Choosing Citrus Trees for home garden

Question from Roberta: What’s the best variety of a Clementine citrus tree or an easy peel orange? (I live in Zone 22.) Also, will the fruit be good if I get a lemon tree with a lime grafted on the same tree? Someone said they have a lemon grafted...

Fruit Trees

Question from Kevin: I need info on why my citrus trees are struggling so much. Again, I have 4 year old dwarf citrus trees, 2 meyer lemon, 2 kid glove tangerines, 1 george washington and 1 satsumie tangerine. I took your advise and moved my mulch...

Blood Meal and Citrus Trees

Question from Kevin: I would like to know how much blood meal I should put under my citrus trees, even the ones that are flowering? Answer from Pat: It sounds to me as if you have been killing your trees with kindness—I mean the ones that are not doing...

Ant-infested Kumquat Tree

Question from  Barbara: I have a kumquat bush that is in a huge planter. It is three years old. Last year we had 20-30 fruits. This year the bush is FULL of blooms and I am hoping to have a bumper crop. My problem is ants. I have read that it is an indication...

Grafting Avocado Trees

Question from Melody: I am writing to get some information on grafting fruit trees. We have 5 or 6 old avocado trees that don’t produce fruit and I am thinking maybe grafting would work to have them bare fruit again. If this is in fact a way...

Fruit Drop from Avocado Tree

Question from Deborah: My bacon avacado tree has been droping fruit off the tree the last couple of weeks, and (does not) ripen until nov., the beginning of dec. I don’t know what the problem is. Thought maybe you could help? Answer from Pat: Summer...

Fruit Tree Nutrients

Question from Tom: I have planted many varieties of citrus and stone fruits in my yard within the last year. They are all low chill selections and should do well in the Rancho Bernardo area of San Diego where I live. I am comfortable with pruning and...

Fruit Trees in Palos Verdes

Question from Maureen: I’ve been to your talks at Rogers Gardens (looking forward to April). And have your book. We put in a small orchard of 10 trees 7 years ago. We’re in Palos Verdes about 1 mile from the ocean with a garden that is...

Thinning Fruit on Grapefruit Trees

Question from Nelson: I have a dwarf grapefruit tree and it has lots of flowers this year and now has clusters of tiny grapefruit. I know I need to separate them to have a healthy crop but don’t know how many to leave on each cluster…? Can...

Dorsett Apple tree

Questions from Julie: I just planted a Dorsett Apple tree a few weeks ago. I live in Florida & I am very excited to have this tree. However I just found out I need 2 Apple trees to pollinate. I am on limited space & really only have room for one...

Santa Rosa Plum Stops Bearing

Question from Debbie: 8 years ago we planted a Santa Rosa plum (Sunset 23, Pacific Palisades). for the first few years it had 3 or 4 plums – delicious! The tree kept growing(like crazy), but my gardener has pruned it hard in Dec or Jan for the past...

Pomegranate Trees

Question from Monty: Please help me to get me pomegranates set fruit. I have large bushes flowering for a long time already. But all the little pomes or baby fruits fall soon after the flowers drop the petals. One bush fruited fine in the past. But...

Few Fruits On Fruit Trees

Question from Robin: Quick question: I have almost zero fruit on my all my fruit trees this year. There were loads of blossoms in March and then the hail and cold snap seemed to strip the trees. What can be done to encourage re-bloom on the apples. And...

Do Not Dig Chipper Materials into the Ground

Question from Harry: I have heavy clay soil. When it gets wet, it sticks to my shoes. Recently I got a load of chipper materials from a local tree-pruner. I have been wheelbarrowing it around and spreading it on paths and beds and around my fruit trees....