It’s question-and-answer time again. Remember, if you have a
garden question, please write me in care of this newspaper included
a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Or, you may e-mail me at:
ga*******@*ps.net.
It’s question-and-answer time again. Remember, if you have a garden question, please write me in care of this newspaper included a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Or, you may e-mail me at: ga*******@*ps.net.
Q: I have an orange tree (approximately 30 years old), which has produced sweet, juicy oranges every year. However, this year the fruit reaches the size of a tennis ball, and then splits down the middle and opens up. Can you advise me as to what I should do to prevent this from happening?
– S.S., Gilroy.
A: First of all, consider yourself lucky that after 30 years this is the first time splitting has occurred to your oranges. Splitting of citrus fruit is actually quite common.
Fruit splitting is related to abrupt changes in soil moisture. To prevent it, you must keep your tree regularly watered throughout the summer and fall. Regular watering encourages the rinds to gradually enlarge in order to hold the developing juice.
Q: I need to have some information on how to tend to my peach tree and Valencia orange tree. My oranges were not sweet this year.
– C.H., Gilroy.
A: The orange question can partially be answered in my first answer regarding regular watering throughout summer and fall.
You are doing the right thing in growing the Valencia variety of orange. Valencias produce reasonably sweet oranges in many parts of California. However, whenever there isn’t sufficient heat during the ripening period, oranges will not be sweet. There’s nothing you are doing wrong, but you’re at the mercy of our weather.
Peaches, on the other hand, are susceptible to peach leaf curl. Peaches become blistered and distorted, leaves curl up and becomes reddish in color, then wither and drop. It also affects nectarines and almonds.
Peach leaf curl can be controlled by spraying the entire tree with lime sulphur of Bordeaux mixture. Both sprays are available at nurseries. Trees must be sprayed after all leaves drop (this time of year) and again just before buds open in the spring.
If you want to try something organic, it’s been said that if you grow garlic around peach trees, they are remarkably free of the disease. Garlic needs to be planted to cover an 8-foot circle around the tree trunk. Chives and shallots may also be used, but why not try Gilroy’s very own garlic. It’s worth a try, and what local home gardener should be without garlic?
Q: Is there such thing as a persimmon that doesn’t “pucker” the mouth?
– G.D., Morgan Hill, via e-mail.
A: Actually, no persimmons will pucker your mouth if completely ripe. One variety, “Fuyu,” is non-astringent even when it is underripe. “Fuyu” is firm-fleshed, about like an apple, and a little smaller than a baseball.
Another variety is “Hachiya,” which is usually eaten once it softens up.
