We want to plant Blueberry Bushes ...
We have trenches sixteen inches deep and sixteen inches wide dug. We believe we have to fill them with a mix of sand, peat moss and sulfur ... is this so and how much of each?
Please make sure that Peter Bowden understands how much he is appreciated on the Channel six segments he has done for years.
M. A. Albrecht
Dear M. A.
Thank you for the kind words. It is nice to be appreciated.
It sounds like you are off to a good start. The sand will improve drainage while the peat moss will retain moisture.
As far as how much sulfer to ad, that will depend on what the pH of the native soil is in the area you want to plant. You'll need to perform a simple pH test. You can get a pH test kit at Hewitts and it is a very simple task ifyou follow the directions on the package. Make sure you use distilled water though since tapwater of bottle water have a pH value of their own and this will skew the test results.
Here's a link to an excellent website that will answer your question and many other you might have regarding blueberry culture.
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1422.html
Have a great harvest!
PeterB
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Thanks for your question Joe,
At Hewitt's, we sell a product made by Bonide called Weedbeater Plus Crabgrass and Broadleaf Weed
Killer. Follow the directions on the package and you'll wipe out the nutsedge as well as some other unwanted
weeds without harming the grass. Never apply weed killers when temperatures are expected to go above 85°
or it may burn the lawn. September is a great time for weed killing.
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Both Christmas cactus and poinsettias are triggered into their flowering phase by the shorter day length. They need to follow the natural cycle of sunlight in October for the change to occur. The lights in your living room are preventing these two plants from getting the message the sun is sending them. Move them into the back room and make sure there are no lights on in that room for more than a few moments. Once you see that the cactus is budding or that the poinsettia's leaves have started to change color, you can bring them back to the living room to enjoy. Once the change starts, it will continue regardless of the light.
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Sounds like you have some nice pears. The brownish dots are nothing to worry about...they can be avopided by using a fruit tree spray every 2 weeks during the growing season but the spots are harmless and common on organically grown pears.
I go ahead an harvest them. A light frost probably won't harm them but a freeze will. They will finish ripening just fine inside the house.
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Raspberries and blackberries produce fruit on 2 year old canes (stems/shoots). If you go look at your berry bushes, you'll see the remains of the the canes that produced berries this year. Those cane grew last year and produced fruit this summer. They will look dried out and less vigorous.
You'll also see the new canes that grew over this summer. These are the canes that will flower and produce fruit next year so you don't want to prune them off.
Pruning can be done anytime after the fruiting period so go right ahead and prune of the old canes (the ones that made berries this year) since they will never make another berry.
This is the annual cycle with blackberries and raspberries...always removing the canes that just finished making berries but leaving the fresh canes that will make berries next year.
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Thanks for your question Pat,
I'd suggest a perimeter barrier of the granular repellent Repells All form Bonide. Apply the barrier whent eh strawberries are in flower and re-apply every couple of weeks through the harvest period. By starting early the chipmunks will learn to avoid that area and will be less tempted to cross the barrier when the fruit finally appears.
Peter Bowden
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You can rake some leaves over your strawberries to protect them. Another choice would be some evergreen boughs which might stay in place better than leaves.
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Sandy soil has very little nutritional value and dries quickly. Add lots of composted manure to the soil and I'd also get a bag of Espoma Tomato-Tone food. and be generous with that (according to the label of course).
You say that the tomatoes "have grown very very tall and spindly with few tomatoes". This is usually the result of trying to grow tomatoes without enough sun. Tomatoes need 8 hours of direct sun per day MINIMUM. 10 or 12 hours is even better. Perhaps you need to grow your tomatoes in a sunnier location?
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Bing Cherry and Burbank plums will not pollinate each other.
Bing Cherry tree will need another sweet cherry tree to pollinate it. Black Tartarian wouldbe a good choice to pollinate Bing. Sour cherry varieties will not pollinate sweet cherry types.
Burbank Plums can actually pollinate themselves or from another plum variety planted nearby.
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