Inspect the tree in the spring before it begins actively leafing out. Cut out dead or winter-damaged branches with a pruning saw. Cut them flush with the nearest healthy branch or the trunk.
Trim out any crossed branches that are rubbing together, as the damage caused by rubbing can lead to disease or insect problems. Cut the branches back to the nearest main branch from which they emerge.
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Locate any water spout branches on the plum tree. Water spouts grow straight up from one of the side branches, often crowding the upper branches and weakening the branch they emerge from. Cut out the water spouts flush with the branch of their origin.
Cut back the top and sides of the tree to maintain the shape and size. Cut back each overgrown branch to a leaf bud nearest the desired length of the branch.
My fascination with fruit trees and what I learn along the way.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
How to Plant a Grape Seed
Growing grapes from a grape seed will not give you vineyard quality fruit. It will, however, be an interesting gardening project and provide you with a striking garden ornamental that will eventually bear fruit. Grape seeds are a challenge to germinate and must be stratified first, according to Cornell University's Grape Breeding Program. Stratification is a process wherein the gardener mimics the conditions that nature provides the seed so that it ends dormancy. Begin stratifying your grape seed in late December or early January
Cut the grape in half lengthwise and pick out the seed with a knife or other pointed object.
Rinse off any grape pulp that is clinging to the seed.
Place the seed in a shallow bowl and cover it with distilled water. Allow it to soak for 24 hours.
Drain the water and place the seed in a handful of moist sand. Place the sand into a plastic bag, seal the bag and refrigerate it for three months.
Mix equal parts of sand, peat moss and perlite and pour the mixture into a peat pot. Place the pot in a shallow tray and pour enough water into the tray to reach 1/2 of the way up the side of the pot. Remove the pot from the tray when the top of the soil is moist.
Remove the bag from the refrigerator and the seed from the sand.
Combine five parts of water to one part of household bleach and pour it into a small bowl. Drop the grape seed into the solution and allow it to soak for 15 minutes. Stir the seed twice during this time.
Pour the contents of the bowl over a strainer to drain.
Push the seed 1 inch into the soil in the peat pot and cover it with soil. Do not pack the soil down over the seed.
Place the peat pot in an area where the temperature remains between 80 and 85 degrees F. A greenhouse is ideal. The grape seed does not require light to germinate. Keep the soil in the peat pot moist at all times.
Move the peat pot into an area with bright light, but not direct sunlight, when the grape seed has germinated. This should occur within two weeks of planting.
Plant the entire peat pot into the grape vine's permanent location in June. Keep the soil moist while the grape becomes established.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Planting a Strawberry Tower
Strawberries can be grown in nearly any type of container – hanging baskets, pots, tin cans, pocketed strawberry pots, and in tiers, to name a few. A tiered strawberry tower design (layers of pots stacked on top of one another, graduated in size) is the most versatile, as it can be easily adapted to the amount of space you have and the number of plants you wish to grow.
Space and Location
First, decide how much space you have for your tower. Select a location with at least 5-6 hours of sun a day as strawberries like sun. The more sun you can give them the sweeter the berries will be.
How Many to Grow?
Once you have determined your space, decide how many plants you would like to grow. Ten plants or more will give you a nice little harvest for regular snacking – if you would like a crop for freezing then consider 25 to 50 plants or more. Plan on 1 cup per plant in the first year and 4 cups in subsequent years. Strawberries can be planted quite close together in pots so don’t hold back!
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Types of Strawberries
Next, decide what type of strawberries you want. You can plant several varieties according to your needs and desires. See the article on Choosing Which Strawberries to Grow for help in your selection – the link is supplied below.
You can order bare-root strawberries for Spring delivery and planting, and your local nursery may have six-packs, 4” pots or even flats of a few varieties for planting later in the season.
Selecting Your Containers
Next, determine the shape(s) of pots you would like and how many tiers. Strawberries only need about four to six inches of soil for their roots so shallow bowls will work, as will the more commonly shaped conical pots. A relatively inexpensive large three-level tower can be made using a 24” diameter plastic pot at the base, a 16-18” plastic pot in the middle and an 8-10” pot on top. Just make sure you have at least a 4 inch band of soil all around each layer for planting when your pots will be stacked and filled with soil.
You can also make beautiful towers by stacking layers of low bowls on top of taller pots. Experiment! Go to the nursery supply or landscape shop and pull out all different shapes and sizes of pots and stack them up to see what you like. Strawberry plants will produce for several years as long as they get a dormant period each winter, so design a planter you will enjoy to look at.
Preparing Your Pots
If you are using deep pots (taller than 12”) you have two choices: fill each layer completely with soil, or partially fill the lower layers with smaller pots, a tray, or something else to take up the space that won’t be needed by the strawberry roots. Whatever size or shaped pots you use, make sure they have adequate drainage holes in the bottom.
Planting Your Strawberries
1.(Optional) Place a 'filler' pot or other material in the bottom of your base pot to take up space if the pot is deeper than 12 inches. Make sure the pot will still drain well.
2.Fill the base pot with soil to within 4 inches of the top.
3.Position your second pot in the center of the base pot and add some soil to weigh it down and hold it in place.
4.Plant strawberry plants all around the rim of the base pot about 4” apart, keeping the crowns just above the soil level and packing the soil down well around each plant. Water in.
5.Plant your second, third, etc. layer of pots as you did the first, nestling each layer into the one below and watering well with each layer.
Water your strawberries whenever the soil is dry to ½ inch depth. Do not over water as constantly damp soil encourages disease, but don't allow the plants to dry out. Give your plants monthly feedings of a good fertilizer such as compost tea. If your plants produce runners train them into the pots so they will take root, then plant the runners into new pots to start fresh plants. Be sure to keep the soil around them damp until their own roots are established.
Your plants will grow quickly and most varieties will give you a nice harvest the first year. Your second and third years will yield the best harvest, with some varieties producing well for up to five years or more. When the plants no longer produce well, re-plant your tower with fresh soil and new plants.
Space and Location
First, decide how much space you have for your tower. Select a location with at least 5-6 hours of sun a day as strawberries like sun. The more sun you can give them the sweeter the berries will be.
How Many to Grow?
Once you have determined your space, decide how many plants you would like to grow. Ten plants or more will give you a nice little harvest for regular snacking – if you would like a crop for freezing then consider 25 to 50 plants or more. Plan on 1 cup per plant in the first year and 4 cups in subsequent years. Strawberries can be planted quite close together in pots so don’t hold back!
Visit us for more tips
Types of Strawberries
Next, decide what type of strawberries you want. You can plant several varieties according to your needs and desires. See the article on Choosing Which Strawberries to Grow for help in your selection – the link is supplied below.
You can order bare-root strawberries for Spring delivery and planting, and your local nursery may have six-packs, 4” pots or even flats of a few varieties for planting later in the season.
Selecting Your Containers
Next, determine the shape(s) of pots you would like and how many tiers. Strawberries only need about four to six inches of soil for their roots so shallow bowls will work, as will the more commonly shaped conical pots. A relatively inexpensive large three-level tower can be made using a 24” diameter plastic pot at the base, a 16-18” plastic pot in the middle and an 8-10” pot on top. Just make sure you have at least a 4 inch band of soil all around each layer for planting when your pots will be stacked and filled with soil.
You can also make beautiful towers by stacking layers of low bowls on top of taller pots. Experiment! Go to the nursery supply or landscape shop and pull out all different shapes and sizes of pots and stack them up to see what you like. Strawberry plants will produce for several years as long as they get a dormant period each winter, so design a planter you will enjoy to look at.
Preparing Your Pots
If you are using deep pots (taller than 12”) you have two choices: fill each layer completely with soil, or partially fill the lower layers with smaller pots, a tray, or something else to take up the space that won’t be needed by the strawberry roots. Whatever size or shaped pots you use, make sure they have adequate drainage holes in the bottom.
Planting Your Strawberries
1.(Optional) Place a 'filler' pot or other material in the bottom of your base pot to take up space if the pot is deeper than 12 inches. Make sure the pot will still drain well.
2.Fill the base pot with soil to within 4 inches of the top.
3.Position your second pot in the center of the base pot and add some soil to weigh it down and hold it in place.
4.Plant strawberry plants all around the rim of the base pot about 4” apart, keeping the crowns just above the soil level and packing the soil down well around each plant. Water in.
5.Plant your second, third, etc. layer of pots as you did the first, nestling each layer into the one below and watering well with each layer.
Water your strawberries whenever the soil is dry to ½ inch depth. Do not over water as constantly damp soil encourages disease, but don't allow the plants to dry out. Give your plants monthly feedings of a good fertilizer such as compost tea. If your plants produce runners train them into the pots so they will take root, then plant the runners into new pots to start fresh plants. Be sure to keep the soil around them damp until their own roots are established.
Your plants will grow quickly and most varieties will give you a nice harvest the first year. Your second and third years will yield the best harvest, with some varieties producing well for up to five years or more. When the plants no longer produce well, re-plant your tower with fresh soil and new plants.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
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.
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.
Visit us for more tips on fruit trees
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.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
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.
Monday, July 25, 2011
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.
For more tips on fruit trees visit us
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!
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.
For more tips on fruit trees visit us
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!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Common Problems with Apple Trees
Apple Tree Diseases:
- Apple scab
- Leaf spot,
- Rust
- Powdery mildew
- Fire blight
Insects:
- Scales
- Mites
- Aphids
- Apple maggot
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
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