People interested in growing fruit and nut crops in Texas—whether commercially or at home—are encouraged to attend at meeting Oct. 11-12 at the Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Dr., Bryan, Texas.
The meeting, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, costs $75 via online registration at http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu through Oct. 2. AgriLife Extension county agents may register there for $45. On-site registration Oct. 11-12 will be $80 at the door.
Talks will include new orchard establishment, insects and diseases, fruit varieties, plus challenges and opportunities. Earth-Kind techniques for producing fruit and nuts will be discussed as well.
IT IS TASTY. Texas grapefruit is widely recognized and sought after for its flavor and healthful qualities. A meeting on Oct. 11-12 at Bryan Texas will focus on growing fruit and nut crops in Texas. Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kathleen Phillips
"The conference will be valuable to anyone interested in growing fruits or nuts for health, wealth, or recreation," says Monte Nesbitt, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension horticulture program specialist in College Station, and one of the organizers. "While it will assist commercial fruit producers, it also will be helpful to homeowners and gardeners who simply want to grow fruits and nuts."
Because Texas has a wide range of weather, soil types and water availability, Nesbitt notes, the varieties and methods for growing fruits and nuts differ among the regions.
"AgriLife Extension specialists from Fredericksburg, Lubbock, Uvalde and College Station will present successful growing practices for pecans, figs, citrus, olives and pomegranates," Nesbitt says. "High tunnels, tools for protecting fruit crops from frost damage, and extending market windows will also be discussed."
Other fruit crops on the agenda are peaches, plums, and other stone fruits, apples, pears, persimmons, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes.
Grower Dale Ham of Terrell will talk about his experiences growing peaches and berries at Ham Orchard.
Continuing education units from the Texas Department of Agriculture for pesticide applicators also will be offered at this event.
For more information on the fruit and nuts meeting, or to get a complete schedule of the program, you can see http://bit.ly/PtH8ql.