Good Fruit Grower

March 1

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22 MARCH 1, 2015 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Avoid early spring irrigation to avoid chlorosis problems in Concord vineyards. by Melissa Hansen A pplying irrigation to Concord juice grape vineyards early in the growing season can delay soils from warming and could trigger chlorosis symptoms, says a Washington State University soil scientist. Concord chlorosis is an age-old problem in eastern Washington juice grape vineyards. The disorder is typi- fied by yellowing of leaves, which can reduce photosyn- thesis and vine health. "Chlorosis is mainly a soil issue, related to somewhat high soil pH, free lime (calcium carbonate), and cool, wet soils in spring," said Dr. Joan Davenport, WSU soil scientist. Fruit trees, such as cherries, can also expe- rience chlorosis symptoms resulting from reduced uptake of micronutrients like iron. "If you put water on in early spring, it will cause the soil to stay colder and stay colder longer," she said. "Wet soils take longer to warm up than dry soils." She's also found that allowing deep penetration of early spring irrigation can worsen chlorotic symptoms. That's because the temperature of deep soil (eight inches or more) changes more slowly than temperatures of soil closer to the surface and the cold temperatures will delay the soil from warming up. Davenport defines "cold" soils as those below 55°F. Soil temperature needs to be around 60°F to get roots working, she said, adding that there's no nutrient uptake by roots at temperatures below 55°F. Researchers originally believed chlorosis was related to pH. "The East Coast has cold, wet soils, but Concord vineyards there don't get chlorosis," she said. The Cool, wet soils trigger chlorosis Consider for your next planting: • BRUCE PONDER • SUSAN WILKINSON • ADAM WEIL • DAVE WEIL 503-538-2131 • FAX: 503-538-7616 info@treeconnect.com www.treeconnect.com BENEFITS: • Disease tolerant • Cold hardy • Adapts well to all cherry-growing districts • Forms flower buds and comes into bearing quicker than Mazzard with a better distribution of flower buds Now booking orders for 2016 Call Tree Connection: 800-421-4001 Dwarfing Cherry Rootstock Krymsk ® 5 Krymsk ® 6 [cv. VSL-2, USPP 15,723] [cv. LC-52, USPP 16,114] "Krymsk ® 5 and Krymsk ® 6 cherry rootstocks have proven to be the best rootstock for our orchards. They are yield efficient, grow and adapt well, and are cold hardy." —John Morton The Dalles, Oregon -RDQ'DYHQSRUW TECH-FLO ® ZETA ZINC 22 ASK YOUR P.C.A. OR CALL NUTRIENT TECHNOLOGIES TOLL-FREE: 877/832-4356 FOR THE DEALER NEAREST YOU. Just because you put a foliar zinc on doesn't mean the job's done. Some zinc products are so ineffective they are better suited as sun- screens or paint. In trial after trial, TECH- FLO ® ZETA ZINC 22 (22% Zinc) has been shown to be the most effective foliar zinc product on the market today, getting the zinc into the tree where it is needed. For the best value for your nutritional dollar, choose TECH-FLO ® ZETA ZINC 22. UNSURPASSED FOLIAR ZINC PERFORMANCE! …PUTTING ZINC ON PUTTING ZINC IN… PUTTING ZINC IN…

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