Strawberries -Choosing Which to Grow

There are hundreds of varieties of strawberries. You can plant several varieties or just one according to your needs and desires. Of all the varieties, strawberries can be divided into three types: June Bearing and two types of Everbearing strawberries - Double-Cropping and Day Neutral.

June Bearing strawberries produce one main crop over the course of a few weeks in the Spring/Summer, starting in their second year. They require long days and warm temperatures to produce fruit, but they are the highest producers of all the strawberry types. June Bearers produce lots of runners so you can get many new plants from them, but you will need to manage the runners when planted in containers.

The Everbearing strawberry types are much more adaptable to shorter days and cooler temperatures. Double Cropping everbearing strawberries produce one main Spring/Summer crop and then a smaller crop in the Fall. Day Neutral everbearing strawberries start producing a small crop in the Spring (depending on your weather). They will continue to produce as long as the temperatures remain between 35 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (2 and 29 degrees Celsius). The Everbearers will give you a small crop the first year (about 1 cup per plant) and then 2-4 cups per plant thereafter, depending on variety.
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Common June Bearing varieties:

Allstar – a late season variety resistant to many diseases. High yields with a sweet, mild flavor. Produces numerous runners.
Earliglow – an early season producer with good color and flavor. Berries get smaller as season progresses. Produces many runners, good disease resistance.
Lateglow – another late season variety. Does best in warmer climates. Good disease resistance.
Northeaster – an early season producer especially for the Northeastern US. Strong Flavor, disease resistant.
Sequoia – one of the earliest producers, developed for California. Sweet, good flavor, very productive and disease resistant.

Common Double Cropping varieties:

Fort Laramie – good quality sweet fruit. Produces quite a few runners if the early blossoms are removed from the plants.
Quinault – fast growing and will produce first fruit in only 5-6 weeks. Produces few if any runners.


Common Day Neutral varieties:

Seascape – large, good quality fruits. Was developed in California but is being grown successfully in a wide variety of climates.
Tribute – excellent for cooler climates, though can be grown with great success in warmer climes, as well. Fairly large, though mildly flavored fruit. Good disease resistance.
Tristar – also great for cooler climates, will produce well into the Fall. Very disease resistant. Fruits are small but flavor is exceptional.

How to Root Grape Vine Branches

Cuttings allow you to grow a clone of the parent plant the cuttings are taken from. Propagating with cuttings produces a mature plant more quickly and ensures the new plant has all the desirable qualities of the parent. Grape vines are often grown from stem cuttings, which are taken from healthy branches in late winter when the grape vine is still dormant. Rooting the cutting properly allows you to quickly propagate your grapes without the need of purchasing new plants.

Cut a healthy branch from the grape plant, removing it ¼ inch beneath a healthy bud or leaf node. Cut off the tip of the branch ¼ inch in front of the top bud. Each cutting must have three to five leaf nodes or buds along its length.

Fill a 1 gallon pot with equal parts vermiculite and peat moss. Water the vermiculite mixture until it is evenly moist throughout.

Fill a small bowl with a purchased rooting hormone, available from garden centers and some florists. Coat the bottom of the grape cutting in the rooting hormone.

Push the bottom of the cutting into the potting mixture until it nearly touches the bottom of the pot. The top leaf bud or node should sit 1 to 3 inches above the soil mixture.

Set the pot in a warm area that receives bright, indirect sunlight. Cover the pot with a plastic bag to help retain heat and moisture during rooting.

Remove the bag and mist the cutting with water once a day. Water the potting mixture if the surface begins to dry.

Remove the plastic bag once the cuttings root, usually within four weeks of planting. Continue to water until you are ready to transplant the cuttings outside in spring.

Top Secrets to Growing Grapes

By: Cassidy Fletcher
Who knew growing grapes can be so hard ?  Good tips by this author !

Planting Grapes is an art and those that carry out this hobby, think of it as an excellent practice, but remember that, it is significant for everyone to know a heap of advice about the do’s and don’ts before even starting off. if you’re not, a bunch of their hard work would go to waste in planting grapes. Regardless that grape farming can surely be performed organically, but overall it’s always preferred to grow them artificially for the reason that the organic grown grapes are incredibly small , and with unequal ripening. In comparison to the unnaturally grown fruit, that is normally larger in size and often proves to be evenly fresh. Often the grapes are normally planted during a backyard, vineyard or herb garden.

If you’re the individual linked to the drafting of grapes, then there are some very nice secrets to it. One of the great industry secrets for grape growing is to never use any sort of fertilizer for harvesting for important nutritional vitamins, because they would modify the development substantially. In addition, never grow the fruit throughout the first season, seeing that the seasons play a major role in the development of the grapes.

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If you ever make an effort to harvest the grapes inside the best season, the final results is going to be beneficial and hugely expected. Right after the ideal season is selected, the grape vine will benefit from getting many of the vital nutrients and will be disease free. On top of that, the grapes should also be rooted in such areas which have proper and a sufficient amount of sunlight.
A number of people, who are excited about grapes and their incredible benefits, should adhere to the hints.



However, there are quite a few who simply just start growing grapes within their vineyard or small garden with no any knowledge. A lot of people commit common mistakes in rooting the fruit. You’ll find the most common faults committed by such gardeners is they buy readymade grape vines through which they plant very much the same ones from the garden. Though these readymade ones can be obtained at affordable prices, the standard quality is nowhere near good and so the results are not up to par.

Another oversight that is commonly played out is that inexperienced gardeners select a shady spot to plant and grow the grapes, however are unacquainted with the fact that sunshine would be the essential and therefore the most important element for the growth of grapes. Grapes demand proper intake of h2o for healthy development. In a time regarding insufficient method of obtaining water, the grapes could not grow efficiently, which usually happens between summer and spring.

Another drawback grape growers do while gardening, the grapes is because they don’t pay a great deal of focus to the pruning task for grapes, and don’t recognize that pruning plays an effective role in their yield. It’s very important to prune the grapes when they are growing in an attempt to have a better production. Therefore, study the tricks and tactics to plant grapes and only then if you happen to stick to planting of grapes. Growing grapes is surely not much a struggle, but when you learn some techniques then it will become easier for you to have success at the wonderful hobby.

Growing grapes can be an amazing hobby for all. When you are ready to get started with planting grapes, then check out http://www.greatgrapegrowingsuccess.com. It’s a site dedicated to a step-by-step guide in learning how to care and grow grapes at home!

Common Problems with Apple Trees

Apple Tree Diseases:

• Apple scab
• Leaf spot,
• Rust
• Powdery mildew
• Fire blight

Insects:

• Scales
• Mites
• Aphids
• Apple maggot

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Symptoms of Apple Tree Diseases & Pests:

• Spots and/or holes on leaves or fruit
• Stunted growth
• White coating on leaves
• Branch dieback
• Yellowing or browning of foliage

Many of these insect and disease conditions can weaken the tree and lead to tree death if not treated.

Apple Tree Pruning

Pruning and training deciduous fruit trees are performed primarily to increase fruit production and develop a strong tree framework of optimum size and shape. Pruning is necessary to maintain tree health, vigor and productivity throughout the life of the home orchard. Benefits of pruning and training include:

• Aid in the establishment of newly planted trees
• Enhance early productivity
• Increase fruit size and quality
• Promote flower bud development throughout the tree canopy
• Promote development of new fruiting wood needed to maintain productivity
• Reduce the tendency for biennial bearing
• Reduce incidence and spread of certain diseases
• Facilitate spraying, fruit thinning and harvesting

The best time to prune apple trees is in the winter, promoting tree growth during the growing season. Apple trees that have reached desired size can be pruned in summer, hindering future growth.

Plum Tree Pruning

Pruning is recommended to preserve or improve tree structure, heartiness and life-span. Prune plum trees right after flowering to promote vigor. If controlling tree size, it is best to prune in the winter.

Pruning can reduce specific defects or structural problems in a tree to greatly lessen the risk of failure. Broken, diseased, or dead branches are typically removed in order to prevent decay-producing fungi from infecting the wood in other areas of the tree.

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Removal of live branches is occasionally necessary to allow increased exposure to sunlight and circulation of air within the canopy. This assists in reduction of certain diseases. We also advocate the removal of branch stubs to promote successful and proper healing over of wounds.

Apple Tree Care

Spring flowers, summer shade and delicious fruit are just some of the wonderful benefits of owning an apple tree. These trees prefer dry, warm climates and moist, loamy soil. Fruit is produced by the pollination of the tree's flowers. Because many apple trees do not self-pollinate, a variety of apple trees that bloom at the same time need to be planted to encourage self-pollination and fruit production. An apple tree will usually bear fruit in its fourth or fifth year. Fruit comes in many sizes and colors and is best eaten right off the tree.

Best Time & Location to Plant - Apple trees are best planted in late fall or early spring, in a location with wind block to help the fruit from falling off before maturity.

Size of Tree - Apple trees can grow to about 40 feet, but also come in dwarf varieties which are easier to maintain.

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Apple Tree Care

Apple trees unfortunately are susceptible to many insect and disease issues and require special attention. By properly controlling insects and disease, fertilizing and regularly pruning the trees you can enjoy the beauty and fruit of this tree on your landscape for years.  



During the early spring and summer fungicide applications are essential to prevent disease and produce healthy, high quality fruit.
At the beginning of the growing season horticultural oils should also be used to smother scale insects and reduce over wintering populations of aphid and mite eggs.

All dead or diseased branches should be pruned, and any dried up apples, fallen leaves and plant debris should be removed away from trees.

Plum Tree Diseases and Pests

There are several damaging diseases and pests that affect plum trees. Some of the most common are:

Black Knot – This is probably the most serious and widespread of the diseases that affect plum trees. This disease causes hard black long knots to form on smaller branches, often killing them. If left untreated, growth will be stunted and the entire tree will eventually die. Immediate pruning of diseased areas can help stop the spread of the disease.

Plum Pox Virus (PPV) – This disease is spread by aphids and attacks fruit bearing plum trees.  Infected fruit can develop brown or yellow rings or blotches and may deform the fruit. The quality and quantity of the fruit production is dramatically reduced.

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Brown Rot – This fungus infects blossoms, fruit and small branches. Signs include cankers, fruit rot and blight.  Powdery, brown gray tufts can be seen on the twigs or fruit especially when wet.

Plum Rust Mites – These pests range in color from yellow to pinkish-white or purple. Leaves of infected plum trees turn silver and start to curl up.

Plum Tree Care

The purple-leaved plum tree is a dramatic ornamental tree. It is usually selected for its abundant and stunning display of pink flowers and lush reddish-purple leaves. It is particularly showy because flowers bloom early in the spring before foliage appears. The plum tree's richly colored leaves are 1-1/2 to 3 inches long and are present throughout most of the growing season, making a lovely contrast and enhancement to the landscape. Some people do opt to purchase the fruit bearing variety, which produces small purple plums. A fast grower, the plum tree has an upright form with a lovely rounded and dense canopy. For best results, tree should be positioned in full sun and well-drained, acidic soil.

Plum Tree Care

Plum trees are susceptible to several stresses and insect and disease issues. By properly controlling insects and disease, fertilizing, watering and regularly pruning the trees, you can encourage tree health and enjoy the beauty of this tree on your landscape for years.

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At the beginning of the growing season horticultural oils should also be used to smother scale insects and reduce over wintering populations of aphid and mite eggs. Plum trees are also susceptible to Japanese beetle attacks. Preventative and curative treatments are available to ward off this pest.
Newly planted trees benefit from ArborKelp® - SavATree’s exclusive seaweed biostimulant which aids in tree establishment, promotes root growth and heightens stress tolerance.

Mature and established plum trees benefit from fertilizer feedings of organic-based macro and micronutrients for the nutrition necessary to sustain their health.

Cherry Tree Care, Cherry Tree Pruning & Cherry Tree Disease Treatments

In addition to their wonderful fruit, many property owners grow cherry trees for their spectacular spring flowers. Cherry trees can have a graceful weeping form or attractive upright canopy depending on the species. There are many cherry tree varieties to choose from. Most cherries produce pink to white flowers. Cherry tree leaves are also attractive in the fall. Bing sweet cherry trees produce large, delicious, deep red fruit. Bing sweet cherry trees begin to bear fruit in their fifth or sixth year, and once mature can yield up to 100 pounds of fruit.

Ornamental flowering cherry trees, such as the Kwanzan Cherry tree, Chinese Cherry tree, and Yoshino Flowering Cherry tree, are sterile and do not produce fruit, but are cultivated to be decorative by producing more abundant blossoms.

How to Grow: Cherry trees should be planted in early spring.  If growing cherries for their fruit, a cooler drier climate is best. One should plant varieties that bloom at the same time as successful pollination is necessary for a bountiful harvest. Cherry trees flourish in full sun and well-drained soil.
Size of Tree: Cherry trees are 20 to 30 feet high / 15 to 25 foot spread

Cherry Tree Care

Cherry trees are susceptible to many stresses, including insect problems and disease, such as cherry blight, making their life span around 20 years. However, by properly controlling insects and cherry tree disease, as well as watering, regular pruning, and using cherry tree fertilizer, you can enjoy the beauty and fruit of this tree on your landscape for years.

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At the beginning of the growing season horticultural oils should be used to smother scale insects and reduce over wintering populations of aphid and mite eggs. Cherry trees should also be pruned to remove dead and diseases branches and to control size.

Mature and established cherry trees benefit from fertilizer feedings of organic-based macro and micronutrients for the nutrition necessary to sustain their health and prevent cherry tree problems.

Cherry Tree Pruning

Pruning and training deciduous fruit trees are performed primarily to increase fruit production and develop a strong tree framework of optimum size and shape. This is especially important for a cherry tree which can grow faster than its body and limbs can actually support. Pruning is necessary to maintain tree health, vigor and productivity throughout the life of the home orchard.  Benefits of pruning and training include:

• Aid in the establishment of newly planted cherry trees
• Enhance early productivity
• Increase fruit size and quality
• Promote flower bud development throughout the cherry tree canopy
• Promote development of new fruiting wood needed to maintain productivity
• Reduce the tendency for biennial bearing
• Reduce incidence and spread of certain cherry tree diseases
• Facilitate spraying, fruit thinning and harvesting

Cherry Tree Diseases, Pests & Signs

There are several damaging diseases and pests that affect cherry trees. Some of the most common are:

Brown Rot – This fungus infects blossoms, fruit and small branches. Signs include cankers, fruit rot and blight.  Powdery, brown gray tufts can be seen on the twigs or fruit especially when wet.

Powdery Mildew – Fungal disease that attacks twigs and leaves. Signs are white patches on new leaves and premature dropping of leaves.

Cherry Leaf Spot – Fungus that primarily affects cherry tree leaves but can also attack twigs and stems. Look for dark colored spots on the leaves, leaf yellowing, premature dropping of leaves and white spots on leaves in wet weather. Cherry leaf spot is more prevalent in humid areas.

Black Cherry Aphid – These tiny soft bodied, black insects eat the leaves of the cherry tree causing them to become twisted, stunted and curled.  The aphids also secrete honeydew which may cause black fungus to grow. Severe infestations can kill young cherry trees and reduce quality and quantity of a mature tree's harvest.

Preventing Diseases in Fruit Trees

If you maintain any pitted fruit trees such as plums, peaches, or cherries, you already know that those types of trees are much more susceptible to diseases than any other type. While the fruits are delicious, it can be rather hard to live with all of the maladies that can plague the life of everyone who has ever grown one of those types of fruit trees.
 
The main disease that you will hear about the most is known as Brown Rot.. This is a fungus that attaches to many of the leftover fruits after the picking season is over. Not only does it look disgusting on the leftover fruits, but it also can come back on the newer fruits, rendering them inedible.
 
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To prevent this, you should prune your trees often to encourage good air circulation. Buildups of moisture are the main cause of the brown rot. Also when you are done picking for the season, you should get rid of all of the leftover fruits in the tree or on the ground.

Picking a good spot for your Fruit Tree

When growing a fruit tree, choosing the right place to plant it is very important. You have to consider how close it is to a building, electric line, side walk, or any other thing that might disrupt its growth. Once you plant a fruit tree, the chances of unearthing it and changing its spot without killing it are very slim.
 
Therefore you must always be sure you know which size fruit tree you have (dwarf, semi dwarf, or standard) and how big it will end up once it's an adult. Dwarf trees need an area with an eight-foot diameter to grow. Semi-dwarf fruit trees can grow up to fifteen feet wide. Standard fruit trees can grow as wide as thirty feet. To keep the size of your fruit tree at whatever level is best for you, be sure to prune them at least once a year.
 
In addition to this, you have to consider whether or not it will be the sunlight it needs to survive. You also have to be sure it doesn't get too much sunlight. If your tree doesn't get just the right amount of sun, it will die.
 
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Be sure that you do not plant it where the sunlight will be blocked by something. Make sure that it won't be hit by the sun the whole day. Either of these can be fatal to the tree.
 
An important thing to keep in mind when choosing a spot for your tree is whether your spot will be convenient for watering, harvesting, and pruning. A place that would not be good to plant a fruit tree is close to your house or your fence. Any of these things could get in the way of you harvesting and pruning. If your tree grows over your fence the fruit could drop into your neighbor's yard, just keep that in mind since your neighbor may not like this.
 
Be sure to plant your tree where it will be easy to water; if you already have a sprinkler system in your yard you could put your tree where the sprinkler could reach it. If you do not have a sprinkler system installed, you should put the tree within reach of your hose.
 
One of the most important things of all to keep in mind when planting a fruit tree is whether or not your soil in your yard is suitable for your tree. You have to make sure that is has enough nutrients, it has enough moisture, you need proper water drainage so the tree doesn't drown. If your soil doesn't have these traits then your tree won't grow very well or produce good fruit. You can always alter your soil to be more suitable for your tree.
 
You can find out what kind of soil you have by taking a sample and taking it to a lab. It may be expensive, but they can test it for what nutrients it has the most of. You'll have the results back in a couple of days. If your soil is low in nutrients, you can go to your local nursery, or any other store with gardening supplies, and get fertilizer.
 
After you have checked on all of these things, you are finally ready to go and choose what kind of fruit tree you want. When you are choosing your tree keep in mind the spot you picked, and buy the tree that would do best in that spot. The worst thing that can possibly happen is devoting time and money to growing a tree, only to end up having to remove it because of poor planning.

Happy Gardening !

Longan Fruit Tree

Native to the highlands of India, Sri Lanka and southeast Asia, longan trees (Dimocarpus longan) are evergreen tropical trees that grow over 40 feet tall and wide.

Features

The longan tree bears glossy, dark green compound leaves composed of four to eight leaflets. Even if it never produces fruit, it makes an attractive tropical shade or street tree. The small, yellowish, plumelike flower clusters occur in late spring with fruits ripening by mid- to late summer. The bark is coarsely smooth and pale cocoa brown.

Growing Requirements

• Plant longan in fertile, well-drained soil in a garden location that receives at least 10 hours of direct sunlight daily, according to Margaret Barwick in "Tropical and Subtropical Trees." Some shading from intense hot tropical midday summer sun is beneficial. The tree is susceptible to nutrient deficiencies, so an acidic topsoil at least 3 ft. deep is best. Maintain a 3 to 4 inch layer of organic mulch over the root zone. Longan is not drought- or salt spray-tolerant.

Considerations

• Like the closely related lychee tree, longan trees tend to flower more profusely and yield better fruit crops when the preceding winter has been cool and somewhat dry. Barwick notes that winters with frequent light frosts tend to increase the subsequent spring production of flowers. Fruit production is diminished after warm and humid winters during which temperatures had not dropped below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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