Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
wood that has already fruited should also be
dealt with if it was not removed at harvest. Get
rid of dead, diseased, crowded or crossing
growth and persist in encouraging strong
wide branch angles in the main framework.
The use of weights and spreaders can help
train growth more horizontally (see
Figure 6.14).
Harvest
Fruit should be harvested when it is still firm,
whether you have an astringent or non-
astringent persimmon. When it appears that
the fruit's skin has reached its deepest colour
(experience is the only guide) pick your fruit.
The astringent cultivars will need to be
bletted. That is, they will be so soft as to be
squishy. Lay the fruit out, green calyx down,
and wait for the super-soft texture to arrive in
a few days; a ripe apple next to them in a
paper bag will hasten the proccess. Make sure
they are really soft before eating as an
astringent persimmon that is not completely
bletted is a ghastly experience, though
perhaps amusing for others to watch!
Figure 6.30
Pistachios are shrubby trees that need the
planting of two trees, a male and a female, to produce nuts.
126, 'Free-standing fruit trees'). In winter,
shorten vigorous shoots to produce side
growths about every 30 cm, these side growths
will become the scaffold branches.
Once the framework is in place, prune in
winter to produce vegetative growth. This
growth when shortened the next year will
produce the flower bearing side growths.
Pistachios fruit on these new side growths
that arise from wood produced the previous
season. They are very prone to biennial
bearing so balance the vegetative and
flowering stages on your tree to create regular
harvests. Encourage some strong vegetative
growth and shorten back last year's growth for
flower-bearing wood each year. Removing a
large branch every few years should renew the
wood and keep the tree more compact.
Non-astringent cultivars can be eaten
straight off the tree, but their f flavour
improves with bletting.
Pistachio
Pistaciavera
Pistachios are shrubby trees that need the
planting of two trees to produce nuts. They
are dioecious which means male and female
flowers are produced on different plants.
They also benefit from good training when
young, the open vase system being the most
effective as it minimises shading (see page
Plums
Prunusdomestica
,
P.salicina
There are two types of popular plum. The
European plums have yellow flesh and
