North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Dennis Norton" <dmnorton@royaloakfarmorchard.com>]

Steve,

The brown rot fungus overwinters on old mummified fruit left hanging on the 
tree or on the ground. After harvest or in the spring before the buds open, 
collect and destroy all mummified fruits beneath the trees and any that 
remain hanging in the trees.  Do the same for any fruits that fall 
prematurely or show symptoms of brown rot during the season. Never allow 
rotting fruit to remain on or under the trees. Do not allow fruit to 
over-ripen or soften before harvesting. For those who grow peaches, 
nectarines and apricots, they should be harvested when their color (nonblush 
side) first changes from green to all yellow, even though the flesh is still 
firm. Harvest plums when the fruit color is uniform and the flesh begins to 
soften under gentle pressure. Two to three days further ripening off the 
tree are necessary before the fruit reaches the best quality for eating. 
Avoid bruising during harvest and in post-harvest storage. Good air 
circulation through the tree is essential to reducing wetness, which favors 
brown rot. Pruning to allow better air and sunlight penetration will help to 
reduce disease.

Where brown rot has been a problem or the blossom period is longer than 
seven days, or there are rains during bloom, sprays may be needed at three- 
to five-day intervals to protect blossoms, young fruit and spurs. Infection 
can take place in six to seven hours when trees are wet.  Sulfur is probably 
the least toxic spray to use.  We will generally use Captan since we can use 
it on our peaches and apples also.  Since our plums are planted with our 
peaches, we hit them at the same time.  Your first spray would be at 
pre-bloom just before the blossoms open.  You then have the option of 
spraying again when the blossoms are open and a third at shuck split.  We do 
only the one spray at pre-bloom and have never had a brown rot problem. 
Since we use IPM here at Royal Oak Farm, our philosophy is don't spray 
unless we have a problem.  For more on the sprays and timing, check out 
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Ipm/homegrnd/htms/21plum.htm.  Hope this helps!

Dennis Norton
Royal Oak Farm Orchard
http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com
http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "loneroc" <loneroc@mwt.net>
To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2006 5:21 AM
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Brown rot


> Since you are in Idaho, your atmospheric humidity levels are probably low
> enough that brown rot will not be the scourge it is for me in some years.
> Fruit growing tends to be easier in the West than in the East--especially 
> if
> you westerners irrigate.
>
> This year I lost over 1/2 of my plums to brown rot.  This occurred even 
> with
> diligent removal of diseased fruits from the trees as they appeared and
> picking up all drops from the ground.
>
> Any one have any suggestions for control of brown rot?  I'd prefer a
> cultural remedy, but would use a chemical one, either organic or
> conventional, if that's my best option.
>
> Steve H. Lone Rock, WI
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jim Cooper" <JCooper@lewiston.k12.id.us>
> To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 10:42 AM
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] what is it about nectarines? (and an introduction)
>
>
> > I have had brown rot? or like blossom end rot on my nectarines too. I 
> > have
> use the same calcium spray as for tomatoes! It seems to have worked very
> well. I had used soil admendments to not much success. This is the 2nd
> season using the spray and I have very little problems. It only takes a 
> few
> sprays early on and the fruit mature so much better, no end rot or sure a
> lot less.
> > Jim
> > N. Idaho
> > Zone 6
> >
> > >>> "loneroc" <loneroc@mwt.net> 8/21/2006 4:02 AM >>>
> > Zaiger's fruits are selected in a very hot CA climate and often don't do
> > well in more temperate climes. Try cultivars that have an East coast
> origin.
> > Nectarines also seem more susceptible to brown rot though I can't verify
> > that in Zone 3 here.
> >
> > Steve Herje, Lone Rock, WI
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "V. Michael Bove, Jr." <vmb@teakettlefarm.com>
> > To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> > Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2006 11:11 AM
> > Subject: [NAFEX] what is it about nectarines? (and an introduction)
> >
> >
> > > I should probably start by introducing myself, since I'm new to this
> > > list.  We live on a small farm on the MA/RI border (zone 6) and grow
> > > a variety of fruits (usual and unusual -- it was our best year ever
> > > for wineberries, by the way).  Once again this year (as every year)
> > > we have pretty good peaches (despite a too-wet May and too-dry July
> > > and too many plum curculios) and no nectarines. We have two beautiful
> > > trees of Zaiger white nectarine cultivars (Arctic Sweet and Arctic
> > > Jay) which as usual set loads of fruit that got gray fuzz and dropped
> > > despite our absolutely drenching them with combination pesticide/
> > > fungicide.  No one else around here seems to be able to grow white
> > > nectarines either, so there may be something unsuitable about our
> > > local situation.  Do I need to do an extra-aggressive pruning job to
> > > get more sun and air into the trees?  Does anyone have a particular
> > > fungicide to recommend?  Thanks!
> > > Michael Bove
> > > Teakettle Farm
> > >
> > >
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