gall and tree loss. Plant the tree high enough so that the
nursery soil line is just above the current soil line. Backfill the
soil and compact gently around the tree’s base to remove air
pockets. Tank the tree in with four to five gallons of water to
help settle the soil. Trees should be headed at 32 to 36 inches,
staked, and side branches pruned. Fertilizers should not be
applied until there is four to six inches of new growth.
In preparation for a wet year, planting may be more difficult.
Hand planting crews have an easier time than machine
planting due to limited field access. If planting delays occur,
trees should be placed into cold storage at the
nursery as soon as possible to reduce the risk
of leaf out and weakened trees. Keep trees
in cold storage until ready to plant. Unless
there is no other option, do not take delivery
of trees in bins or plant them in a temporary
location at the farm. On delivery, check
tree roots to make sure they are healthy and
living (should be white in color). Although
it seems counter-intuitive, tanking is still
recommended due to clods that form with wet
soil. Trees planted late (e.g. mid-April) should
be painted white to reduce sun-burn risks.
Herbicides
This is a good time to apply any pre-emergent
herbicides. Orchard weeds need to be
surveyed to determine any specific challenges.
The pre-emergent product and burn-down
partner selected should provide control for
the whole spectrum of weeds within the
orchard. Most pre-emergent products need to
be “watered-in” with either an irrigation or
rainfall in order to have efficacy.
Delays in pre-emergent herbicide application
from rain can create a number of issues. Rain
events knock down debris that can hinder
the application or uniform incorporation of
herbicides. If not able to re-clean the berms,
avoid pre-emergent herbicides that are
more tightly bound to organic matter (e.g.
indaziflam, pendimethalin). Consistent rains
also limit field access which, in combination
with warming temperatures in the spring,
increases weed germination and rapid
growth. Delayed applications of pre-emergent
materials will likely require tank mixing with
burndown herbicides and possibly even a
separate, post-emergent herbicide application.
On very sandy soils, high rainfall events
may also move some pre-emergent herbicides into the tree
rootzone, which may impact plant performance if the tree is
active. Reduce rates in these situations.
The Final Thought
So far in 2017, we have been experiencing a wet winter. If this
continues, certain dormant practices may not be completed
due limited orchard access. Plan ahead to implement
strategies to mitigate the missed practices. This could include
aerial applications of fungicides, in-season sprays for insect
control and more frequent herbicide applications.
