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.