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Home , Cara cara navel, Oroblanco

FALL 2004

How to make a planting decision?

t seems as every year passes, there is from other seeded . examples of citrus varieties for you and also more information available to influence As an example, the table relates them to your soil type and location. The I your planting decision. One way of indicates that locations with information in Table 1 does not represent all reducing the volume of information is by sandy soils would typical- choices. It’s purpose is to show there are many process of elimination. By breaking down ly harvest earlier than an influences on choosing the right variety. information into pieces, often your decision orchard on clay soils. If will become obvious. you target a market that 5. LIST THE VARIETY CHOICES The following is a recommended procedure has the premium returns FOR THE CATEGORY. to find the variety and rootstock combination in the month of May, it At this point in the process of elimination it that not only fits your location, but also fits you would not be appropri- should start to become clear which are the as well. It’s a good idea to start working on ate to plant that variety in most appropriate varieties for your circum- these steps at least 18 months prior to planting. a sandy location. In one case, a grower was stances. Many of those that fit the category having difficulty making money on Minneola may not be something that interests you, so 1. IDENTIFY YOUR MARKET. . The trees were on a south-facing this is where you list varieties that will work or A grower that takes the time to do some of slope in sandy soil and by the time the market fit your needs. Knowing all the choices can be his own market research will be much more had developed in March, most of the fruit had tough, but you can find some help at www.cit- comfortable with his final decision. You can fallen on the ground. There was no way to fix rustreesource.com and click on Variety expand your knowledge base by talking to pro- that problem because the trees were planted in Research. Also, Citrus Varieties of the World fessionals who understand current markets for the wrong location. An early Navel variety or by James Saunt is a great book and fairly cur- citrus consumption, such as farm advisors, early mandarin would have been more appro- rent. Lindcove Field Station (559-592-2408) is packers and marketers, produce buyers, nurs- priate in that location. always available to visit to research varieties erymen and other growers. It should be noted and so is the Variety Collection at TreeSource that the opinions of these professionals might 3. EVALUATE THE DIVERSITY OF in Woodlake. Just drop by and wander through not always agree. Many times, some of these YOUR BUSINESS. any time. Each tree has a sign. opinions may even be misleading. However, if Just as your property is unique, so is your a new idea can be found in the process of dis- business. Diversity is often the means of reduc- 6. SEEK COUNSEL. covery, the effort is worth the time invested. ing risk. If farming is your only source of Once you have a list of varieties that fit income, planting many high-risk varieties your location, it’s time to seek counsel from 2. IDENTIFY THE UNIQUENESS OF would not be advisable. You have to decide experts on varieties. These experts might YOUR LOCATION. how diverse your operation should be as well include nurserymen, U. C. Cooperative Every piece of property is different and as the amount of fruit you would like to have Extension farm advisors, and other growers those differences influence which variety to harvested prior to the threat of a freeze. who have experience with the variety of plant. Table 1 provides some general informa- interest. This is where economic analysis tion that could influence which variety would 4. DECIDE ON A VARIETY also comes into play. Can you actually make match up best with the unique characteristics CATEGORY. money on the selection that best suits your of your location. A factor not listed is Isolation, One method of breaking information into property? What kind of production can you which is especially important for mandarins pieces is creating categories. A simple way to expect? What is the tree’s growth habit? like or W. Murcotts that can do that is to group things by harvest period as become seedy when in the presence of pollen indicated in Table 1. This table groups some Please see DECISION on page 3

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be opposed to planting mid-season navels. buyers into the groves and asked them ques- You can make money with the right fruit, tions about what they were looking for and production, and quality. what they thought we needed to change about the fruit. Later, I had a chance to go TS: What pushes you to the final decision? overseas on a marketing trip and saw fruit at Mike: What I want to know is what is going its ultimate destination. It is important to col- to be making money ten years from now. lect ideas from many sources. There are Often we look at what is making money some very talented people in this industry today and the market doesn’t last. What I and combining all their thoughts together Mike George is General Manager of Suntreat want to grow is also important. It comes helps me form my ultimate decision. Packing & Shipping and Secretary-Treasure of down to something I like that also has market TS: How do you decide what rootstock and spacing? CCGA. Before the move to Suntreat he spent 18 potential. You’ve got to have fun with what years at Griffith Farms, advancing to the role of you’re doing, too. I could put all my dollars Mike: First, are there limitations to soil or can the General Manager. He also farms his own citrus in the stock market and watch consistent soil be modified? I want a rootstock that will in the Lindsay area. growth, but that isn’t any fun. Isn’t that part help me accomplish what I want to do. Bigger of why we do this? fruit, sunlight, aeration, spacing, all flow into the TS: What is the first thing that you wrestle with rootstock decision. If I have a replant situation I when you’re looking at a piece of property for devel- TS: How do you establish for yourself what a market might be more inclined to plant a trifoliate or its opment to citrus? might be? hybrids like C-35 or Carrizo. Mike: I ask myself, “what is this property Mike: I talk to as many good marketers as I can. TS: How do you decide what nursery to use? suited for?” Soil type, location, topography? I look at historical and objective data from Late, early, water quality, what’s been plant- California, Florida and other countries. I do my Mike: I want a nursery that grows a good qual- ed there before? Water with nitrates could own market research. For example, when I’m ity tree that I can depend on. Is the nursery- affect earliness. I don’t want to plant summer out-of-town, I always go into supermarkets man competent, do they have clean budwood, navels on a south facing hill. I want to deter- and see what produce they have. My wife has will they deliver on time, will they be around mine what this piece of dirt is most suited for. come to expect that from me. I put a good dose if I have problem, and can they help me make of common sense in, “is this something a con- the planting decision? Some nurseries are TS: Specifically, what are primary limitations to citrus. sumer would want to eat?” When I first came good order takers and some are good planners. Mike: Temperatures, meaning frost sensi- in the industry there wasn’t a whole lot of TS: Thanks Mike. tivity. Also for me is the availability of choices in the produce department. It was all water in winter. After the 1990 freeze I’ve about how good it looked, but now the con- always made it a priority to have frost sumers want taste. I also look for “What is the water available. next thing?” Something we haven’t thought of MANDARIN yet? I try to get a feel for what the demand is MANDARIN TS: Once you’ve established what’s suitable for the going to be down the road. What would I want property, how do you choose what to plant? Field Day to buy, what would I want my kids to eat? Field Day Mike: I ask myself, in my portfolio of citrus, TS: What defines a “good marketer?” what is it that I would like to plant? As a 9:00 am, Friday small grower I’ve got early, mid-season, and Mike: A progressive person that thinks out- late navels with some specialty varieties on side the box. There are salespeople and there December 10 50 acres. If I had 1000 acres I’d do the same are marketers. Salesmen sell what’s in the thing. I try to spread risk by having some- cooler, a marketer thinks about what could be RSVP Call thing that makes money all throughout the sold. They’re visionaries. When I was at 559-592-2304 season. As an example, the last purchases I Griffith Farms, I started building a relation- 1 Located on Rd 192, ⁄2 mile N on made were mid-season navels with high pro- ship with the marketing team at our packing- Ave 344 in Woodlake duction and export quality. I wouldn’t even house and then volunteered to take export

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confusing. At TreeSource we are always here when you step back and go through the DECISION continued from page 1 to help you through the process of finding process of defining specific circumstances 7. CHOOSE A VARIETY. that specific variety that suits your needs that relate to your property, the choice that At this point it’s time to make your deci- best. Deciding what to plant is tough, but best suits you will become obvious. sion. There may be an obvious choice or there may be several options. For example, if it is clear your property is good for late navels, then TABLE 2 Vigor Ratings for Common Cultivars you’ll have to choose from 10 late navel selec- CULTIVARS COMMON ROOTSTOCKS USED tions in California. TRIF. C-35 CAR. VOLK. 8. CHOOSE A ROOTSTOCK. Most Navels 3345 There are four primary rootstocks used in Fukumoto Beck 2X34 new plantings in Central California – Valencias 3-4 3-4 4-5 5 Carrizo, C-35, trifoliate and Volkameriana – Lisbon 5567 all have characteristics that are unique and all Minneola 444X influence specific varieties differently. At 334X TreeSource, our job is to help you with this decision and it is important you know your Pummelo 556X soil conditions well. Newer technology that Clementines 333X uses GPS can define what kind of soil you Owari Sat. Dobashi Beni 223X have in a very specific and affordable way. A Okitsu Wase 111X soil consultant like Jim Yager of Impact X=Not Recommended Technologies (559-259-4523) can help you define your soils, which will help TreeSource advise what rootstock is best. Single density spacing suggestions for various vigor ratings of main citrus soils SCION/ROOTSTOCK SOIL VIGOR RATING 9. DETERMINE TREE SPACING. VIGOR RATING + 0 - Many people place the spacing decision at 1 14 x 18 14 x 18 14 x 17 the top of their list, but spacing is a result of 2 16 x 18 15 x 18 18 x 18 the variety and rootstock combinations. 3 17 x 20 18 x 18 16 x 18 Certainly economics comes into play on whether a grower chooses a double-density 4 20 x 20 18 x 20 18 x 20 planting over a traditional planting, but spac- 5 22 x 22 20 x 22 18 x 22 ing is also influenced by tree vigor. Table 2 6 22 x 22 22 x 22 20 x 22 categorizes varieties and rootstocks and indi- 7 22 x 22 22 x 22 22 x 22 cates their relative vigor. For more informa- + Virgin citrus soil, light soils such as sandy loams. tion and discussion, contact TreeSource 0 Virgin citrus soil that is heavy adobes. Replant sandy loam soils. regarding this important decision. - Heavy Adobe replant soils. Having a lot of choices is nice, but can be TABLE 1 Examples of Influences on Harvest Period EARLY HARVEST MID-SEASON LATE HARVEST SOIL Sandy Loams Clay SOIL DEPTH Shallow Soils Medium to deep deep GEOGRAPHY Kern County Tulare, E. Fresno County Madera, E. Ventura County ROOTSTOCK Carrizo (early color) All types Trifoliate (internal quality) TOPOGRAPHY South or West Facing Slopes Flat North Facing WATER No frost water Higher Nitrates NAVELS Fukumoto, Rush, Beck, etc. Atwood, Parent,Cara Cara, etc. Powell, Autumn Gold, Barnfield, etc. MANDARINS Satsumas, Clementines, etc. W. , Tahoe Gold™ W. Murcott, Gold Nugget, Shasta Gold™ Oroblanco Melogold Star Ruby (This table is only a basic guide. It is not designed to detail every possible influence)

3 Presort Std U.S.Postage PAID Visalia, CA Permit #520

502 North Kaweah, Suite “B” Exeter, California 93221

AVAILABLE TREES FOR 2005 AND 2006 NOW IS THE TIME TO ORDER FOR 2006!! Available for March-May 2005 Available for May-July 2005 MISC. 1100 Atwood/Carrizo or Spring 2006 1100 Chandler Pummelo/C-35 1200 Atwood Navel /trifoliate 4800 Minneola /Trif. 4000 Autumn Gold / trifoliate NAVELS 2000 Minneola Tangelo/Car. 300 Beck Navel/C-35 5000 Atwood/ Car 800 W. Murrott/C-35 900 Barnfield Navel/trifoliate 10000 Atwood/trifoliate 3800 8A Lisbon Lemon/trif. 750 /C-35 2600 Autumn Gold/Car 3400 Shasta Gold™/C-35 975 Chislett Navel/Carrizo 14000 Autumn Gold/trif. 1700 Tahoe Gold™/C-35 1600 Chislett Navel/trifoliate 3200 Autumn Gold/C-35 1500 Fisher/trifoliate 2400 Cara Cara/trifoliate OTHER CHOICES for 2006 4000 Parent/trifoliate 2900 Cara Cara/C-35 Rush T.I. Early Navel 5000 Powell Navel/trifoliate 1200 Chislett Late/trifoliate Wiffen Late Navel 150 Fingered /Volk 5000 Fukumoto Early/Carrizo Yosemite Gold™ Mandarin 200 Torocco Blood/Carrizo 7600 Parent Wash./Carrizo Gold Nugget Mandarin 190 Oroblanco/Carrizo 25000 Parent Wash./trifoliate Star Ruby Grapefruit 125 Seedless Lemon/Carrizo 4720 Parent Washington/C-35 Melogold Grapefruit 370 Owari Satsuma/C-35 11000 Powell Late/Carrizo 3500 Tahoe Gold™/Carrizo 37000 Powell Late/trifoliate 4200 W. Murcott/Carrizo 4000 Rush T.I. Early/C-35 200 Olinda Val./RbTxAfSh 1000 Spring/trifoliate Check out our website at www.citreesource.com for a listiong of all of our choices Call Roger Smith at 559-804-6176 or Patty Dreyer at 559-592-2304 for availability of trees and rootstock combinations.

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