Comments on: Fruit Trees & Berry Bushes

By: Lanna

Lanna — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:20:14 +0000

It takes time for the berries and fruits, unless they’re already established in your yard. Can be annoying at first, that’s for sure. Just keep on pluggin’ away – you’ll figure out what works well for you.
I am wondering how much you modified the soil around the spots you planted… because it’s red clay, right? Unless you added a bunch of things to add more nutrients and make it so water drains (rather than puddles or just runs right through it)… but I have zero experience with red clay, so don’t quote me.
What we did around our baby fruit trees was throw down a ton (like 4+ inches) of wood chips and weed-free compost. I may be digging those suckers up and taking them with us, but that’s another story.

By: JasonH

JasonH — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:40:00 +0000

@anna: Wood ash is a base (pretty much the opposite of an acid) so I wouldn’t put that anywhere near blueberries. Pine needles or pine chips seemed to help mine. Also, Black Walnut secretes something that most garden plants don’t like – i wouldn’t plant anything near them.

@Kendra: I planted a blueberry bush last year and it did well for a few months then lost all its leaves. I didn’t give up hope because scratching the bark still revealed some green. This spring it came back and looks very healthy and I hope to get some berries next year. As far as your raspberries, you should mulch them heavily with leaves or wood chips. Also, you need to cut out the older shoots in the spring to allow the new ones to bear fruit. Do a search on pruning berry bushes and I’m sure you can find more details.

By: Kendra at New Life On A Homestead

Kendra at New Life On A Homestead — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:39:35 +0000

Kris-

Wow!!! Man, I hope I’m that lucky! Did you fertilize them or do anything special to help them along??

By: Kris

Kris — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:18:54 +0000

Take heart!!! About three years ago we planted a peach tree in our fenced in yard and our then 6 month old great dane decided it was his teething toy. He ate the cherry tree too. We didn’t take the stump (yes he ate it to a stump) out of the ground and it started to grow the next year. This year I had the most delicious peaches from my own tree. I had peaches coming out of my ears. I took them to work, took them to family, canned 3 dozen jars, made pie, cobbler and anything you can think of. My dogs ate them too. So you never know what can happen. Hopefully you will have as good of luck as we did!!

By: anna

anna — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:25:22 +0000

I planted my apple tree(lings) under a black walnut. They bore THREE apples (even as little guys!) the first year, and we were SO geeked. I got a Yellow delicious and a Honeycrisp – those HCs are EXPENSIVE to buy, and have THE best flavor. I had no idea until we had an apple taste-testing party this past weekend. Wha, LOVE the Honeycrisp! And we had APPLES on ours the first year!

This year? Nothing. Don’t even look like they’ve grown. I think the inky walnut goop is stunting them, so we have to move them. My strawberry bed is there, too. *Sigh!* But I wanted to try to pinch those off and expand the patch, so that’s not a biggie. Well, until we move them in the spring. (I’m 8 months preggers, SO NOT going to be transplanting right now!)

I hear blueberries need very rich, acidic soil to grow in. Not sure what that means, but I’m taking it to be ashy, so when I get mine (someday!), I’m raiding the burn barrel! Okay, but only a little – because I have this theory – that if you stick something in the ground and NOT tend it meticulously, it sees life as a challenge and fights for itself. If it’s pampered, it turns out ’spoiled’. (Ha.Ha.) So far, that’s been pretty true. Other than the black walnut fiasco.