drought tolerant stone fruit

[buddy roo]

Hi, has anyone ever heard of any drought tolerant stone fruit ??  i am looking for a better root stalk for my area  and for the way i water.          Patrick

[CA Hockey]

Hi Patrick

How do you water?

My stonefruit are getting established now and so in tying to figure out their water requirements I look at the developing fruit. 3 times a week seems to be enough to prevent them from sagging and wrinkling

[buddy roo]

Hi Khaled, mine get watered about 5 times a year, when i water i water slow and deep using a micro sprinkler, it takes a while but you can train your roots to go deep.         Patrick

[spaugh]

Patrick, do you have any idea the depth of the water table there?  I have not been around spring valley much, just a few times when living in la mesa.  Based on the name of the town I assume at one point or maybe still there was a spring flowing somewhere?  And its in a valley?  I know theres spots in Poway where the water table is only 20ft down.  Even one of my neighbors who lives down at the base of the hill we are on had a shallow well of only 20ft.  Your water table could potentially be shallow enough that your trees are able to get their roots in the water table if you are able to water so infrequently.

[barath]

Patrick, I remember being amazed at how well your trees were all doing given how little you water, and that you were on top of a steep hill where I can't imagine there's any groundwater.

[buddy roo]

Hi Brad. i am on top of the hill so no such luck for me the spring in spring valley is on the other side of the valley, i can only dream of it. Barath it takes a bit of patience and a little time but they can be trained, and yes my leaves are a little/lot smaller than the guys that water way more often and  i do get a few less pounds of fruit per tree but we get way more fruit than we can eat , and i believe if you taste compare my fruit to the fruit of the fellow that waters every week that my fruit has a lot more flavor . way to many people listen to the commercial folks  who are trying to sell  and often forget about what can really work for them , i think most of us can think of a wild seedling tree or a tree on a old lot with no feed water and they seem to get by/survive i just take that  and give them water ONLY when they need it and mine do well.         Patrick

[CA Hockey]

You're a brave man Patrick


One day I hope to have my trees in that position, but I'm not too far removed from pot/container horticulture and I've definitely walked the edge with watering in pots.

So/... when would you train newly planted trees? In the fall before dormancy but after the summer heat?
I

[buddy roo]

Khaled you start with how you plant your trees and how you position your leader roots, but this is a lot of typing for me, do you have my ph# best to call me some morning and share a cup of coffee.

[CA Hockey]

Pm sent!