Training and Pruning Apple Trees
Author(s): T.R. Roper Proper training and pruning helps to maximize production of high-quality apples. This illustrated guide shows how and when to prune. Download Article
Tree Fruits
Many different types of fruit trees can be grown in the home garden, depending on the space and growing conditions available. From apples to plums to peaches sure to be a tree fruit you can successfully grow at home. Read up to make sure you have the right soil, sun and winter conditions for each fruit, then select cultivars for your growing area.
Featured Fruit Articles
Home Fruit Cultivars for Southern Wisconsin
Find out which fruit cultivars are recommended for Northern Wisconsin. This publication describes flavor, ripening date, winter hardiness, and more. It includes tree fruits (apples, pears, crabapples), stone fruits (apricots, tart cherries, plums), and small fruits (strawberries, raspberries, currants, elderberries, gooseberries, juneberries or serviceberries, grapes, blueberries, lingonberries).
Fruit and Frost
Because of our climate, Wisconsin always has a risk of spring frosts. Temperatures below 28°F will injure or kill flowers or immature fruit. This factsheet will briefly outline critical temperatures at different stages of flower development, and describe how a gardener might protect against late season frosts.
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Articles
Planning and Establishing Commercial Apple Orchards in Wisconsin
Author(s): Teryl R. Roper, Gary G. Frank Apple production can be a financially and emotionally rewarding venture. However, a desire to grow fruit is not sufficient reason to establish a commercial orchard. A small backyard or hobby orchard can be a satisfying avocation, but establishing a successful commercial operation takes time, skill, experience, and capital. […]
Fruit Crop Pollination
Author(s): Teryl R. Roper For fruit to develop, pollen must be transferred from the anther to the stigma. Find out which crops require pollen from the flowers of a different cultivar to set fruit, and which can set fruit on their own (3 pages). Download Article
Espalier
Are you interested in getting higher yields of fruit, want a fruit tree but don’t have space for a regular-sized one, or just want an interesting pruned plant as a focal point in your garden? There is a horticultural technique involving pruning and training that can accomplish all of these goals. Read this article to learn more about the classic technique of espalier…
Reducing Soil pH
Sherry Combs, formerly of the UW-Madison Soil and Plant Analysis Lab Revised: 10/27/2007 Item number: XHT1151 Is your soil pH too high? Probably not, although the popular press urges most gardeners to question whether their garden soil pH is ‘right’. Only a soil test for pH can indicate whether the pH is ‘right’, and ‘right […]
Phenology
Karen Delahaut, UW-Madison Fresh Market Vegetable Program Revised: 5/17/2012 Item number: XHT1085 The word phenology is derived from the Greek word phaino meaning “to show” or “to appear”. Phenology is a branch of science that studies the relationships between periodic biological events—usually the life cycles of plants and animals—and environmental changes. Natural events such as […]
Degree Day Calculation
Karen Delahaut, UW-Madison Fresh Market Vegetable Program Revised: 8/6/2012 Item number: XHT1086 Indicator plants are not always suitable for the timing of pest management practices. You may not have the critical indicator plant nearby to time local activities, or there may not be a good indicator plant for a particular pest’s crucial life stage. Another […]
Degree Days for Common Fruit & Vegetable Insect Pests
Karen Delahaut, UW-Madison Fresh Market Vegetable Program Revised: 8/6/2012 Item number: XHT1087 Common Vegetable Insects that can be monitored using degree days or indicator plants Cabbage Maggot Base temperature = 43°F 300, 1476, 2652 DD43 for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd generations flies 1st generation eggs are laid when the common lilac is in full bloom […]
When Are Apples Ripe?
Teryl R. Roper Revised: 7/5/2010 Item number: A3743-E This fact sheet helps you determine when various apple cultivars are ripe and ready to pick as well as providing tips on harvesting and storing your bounty. Download Article
Backyard fruit care tips for summer season with Vijai Pandian (August 16, 2019)
By mid- to late summer the grapevine smothers out the fruit clusters and tends to outgrow beyond its trellis. This leads to poor air circulation around the plant, blocking light penetration and paving the way to fungal diseases like downy mildew and powdery mildew that decimate the fruits. Selective leaf removal around the fruit clusters […]
Deciduous Tree Leaf Disease Quick Reference
This factsheet will help with the identification of some common leaf diseases of deciduous trees.
Bagging Apples for Insect and Disease Control
Producing high quality apples in home gardens can be challenging due to damage caused by insects and fungal diseases. Insects and wind-borne fungal spores cause damage when contacting developing fruit. An effective way to produce high-quality fruit organically, without the need for spraying, is placing developing fruit in bags. This factsheet describes the process.
