This is my first post to the forums. I've been just reading for over a week now and I'm enjoying what I've learned.
I wanted to get some expert advice on sunburn of fruit trees, how it happens, and how it affects them. My wife and I have a bit of land and I've recently started an orchard on the south side of our house basically out in an open field. We're in Southeast Texas (northwest of Houston) so the summers are hot and bright, and these trees get sunlight from sunup to sundown (no shade at all). I'm concerned about doing things right the first time so I'm wondering about the issue of sunburn since the trees get so much sun. I've seen pictures of several folks' trees and seen white wraps around the trunks, I'm assuming to protect from sunburn, so I'm wondering what the best practice is.
So my questions are:
How big of an issue is sunburn? What could it lead to if my trees are sunburnt?
What should I look for in order to see if it's affecting our trees?
Is it okay to be reactive to the issue rather than proactive? I've got more than a dozen trees now so I'd like to avoid doing anything unless it's going to be a problem.
Is sunburn an issue on all fruit (including citrus), or more for some types of fruit than others?
I currently have planted:
Apricot, Peaches, Avocado (protected already from wind and sun), Plum, Figs, Satsumas, Pears, Jujubes, and Pecans
These are all relatively young, immature trees, either planted this year or last. Any good links with advice would be appreciated as well!
