You can apply a copper fungicide before fruit is set as a prevention measure. Increasing airflow around the tree by spreading branches with weights or spreaders can also help. The best way to prevent it is to choose varieties that are resistant to it. There are two main disease that can attack pears in Travis County: Fire Blight and Cotton Root Rot.įire blight is a bacteria that invades all parts of the tree but most often manifests as blackened branch tips that resembles fire damage. Peach Varieties for Austin and Travis County Variety Use this resource to determine your chill hours. While in general, Austin is in the 700 hours belt, there is quite a bit of variability throughout the county. Peaches are temperate fruit that require a certain number of cold hours to flower properly. This is to reduce potential sheltering sites for the adults and to keep larvae from reaching the soil where they pupate. Do not add fruit and leaves to your compost. The number one thing you should do is to clean up and dispose all fallen fruit and leaves from under the fruit trees on a regular basis. Plum curculio is prevalent in the Austin area and effects peaches, plums, apples, and pears so it’s important to learn how to prevent, recognize, and control this pest. Avoid planting the trees in low areas that may be waterlogged or accumulate cold air. Peach blossoms are susceptible to frost damage. You can mitigate this through hand watering or drip irrigation – but check with your municipality to see what is possible. Peaches need quite a bit of water during the months when water restrictions are in place. Travis County soils are typically dense, heavy clay soils, even in areas where the profile is only one inch deep.Īnother common limiting factor is water. Peaches need at least 24 inches of well-drained soil. While a peach tree may grow in Travis County, getting a juicy crop of fruit can be a challenge. Peaches Peach Tree Limiting Factors: Soil, Water, Frost Apple Tree Recommendations for Austin and Travis County Variety You’ll want to choose a variety with a similar chill hour requirement to make sure they are flowering at the same time. Most nurseries will list and carry the pollinators that you need, but do your research ahead of time to insure you get the right one. Most varieties require a different variety of apple tree to pollinate with and may even cross pollinate with crabapples (like our native Blanco Crabapple.) Others may be listed as self-fertile, but the best practice is to use a pollinator anyway. Winter Chill Hours RequiredĪpples are temperate fruit that require a certain number of cold hours to flower properly. If you suspect that your plant has died from cotton root rot, you can submit your root samples to the Texas A&M Plant Pathology lab at. Sadly, apple trees are often planted by commercial cotton growers as an indicator plant for the disease. Unfortunately there isn’t a way to test your soil to see if it is prevalent before you plant your tree. Plants who contract the disease will die within 72 hours. Cotton root rot (also called Texas Root Rot) is caused by the soil-borne fungus Phymatotrichum omnivorum that attacks over 2000 different species of plants. Apples Apple Tree Susceptibility to Cotton Root Rot AlertĪpple trees are particularly susceptible to cotton root rot in Travis County. You can download a copy of the complete list here. In general, these types of fruit and nuts can be grown in Travis County: Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Persimmons, Jujubes, Figs, Pomegranates, some Citrus, Table Grapes, Pecans, Olives, Loquats, Strawberries, and Blackberries. Please visit the Fruit & Nut Resources page at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension for comprehensive variety descriptions and cultural practices. At the end of this page we will list the fruit and nuts that are not well adapted to our area for those among you that love a challenge. These backyard fruit and nut production tips will list the varieties that we recommend for Austin and Travis County plus give you some best practices to help you be successful. The weather, the soil, and the squirrels all seem to be conspiring to rob you of your hard-earned harvest. It can also be incredibly frustrating in the most ideal of circumstances. Growing fruit and nuts in your home landscape can be very rewarding.
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