advice wanted - fruits & veggies

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by A.Valentine on January 15, 2009 at 5:09pm

I don't know much about the fruit. What kind of apples did you plant? You'll have to keep me updated on the apples because I want to plant some this year. :)
Cucumbers work great on a trellis, as long as they are not the small bush type vines. I grew mine last year on a trellis and it worked out well. Less work for picking and the cucumbers were straight. I am sure the cantaloup would be fine beneath them but here are some good companions when planting cucumber - Corn and Beans as they thrive in the same conditions-rich soil and plenty of moisture. Radish ,Marigold, and Nasturtium grown with cucumber repels cucumber beetles. Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Savory also share a symbiotic relationship with cucumbers. Cucumbers do not fare well in close proximity of Potatoes and various aromatic herbs.
With the green peppers look for a variety with a high yield. Last year I planted 3 green peppers and by the end of summer I was overloaded with them and giving some away. I think the one I grew last year was Big Bertha.
I am pretty new at this myself but I hope this helps.

Permalink Reply by Jo on January 15, 2009 at 7:36pm

Thanks, A. Lots of great info. I always plant marigolds around my tomatoes, I will throw in some around the cukes too. My apples are: dwarf Enterprise and semi-dwarf Jonafree. My neighbor has a crabapple really close to my yard so it will help with pollination as I understand it. I also have a miniature nectarine in a pot (in the garage right now.) We have two pecan trees planted 20 years ago which feed the squirrels but not us. I purchased all of my trees and berries from Stark Bros and have been very satisfied with the quality.
Hopefully someone in this group can give us both help with the apple growing because I am not at all knowledgeable about that. I am aiming to do it with as little chemicals as possible.

Permalink Reply by A.Valentine on January 18, 2009 at 11:24am

The apple trees sound great! I have also read that you can plant chives around the apple trees to prevent apple scab. Also, from what I understand the crab apples should help pollinate as long as they bloom at the same time your apple trees do. Mmmm....pecans, I would totally be climbing your tree and fighting the squirrels, LOL. They are my fave nut.

Permalink Reply by jean baker on January 22, 2009 at 10:04am

>>I am attempting new items in my garden and would love to hear any advice you might have to offer me. Last season I planted blueberries, raspberries, and apples. What should I expect from them this year?

dwarf apples produce fruit on average in 3 to 5 years. you just missed a banner year in apple production because of the 2007 spring frost. they wanted to make up for the lost year so outdid themselves producing plenty of large apples. i picked 3 bushels at the end of the season and we gave away or ate another 5 to 7 bushels. that is from one red delicious dwarf. a typical year i get half that. best thing you can do is diligently gather up fallen apples. i used to get a wormie in most organic apples i picked. (a badge of honor. most wormies will die rather than bite into a chemical apple.) then i read that picking up the apples disrupts the wormie's life cycle. since i started the regimen, i rarely see a wormie now. i keep a bucket nearby to gather the fallen apples and then dump them into the compost pile in the back yard. did you plant more than 1 blueberry plant and cultivar? it takes 2 and they must be planted no more than 15 to 30 feet apart. i got a pint or 2 of blueberries on 3 bushes last year but am expecting more this 3rd year. perennials typically take 3 years to get going. the best news is your raspberries. they grow fast and flower on 2 year old canes called primo canes. when spring comes, you will see green leaves unfolding on the primo canes. cut out the dead canes. i think you also need more than one cultivar of raspberry. but i'm not sure. i planted blackberries beside my raspberries and i get plenty of both. i like the raspberries better, though, because they sport the beautiful long purple canes throughout the winter. best way to preserve your berries is to spread them out on a cookie sheet and freeze for half an hour. then roll them into a ziploc bag or container and freeze. there is no comparison between your homegrown ones and the grocery store frozen ones. yours will be brighter, have better texture, not be in a lump, and of course have lots more nutrients. good luck! ps peppers like cooler weather. don't give up. typically my best harvest is in september and october.

Permalink Reply by Jo on January 24, 2009 at 1:00pm

Wow, Jean, thanks for the advice and inspiration. I have had so many people inquire about growing apples when they hear I have planted them that I really want to succeed with them so others will follow suit. 'Guess everyone is tired of the flavorless store-bought apples. Last fall my husband and I discovered a great orchard in Overbrook, KS. called Fieldstone. It was a long drive from Lees Summit but definitely worth it. They grow dozens of varieties of apples many of which I had never heard of before. We went in mid October especially for the Arkansas Black variety so didn't get to try the early maturing varieties. After sampling many different trees, we picked Arkansas Black, Empire, Maiden's Blush, and Golden Russet. We will return next fall with a caravan of everyone we shared the apples with. I hope it is still in business -- there was a for sale sign out front -- so I'm really hoping they'll still be in operation new owner or not. FYI - their prices were less than the local orchards (like Weston area) so that made up for the long drive.
As for the blueberries, yes I did plant two different kind. The raspberry said it was self-pollinating. The squirrels didn't bother my strawberries last year which surprised me. They do have the pecan trees and a mature mulberry, a bird bath and water bowls for neighborhood cats, so I'm hopeful I won't have to cage all my berries.

Permalink Reply by savvy-teecher on February 8, 2009 at 5:17pm

your raspberries ought to give you lots of fruit this year. If the dead canes are still there from last year, trim them back. by keeping them watered and fed, they will get very large. I have a kind that fruits in june and then again in august to frost. I use tomato cages on them to help keep them controlled. I also spread a little bit of netting over them to keep the birds out. I only have ONE cultivar and I am getting more fruit than I can handle in some weeks of summer. There will be new shoots that come up this year,in close proximity that will give you fruit later in the summer.
when you get overwhelmed with fruit, use the idea of putting a layer of them on a cookie sheet; freeze; then bag. works great. enjoy your fruity harvest.

Permalink Reply by Robert Gibson on March 5, 2009 at 2:09pm

As far as the peppers did you check the soil PH, potassium and nitrogen levels? I just bought a 4 test kit for $5 from Orschlen farm supply. It will also tell you how much of what you need to bring the soil up to almost perfect growing specs.

Permalink Reply by Pamela Krohn on January 14, 2010 at 9:36am

I did not know that Orschlen had these kits, thanks for telling everyone. I am going today to purchase one.