Could your commercial property benefit from the use of tree and plant growth regulators such as fruit retardants? You may be surprised to uncover the bountiful advantages of incorporating fruit reduction into your plant health care strategies. Gachina’s fruit reduction program is an eco-friendly alternative to time consuming, costly fruit picking, or the removal of beautiful trees.
Control Fruit Growth and Reduce Maintenance with Timely Fruit Suppression
Trees such as cherry, olive, plum, berry-filled arbutus, pears and other trees that produce fruit can be a property maintenance nightmare. Fruit littering sidewalks poses a dangerous tripping hazard, tracking indoors to stain flooring, and attracting unwanted birds, rodents, and insects Fortunately, our fruit reduction program can help you reduce fruit production, reducing messy, time consuming, fruit-related maintenance tasks.
Safe, Effective Fruit Elimination
Gachina uses seasonal fruit reduction methods, including plant growth regulators that have been used safely throughout the region for decades, to limit plant growth and development. We are mindful of using techniques that thwart the production of fruit without harming your trees or the environment.
With timely tree maintenance, our knowledgeable team can reduce fruiting by 60-80%, depending on the tree species. Some species experience year-over-year fruit declines with continued treatment. Many trees also develop a fuller, greener canopy, experiencing enhanced drought tolerance and improved resistance to disease with our skillful fruit suppression tactics.
Which Method of Fruit Suppression is Best for Your Trees?
Our landscape professionals will suggest the best options for your fruit trees based on their growth cycle, including:
- Picking
The safest method of fruit reduction, picking is a time consuming, labor intensive task, but it will not harm your trees. It is the most labor intensive, hence costly option. - Hand pruning
Hand pruning fruit-laden branches can reduce productivity. However, our arborists understand this can be stressful to trees, and affect their appearance. We carefully prune to avoid undue stress and the over-thinning of the canopy. This is also a costly option. - Chemical trunk applications
A chemical trunk application is our preferred method of fruit reduction, particularly for trees with year-round blossoms. Our specialized trunk drenches contain plant growth regulators that significantly cut fruit production when applied 3-4 weeks before bloom. The solution penetrates the trunk without harming the tree or surrounding vegetation and is carried to the canopy, sterilizing blossoms so they will not bear fruit. - Canopy spraying
Canopy spraying reduces fruiting for trees already in bloom. It is best performed at night, away from people, in dry and calm weather. While spray is applied directly to flowers for sterilization, plants beneath must be protected. As some flowers may not be open, your trees may require multiple treatments, which is more stressful for the tree.
Application Timing
Season and fruit tree species determine the ideal treatment timing. Our trained professionals ensure the health and safety of your trees and landscaping, carefully timing each application for efficacy, typically from January to April.
Reduce landscape maintenance and support the health of your trees. Contact Gachina Landscape Management at 650-853-0400 to learn more about the benefits of using fruit retardants on your commercial property, or fill out our online contact form today.
