Apricot Harvest!
The apricots are ripening early this year! Harvest is underway and folks can purchase fruit from DiMartini's Orchard produce stand across San Antonio from the Los Altos Civic Center or place an order for a lug with the City Manager. I bought a lug from DiMartini's to share the sweet flavors with friends and family.
The fruits seem smaller this year and many have fallen. From my mother's perspective, this would be such a waste of fruit that could be used for making jams and sauces. She battled the squirrels who were so persistent at picking fruit before she thought they were ripe. I understand her dismay. I placed my lug of apricots on a table outside and fussed when I noticed a squirrel stealing my apricots! It was easy to bring my lug of apricots indoors. Much more difficult to avoid sharing the orchard crop with the squirrels.
Maybe next year we can organize a crew of volunteers to help. From my perspective, the fallen fruits feed the microbes in the soil and the insects as well as the birds and the squirrels. However, I am also noticing that many of the trees with fallen fruit also are showing the dead leaf clumps, mummified fruit and rot spots that may indicate the brown rot fungus infection. Our extension service says it is important to clean out these diseased fruits so the fungal spores do not spread. Phil is also very concerned and wants to use an organic spray in the winter redbud stage to protect the trees against brown rot fungus. Learn more here:
The small fruits may also be a result of the irrigation difficulties. The portable system that has been used for decades is getting old, meaning more problems with gaskets. We really need to ramp up on ideas to replace it with a drip irrigation system. The water needs to get directly to the tree roots. We believe a drip irrigation system would pay for itself in water conservation. However, there are lots of details to work out regarding installment and maintenance. So we will put this high priority for discussions within the Orchard Commons Committee.
Learn more about harvest, irrigation, weed abatement, and pruning from our Orchard Talk video series on the Los Altos History Museum website and YouTube channel:
https://www.losaltoshistory.org/exhibits/outdoor-agricultural-exhibit/
On a positive note, we are pleased to announce that the informative signs for the native plants in the pollinator plot have arrived! The signs identify each species and tell a bit about the pollinator benefits of that species. Thanks to Nikki Hanson from Grassroots Ecology for designing and installing the signs!
https://www.grassrootsecology.org/nursery
We welcome your input! Email me at HELLO@losaltoshistory.org
Jane
