■ +k* Agriculture

Canada
Publication 1350 E

What you should
know about

fruit production

Canada'

PUBLICATION 1350/E, available from
Communications Branch, Agriculture Canada,
Ottawa K.1A 0C7

©Minister of Supply and Services Canada 1979
Cat. No. A53— 1350/ 1979 ISBN: 0-662-10663-6
Revised 1979 Reprinted 1984 5M— 2:84

£galement disponible en francais sous le titre
Qu'en savez-vous la production fruitier e.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
FRUIT PRODUCTION IN CANADA

Canada has always produced fruit. The Indians harvested a number of wild
fruits such as currants, chokeberries, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries,
saskatoons, wild plums, blueberries and sandcherries. In 1604 the early French
settlers introduced seeds and seedlings of cultivated fruits including apples, pears
and plums. These importations were followed, in later years, by improved varities
from England and other countries. Canada now produces more than 400 million
kg of apples and pears, over 72 million kg of stone fruits, such as peaches, apricots,
cherries and plums, some 58 million kg of grapes, and about 41 million kg of small
fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, loganberries, elderberries, black-
berries, gooseberries and cranberries. In 1973, Canada exported fruits to the value
of $34 million.

Because of the cold climate, fruit production in Canada is limited to certain
well-defined areas. Commercial fruit growing is carried out in the Niagara Peninsula,
the Georgian Bay area and the southwestern tip of Ontario; southwestern Quebec;
the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia; the St. John River Valley of New Brunswick;
and the Okanagan and Fraser Valleys of British Columbia. Also of importance are
Vancouver Island in B.C., and the St. Lawrence River Valley in eastern Ontario and
Quebec. Some fruits can also be grown in the Morden area of Manitoba.
Strawberries can be grown in most provinces where these and other small fruits like
raspberries, blueberries and grapes are important commercial farming enterprises.
Canning and processing facilities have been established in areas where these fruit
crops are concentrated, lending permanence to the industry.

The Canada Department of Agriculture has contributed greatly to the fruit
industry of Canada during the past 85 years. It has established many Research
Stations (formerly Experimental Farms) where fruit varieties have been tested and
selected for adaptability to local conditions and recommendations for all aspects of
fruit culture developed. Some of these stations, particularly those at Kentville, N.S.,
St. Jean, Que., Smithfield and Harrow, Ont., Summerland and Agassiz, B.C., are
major fruit-breeding centers. Here, scientists breed and test fruit varieties, and study
pollination, rootstocks, pest control, fruit storage and processing. Recent advances
in fruit breeding have resulted in hardier and earlier-maturing varieties and varieties
selected for special market needs. As a result, the boundaries of fruit-growing
regions and the range of crops have been extended appreciably.

CLASSIFICATION OF FRUITS

Although there are more than 160 different kinds of fruit in the world, fewer
than 20 can be grown successfully in Canadian gardens and orchards.
Fruits are usually classified into four botanical groups:

• Pomes (core fruits) - apples, pears, saskatoons

• Drupes (stone fruits) - peaches, plums, chokecherries

NUMEROUS APPLE VARIETIES ARE GROWN IN CANADA. SHOWN HERE IS RED
DELICIOUS, AN OLD FAVORITE.

• Berries - grapes, currants, blueberries

• Aggregates - strawberries, raspberries.

Plants are also classed into families, genera, species and varieties. The plant
breeder may make crosses between varieties and species, but rarely is this possible
between different genera.

SETTING UP AN ORCHARD

Commercial fruit growing is a long-term proposition. It is full of pitfalls,
particularly for the amateur. No one should attempt to establish a commercial
orchard until he has acquired considerable experience in this highly specialized
industry.

On the other hand, farmers and city gardeners may derive considerable
satisfaction from having a small orchard, or fruit garden, whose products can be
used for home consumption. Surplus fruit can often be sold at the local market or
store.

Regardless of size, there are a number of important factors to be considered in
fruit farming.

CHERRIES, GOOSEBERRIES AND RED CURRANTS CAN EASILY BE GROWN BY THE
HOME GARDENER.

Site

The selection of a suitable site for fruit production is most important.
Conditions that are particularly suitable are sheltered surroundings, gently sloping
land above a valley, and the presence of a large body of water which moderates
temperature extremes.

Soil

Most soils are satisfactory for fruit trees and small fruits, but soils that are
fertile and of good depth will be most productive. Acid soils are required for
blueberries and cranberries.

Drainage

The lay-of-the-land should be fairly level and gently sloping to permit good
drainage. Fruit trees will not tolerate "wet feet".

Shelter

In cold areas, good windbreak, consisting of trees and shrubs, will protect an
orchard from prevailing winds and extend the frost-free season by several days. The

A YOUNG APPLE TREE. SCREENING AROUND BASE PROTECTS THE TREE AGAINST
INJURY BY MICE AND RABBITS.

orchard should also be on a slope that allows for good air drainage so that cool air
can flow down and away from the orchard. A late spring or early autumn frost can
be quite destructive in a valley and yet miss orchards on the slopes above.

Layout

The planting plan, or layout, of an orchard should be carefully prepared. It is
advisable to sketch on a paper a tentative planting plan and then discuss it with
your provincial horticulturist or local university. Tree fruits may be planted on a
square system or in rows to facilitate cultivation. Bush fruits are usually set in rows

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for easier cultivation and harvesting. All rows of trees or bush fruits should be
permanently labeled and each name or number should be recorded in a ledger and
also on the planting plan.

Varieties

Commercial fruit growers are limited in the varieties they can cultivate
profitably because of the demands of the consuming public. The home gardener,
however, is not so limited; he may grow an early- midseason- or late-maturing
variety having various shapes, sizes or colors. Before purchasing a new variety, it is
always advisable to check into its hardiness and resistance to disease under local
conditions.

Marketing

Proximity to a market, fruit processor or canner may be an important factor in
establishing orchard size or hectarage. An elaborate marketing system has been
developed in some parts of Canada for the distribution of fresh fruit to all parts of
the country and for export.

Pest Control

An essential feature of fruit production in Canada, as elsewhere, is that tree
fruits and bush fruits must be protected against rodents, insects and plant diseases.
Consult your provincial horticulturist and entomologist for latest pest control
information.

Pollination

Interplanting of different varieties for cross-pollination is necessary to ensure a
good fruit set. Since fruit crops are insect pollinated, in large plantings the fruit
grower should arrange with a beekeeper to rent a sufficient number of honey-bee
colonies.

Costs and Returns

Costs vary considerably, depending on size of orchard, land values, labor
requirements and proximity to local markets and processors. Costs range from a
few dollars per hectare for home orchards or gardens to $13 000 per hectare for
land in some commercial fruit-farming districts.

Yield

Strawberries and raspberries produce within 2 years after planting, whereas
returns from tree fruit cannot be expected before 3 to 5 years after planting. Some
growers plant strawberries or other small fruits between fruit trees to obtain a
certain amount of revenue while waiting for the trees to bear fruit. The producing
life of an apple orchard should be 30 to 50 years, and of a peach orchard, half as
long.

A YOUNG PEACH ORCHARD IN THE NIAGARA DISTRICT.

MANAGEMENT AND CULTURE

Fruit Trees

Young trees are generally sold by nurseries when 2 or 3 years old. Most fruit
trees are composites, in that they have tops that have been grafted on a different
root system. The purpose of grafting is to provide the desired variety with a hardy
root system or in some cases, dwarfing. The home gardener may select a semi-dwarf
or dwarf fruit tree, whereas the commercial orchardist may prefer a half-size or
semi-standard tree. With grafted fruit trees, it is important that no shoots or suckers
spring up from below the union or graft. Robusta rootstocks for apple trees are
much hardier in most parts of Canada than East Mailing rootstocks.

Young fruit trees should be planted as soon as possible after their arrival from
the nursery. They should be set in freshly dug holes and at about the same depth or
slightly deeper than they were in the nursery. It is most important to pack the soil
firmly about the roots, filling the holes with good topsoil and watering thoroughly.
Finally, the young trees should be cut back to a height of about 75 cm from the
ground. Pruning in subsequent years would be primarily for guiding the branch
development of the trees.

Older trees may be available but they should be avoided. Usually they are more
expensive and reestablish themselves less readily during the first year after being
transplanted.

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HARVESTING McINTOSH APPLES USING BUSHEL PICKING BAGS AND 9 hL BINS
CARRIED ON A TRACTOR.

Bush Fruits

These should also be ordered from a reputable nursery and certified to be
virus-free. On arrival, they will be little more than a mass of roots with maybe one
or two short stems. Bush fruits require less space than fruit trees. Brambles such as
raspberries and blackberries are often planted in rows that are about 2 to 2.5 cm
apart. To help control spread of these plants, the ground between the rows should
be kept cultivated and any new sucker grov/th between the rows removed. No fruit
can be expected on brambles during the first year. Fruiting occurs only on second-
year wood. It is advisable to remove all 2-year-old canes as soon as possible after
harvest. However, pruning of second-year growth can be delayed until early the
following spring.

Strawberry Plants

These should be purchased only from nurseries advertising virus-free stock.
There are numerous large-size commercial strawberry plantations in Canada,
particularly in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, southern Ontario, Quebec and
the Atlantic Provinces. It is important that strawberries be planted, at crown depth,

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in weed-free garden soil. Most growers prefer the matted-row system to the hill
system of planting. A strawberry-growing enterprise can be mechanized except for
the harvesting operation. During the winter, strawberry plants should be protected
by a straw mulch. This should be applied in late fall after there have been a few
days of freezing temperatures. The removal of the mulch should be delayed until
late spring when the danger of frost is over.

The long cold winters of Canada need not deter the farmer or city gardener
from producing various kinds of fruit provided normal temperatures are favorable.
The well-informed commercial fruit farmer may make a good living; the home
gardener may not find fruit growing profitable but he will find it a very satisfying
and challenging hobby.

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A POPULAR METHOD OF GROWING STRAWBERRIES IS IN MATTED ROWS.

;.,. '.

A NEW AND EFFICIENT METHOD OF HARVESTING STRAWBERRIES.

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