Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/331109
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER JULY 2014 21 insects, sprayed water at sunset to control spider mites, and used organically approved pesticides. Pest control has gotten easier because there are more effective organic pesti- cides available than in the past. But even now, for some pests like peach twig borer, he's found it more economical to not grow late- season peaches and nectarines than try to control high pest populations. He no longer grows organic plums for wholesale because market prices weren't high enough for the quality of fruit he was producing. Spotted wing drosophila has not yet impacted his organic farming, though he is watching closely. He has a few rows of blackberries for U-pick, a prime target for the tiny fruit fl y that may serve as a sentinel. Weeds are his biggest challenge. He uses furrow irrigation, which can be 80 to 90 per- cent effi cient if furrows can be kept free of weeds so water can fl ow freely. With furrow irrigation, he is able to control weeds by mowing under trees with a Perfect Mower. He keeps furrows weedfree with a Bezzerides rotary hoe. "If I switch to drip irrigation and use fan jets, I would then need weed eaters and hand labor," Naylor said, adding that subsurface or buried drip irrigation probably wouldn't work with his gophers. He's tried fl aming for weed control, but with California's current drought, fi re is an issue. "I usually can't fl ame past early May or I'll start a fi re," he said, adding that for the fi rst time ever, he accidentally started a fi re in January this year. He's also purchased a steamer to use superheated steam to control weeds. The steamer, which cost about $20,000, works well on young weeds but a drawback is that it only does one side at a time. "I've spent a fortune on different weed control devices," he said. "I'm trying to be as no-till as I can, but it's a balance. How organic are you if you're always on the tractor cultivating?" • A bucket of Naylor organic peaches, ready to be graded, sorted, and fi eld packed. Mike Naylor checks the quality of his organic peaches before they are fi eld packed. PHOTOS BY MELISSA HANSEN