| May Pride is an excellent choice for the low desert. It is self fruitful, has low chilling requirements and ripens about the same time as Desert Gold. It is perfectly adapted to desert growing, but it takes about a year for the roots to become well established. During that time it can be subject to summer leaf scald, especially if you cannot provide some afternoon shade to the tree until it becomes established. While it may look sickly and sad, I think your tree will recover and grow well for you once it gets through its first summer in your yard. Drip and microsprinklers are excellent methods for watering fruit trees. Make sure emitters and sprinkler patterns cover just beyond the drip line. Drip and sprinklers require more frequent irrigations to be effective. Water every 3-5 days. During the hot summer season and make an effort to deep water about once a month to leach salts and ensure deeper roots have available moisture. Don't forget to water during the winter. Tree roots continue to be active in winter months and need to be kept moist to prevent drying and freezing. If there is some doubt about your watering schedule check the soil for dryness by using a soil probe. Use a 1/4 or 3/8 inch metal rod and push into soil after an irrigation. When the rod hits dry soil it will stop. This way you will know how deep the water has penetrated the soil. The goal is for the water to reach about 2' deep. Hope this information is helpful. |
