

Click here to order The Home Orchard.

ANR= free publication to download from the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Catalog
EHN= Environmental Horticulture Notes from the Cooperative Extension Sacramento County
GN= Garden Notes from the Cooperative Extension Sacramento County

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