Utah Fruit and Vegetable Association

The Utah Fruit and Vegetable Association (UFAVA) is dedicated to anyone who loves to grow fruits or vegetables in Utah, regardless of location or size of a grower's garden or farm. UFAVA is for farmers, hobbyists, small growers, and anyone interested in growing, canning, preserving, and enjoying food.

Thinning Fruit from backyard fruit trees

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Hopefully you pruned your fruit trees in late March or early April. If not, it is something you need to seriously consider for next spring. For this year you can still increase your chances for a successful fruit harvest by thinning the fruit.

 

There are those that balk at the idea of thinning because it is like throwing away good fruit. However it is important to keep in mind that thinning helps the remaining fruit grow larger, and it is healthier and puts less stress on the trees.

 

The ideal time to thin most fruit trees is after the fruit is set but while it is still small. In Northern Utah, sometime during the last two weeks of June is a good time. The first thing to look for is the smallest fruit. These probably didn’t get properly pollinated and should be picked first. Then look at the clusters. Pick off fruit until there is one or two well-spaced pieces of fruit left from the cluster. Commercial growers often space fruit 8-10 inches apart. For backyard trees, 4-8 inches should be good, depending on the type of fruit and how large you want them. Visualize the perfect size apple, peach, plum, etc, and that can be your guide for how much spacing to leave.

 

Remember, what you sacrifice in quantity, you will more than make up for in quality.

 

Pruning tomato plants

Pruning your tomato plants is a great way to direct the plant's energy to ripening the fruit. Here is a short video from e how and Expert Village. http://www.ehow.com/video_2328947_prune-tomato-plant.html
 

Backyard grower co-op

We are trying to help coordinate a backyard grower co-op booth for the Sugar House Farmers Market. The idea is to combine the produce grown by two or more backyard growers. They could share the booth space, etc. The group of growers would have to work out the details among themselves of how the revenue is divided, how the booth is staff (rotating basis or all of you each time), and all of the other nromal logistical concerns related to being a farmers market vendor.

Jack Wilbur, UFAVA co-founder, is willing to act as the coordination point and provide advice as he can and as needed.

Since the Sugar House market is new this year and they are still looking for a few farm produce vendors, this is a good opportunity to test the waters to see if small urban growers want to form co-ops to make their products and efforts go farther.

Email Jack: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you are interested in talking more about a co-op.

   

Join the UFAVA Community

Click on the UFAVA Community tab at the top of the page to connect with other growers and gardeners. Ask questions, share tips, trade ideas, and more.
 

University of Utah Farmers Market

 The 2010 University of Utah Farmers Market vendor guidelines and application are now available:

2010_U_of_U_Farmers_Market_Vendor_Handbook.pdf

2010_U_of_U_Farmers_Market_Application.pdf

   

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