Fruit Trees

Here’s a look at all of the fruit trees that we have. I included the fruits that are technically bushes.

Nectarine Tree

This was planted in 2021. It had some gorgeous flowers the first year. It’s now about 4′ tall.

The fruit this year were all pretty small, 1 – 1 1/2″ but tasty. The thin skin means they didn’t need to be peeled. Our neighbors have one that about two years older which had fruit about 3-4″. Hopefully, ours will get that size.

There was some leaf curl similar to the peach curl we’ve seen before. We will be spraying with copper sulfide in October and November.

Yield in 2022: About 30 small Nectarines total. July.

Persimmon Tree

This was planted about 5-6 years ago and is doing well. It’s about 8′ tall in 2022. We’ve been trimming it to keep it at this height.

We’ve regularly had fruit from this tree. Last year I froze a number of containers and had them through this spring.

Yield in 2022: TBD (typically around December)

Apricot Tree

This was planted several years ago. It’s now about 12 feet tall. It was professionally trimmed last year and should be trimmed again this year (2022).

It has been pretty productive over the years. 2022 was off the charts. There were at least 1,000 delicious Apricots! I got 27 24-oz. containers in the freezer, brought bags to friends and the local food bank, made smoothies daily for at least two weeks, made 3 pies, and dehydrated making about a pound and a half of dried Apricots.

Yield in 2022: Probably over 1,000. Late July.

Pear Tree

Sadly, I’ve had bad luck with Pear trees. I’ve had two that had fire blight. Reading about this showed that there is really no cure for this. I had to remove the trees entirely.

Update 4/23: Trying again with a 3-in-1 tree from Home Depot. I already found two leaves that may have had blight. Spraying every few days with Fertilome for the next few weeks. We’ll see. Not thrilled about Home Depot but it was convenient.

The three branches are:

Keiffer Pear – Tallest branches so far. Back and to the right.

Harrow Delight Pear – Branch in front

Blake’s Pride Pear – Back and to the left.

Yield in 2022: N/A

Peach Tree

This was planted several years ago. It has produced lightly but had Peach curl pretty badly. In 2020, I cut it way, way back and heavily sprayed with copper sulfide.

The tree has recovered well in 2022 and has about a dozen peaches.

Will cut way back and spray again this fall.

Yield in 2022: 10 or so not yet picked (Aug.)

Pluot Tree

This was planted about 6 years ago and is doing very well. It has about a 12 inch trunk is about 14 feet tall!

For it’s size it doesn’t give much fruit. But what it does give is the best tasting fruit we get. It’s like candy!

The tree is right next to the Plum tree and I think the curl started to infect the Pluot. I will have to spray this with copper sulfide which will be hard due to the height of the tree.

Yield in 2022: ~10 Pluots

Tangerine Tree (1 of 3)

This was planted several years ago. It has slowly grown and is now about 8′ tall. It’s consistently produced larger Tangerines but not a lot of them.

The tree has been pretty insect/disease free but should be sprayed to keep it that way.

Yield in 2022: TBD

Orange Tree

Also planted ‘several’ years ago (meaning I don’t remember). Like the Tangerine trees it’s grown slowly and is now about 7 feet tall. Also like the Tangerine trees it’s been a light but consistent producer.

In 2022 this started getting a black aphid problem which leads to a lot of curled leaves. It was pretty easy to control these with neem oil. This also has a slight problem of the black fungus on the leaves.

Yield in 2022: TBD (typically around December)

Cherry Tree

This was planted in 2021. It has grown well and is now a slender 7 foot tall. Hasn’t had a single cherry yet.

Like the Pear trees, Cherry trees can get fire blight but are not as susceptible. I had one branch get this. Fortunately, I had bought the spray for this, removed this branch, sprayed, and the problem appears to be resolved.

Yield in 2022: None

Tangerine Tree (2 of 3)

This was planted about 5-6 years ago and is doing well. It’s been trimmed back to about 9′ tall.

I’m not into tree grooming but this tree lends itself to it so I’ve kept it this way.

The tree recently had a problem with whiteflies. This leads to a black, tacky substance on some of the leaves that is hard to get off. I’m treating with neem oil and spray to keep the ants off of the tree. (The ants feed off of the sap left by the bugs.)

I’ll never forget that as the shelter in place of COVID kicked in during April 2020 I had smoothies from this every day. Sadly, it hasn’t produced since then. Is it because of my trimming it?

Yield in 2022: TBD.

Blueberry Bushes (link to Blueberry posts)

These were planted about 4 years ago and are now over 6 feet tall. There were three bushes planted in the first box. Two have done well.

There are now four areas with Blueberries listed below in order of planting.

1) By the family room. Unknown types. Two bushes now over six feet tall. Good producers over the years.

2) Next to the grapes in the way back. Three plants producing ok given it’s only their second year. From left to right facing the fence: Reveille, O’Neal Southern (front) and Pink Icing.

3) Planter box by the catio. Six plants total. From left to right facing the house: O’Neal Southern Higbush (front), Emerald (Vaccinium?), Jubilee Southern Highbush (front), Pink Icing, O’Neal Southern Higbush (front), and Emerald.

4) Box on Patio. Two plants. The one on the left is the “Blueberry (Southern Highbush) ‘Misty’”. The one on the right is the “Peach Sorbet” (Bushel and Berry).

Yield in 2022: Six 24 oz. containers.

Yield in 2023: Just starting in early June.

Raspberry Bushes (Raspberries)

The prior owner had a trellis probably to add privacy to the back of the house. I replaced the trellis and the supporting posts and used my staining technique (see planter boxes).

I created a 10 by 4 area enclosed with bricks and replaced the native soil with a low pH, acidic soil. Four raspberries were planted on each side about three years ago.

The plants have grown well and produced consistently delicious fruit. During the June rush, I could get at least a smoothie’s worth every day. Unlike the Blueberries, the fruit continues to slowly produce after the initial June harvest. When the Blueberries are done they’re done.

Yield in 2022: Four 24 oz. containers.

Lime Tree

Another ‘several’ years ago planted tree. The tree itself is growing well to about 8 feet tall. However, a regular edible Lime has been a rare event.

This and the Olive tree are the only two that aren’t on a watering system. I think the lack of good watering led to these humorously huge Limes. Some were 7-8″ big with only a tiny lime fruit inside.

In 2022 I’ve done better with watering it. The huge Limes are no longer there but so far neither are the normally sized ones. We’ll see.

This, and to a lesser extent the other citrus trees, have been subjected to leafminers. Regularly spraying with Spinosad effectively removes this problem.

Yield in 2022: Nothing yet in 2022.

Olive Tree

This was planted about 3-4 years ago and has taken off to about 12′ before being trimmed was back in 2022.

2021 was the first year there were a ton of Olives but they were infected with something, likely fungus. Will continue to spray with copper sulfide and see if those in 2022 are in better shape.

I have no idea how to prepare Olives. I’ve read you need to soak them for a while or something like that. We’ll see if I can ever get to doing that.

Yield in 2022: TBD.

Apple Tree

This was planted 4-5 years ago. The tree is a pretty consistent, but not that prolific fruit producer.

The Apples are not the tastiest of the fruit we get but we have frozen it over the past with good results. There is a period in late August/September where it is the only fresh fruit we have.

Yield in 2022: About 20 Apples. August.

Plum Tree

This was planted about 4-5 years ago and is doing very well. After the 2022 season I trimmed it back to about 8 feet tall. It grows like crazy and required annual trimming.

This has been our most regularly prolific tree. Since it became full size it has produced like crazy every year. It has had no disease or pest problem at all.

Yield in 2022: 27 24 oz. containers.

Tangerine Tree (3 of 3)

This started as a 1′ plant that Jenny ordered online close to when we first bought our house in 2009. It’s grown into a healthy, 7 foot tree.

It produces a modest amount of Tangerines that are usually oddly formed. They are not as tasty as the other Tangerine trees but do provide some continued fresh fruit when the other Orange/Tangerine trees are finished in the winter.

Yield in 2022: About 30 Nectarines total. Late July.

Grape Bush

This was planted in 2021 and is going crazy. Has needed to be trimmed a few times in 2022 alone.

Despite this crazy growth there are only about four bunches of grapes I can see. They’re currently (August) about pea sized but seem to have been at this size for a few weeks now. We’ll see.

Yield in 2022: TBD, September?