Tender fruit

Overview

Much of Ontario’s tender fruit is produced in the Niagara Peninsula. This includes:

• plums
• peaches
• nectarines
• pears
• tart cherries
• grapes
• apricots

General

Organic farming

Orchard management

• Thinning of tree fruit

  Learn about thinning options to improve your orchard.

• Plant growth regulators

  Learn about chemicals to modify plant growth.

• Pruning fruit trees

  Learn techniques to maximize fruit tree production.

• Cropland drainage

  Information on how to improve drainage on your property.

• Publication 611: Soil Fertility Handbook

  Guide on soil fertility and how to sample and test soil.

• Guide to soil and nutrition for fruit crops

  How to develop a soil fertility program that works for your crops.

Irrigation

• Irrigation during water shortages

  How to use equipment efficiently and deal with water shortages.

• Permits to take water

  Get, renew or update a permit to take more than 50,000 litres of water.

• Good irrigation practices

  Learn the risks and protect your water to improve on-farm food safety.

• Irrigation management

  Guide on irrigation system design, materials and management.

• Irrigation scheduling for fruit crops

  Learn about sprinkler systems and which one suits your needs.

Pollination and bees

Environment and weather

• Environmental Farm Plan

  Create a plan to improve the environmental conditions on your farm.

• Effects of winter on tree fruit

  Learn about cold hardiness in fruit trees and what affects it.

• Wind machines

  How to use fans to protect grapevines and fruit trees from the cold.

• Cool growing season

  Learn how to reduce damage caused by cool weather.

• Winter injury

  Learn how to reduce damage caused by freezing.

• Frost

  Learn how to reduce damage caused by frost.

• Excessive moisture

  Learn how to reduce damage caused by rainfall or over-irrigation.

• Insufficient moisture

  Learn how to reduce damage caused by a lack of rain.

• Excessively hot temperatures

  Learn how to reduce damage caused by hot temperatures.

• Hail injury

  Learn how to reduce damage caused by hail.

• Wind damage

  Learn how to reduce damage caused by wind.

Pest management

Peaches and nectarines

• Peach and nectarine cultivars

  Learn about different types, harvest dates, pollination and rootstock.

• Peach rootstocks

  Learn about rootstock options to establish an orchard.

• Peach training systems

  Learn about planting systems to maximize fruit size, yield and quality.

• Peach and nectarine production

  Learn about growing, managing an orchard, harvesting and more.

• Peach rootstock study

  Research findings on rootstocks to increase productivity and efficiency.

• Ontario peach data

  Data on harvested area, production, farm value, average price and average yield.

• Ontario nectarine data

  Data on harvested area, production, farm value, average price and average yield.

• Foodland: Peaches

  General information on nutrition, history, buying and storage at home.

• Foodland: Nectarines

  General information on nutrition, history, buying and storage at home.

Pears

Plums

• Plum cultivars

  Learn about plum types, harvest dates, pollination and rootstock.

• Plum and prune data

  Data on harvested area, production, farm value, average price and average yield.

• Foodland: Plums

  General information on nutrition, history, buying and storage at home.

Apricots

• Apricot cultivars

  Learn about apricot types, harvest dates, pollination and rootstock.

• Apricot data

  Data on harvested area, production, farm value, average price and average yield.

• Foodland: Apricots

  General information on nutrition, history, buying and storage at home.

Cherries

Related

• Ontario Tender Fruit
• Canadian Organic Growers
• Ecological Farmers of Ontario
• Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada