I had almost no muscadine grapes. How can I get big yields?

I have a dozen muscadine grapes, all different varieties. This past summer they produced a very large amount of foliage but almost no grapes. I had very few spring blooms. Although I do not prune too closely, I have had grape yields in the past. I use only organic culture... How can I get big yields?

 There are a few things that can contribute to poor muscadine yields. But since you noted that you "do not prune too closely", I expect that's the problem. If you haven't pruned enough in the past, plants will produce a lot of thin, unproductive shoots. I suggest you prune closely this season, leaving only 3 or 4 buds per spur. In addition, reduce the number of spurs.

All-America Selections Announces Four More Winners for 2013

Geranium ‘Pinto™ Premium White to Rose’ F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

On chilly and rainy days like this, gardeners like to sit at the kitchen table and dream about their future spring plantings. That's exactly what I'm doing. Next year's seed catalogs have't arrived yet, but I'm checking out the newest All-America Selections (AAS) winners for 2013. Each winner was trialed beside a few other similar varieties on the market, then analyzed with regard to taste, growth habit, disease resistance, and similar considerations to determine if they are actually better than those already available. Only superior plants are granted the AAS Award. After the 2012 trialing season, two melons, a tomato and a geranium are the latest to receive official AAS recognition.

Melon 'Melemon' F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

Melon ‘Melemon’ F1 received the AAS 2013 Vegetable Award. It yields early and heavily on strong plants. Each fruit is just enough for one person to enjoy. The taste, judged to be superior, is comparable to a honeydew, but with delightful tanginess. The flesh is crisp and sweet. The uniform shape makes it ideal for commercial growers and home gardeners.

Watermelon 'Harvest Moon' F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

Watermelon ‘Harvest Moon’ F1 also received the AAS 2013 Vegetable Award. It's a hybrid, triploid seedless melon similar to the popular heirloom variety, 'Moon and Stars', but the healthy vines are shorter. I ripens early with a higher yield. Fruits are medium-sized with sweet, pinkish-red flesh. The rind is dark green with yellow dots.

Tomato 'Jasper' F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

Tomato, Cherry ‘Jasper’ F1 is the third AAS 2013 Vegetable Award Winner. High yields of sweet fruits of uniform size are produced on vigorous plants. In fact, the vines are so strong they require little or no fertilization. Add to that Jasper's high disease resistance to Late Blight, Fusarium 1 and 2, and Early Blight, and its resistance to weather-related stresses. The fruits stay on the vine well after ripening, and last longer after they've been picked.
Geranium ‘Pinto™ Premium White to Rose’ F1 (see photo above) is a AAS 2013 Bedding Plant Award Winner. Loads of early, long-lasting 5" blooms change color from white to rose. The plants are full and dense with well-branched stems and dark green foliage. Even in the extreme heat of last year's summer, 'Pinto Premium White to Rose' performed extremely well. Gardeners who want a care-free, colorful garden next summer should definitely plant this one.

When your seed catalogs arrive in the next few months, look for Melon 'Melemon' F1, Watermelon 'Harvest Mood' F1, Tomato 'Jasper' F1 and Geranium 'Pinto Premium White to Rose' F1. If you prefer to buy your plants already started at retail, request your favorite garden center to carry them.

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What is insecticidal soap? How does it work? Can I m ake it myself?

What is insecticidal soap? How does it work? Can I make it myself?

Insecticidal soaps are environmentally friendly formulations made from mineral or vegetable oils that kill soft-bodied insects either by suffocation or destroying their cells. Insecticidal soaps do not leave toxic residues. They must contact the insects to be effective.

Here's a quick and easy way to make insecticidal soap. Mix one cup of cheap vegetable oil with one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Do NOT use soaps formulated for automatic dishwashers because they may contain chemicals that can harm plants. Do NOT use soaps with bleach added. Add two teaspoons of the soap mixture per cup of warm water in a plastic spray bottle. Stir thoroughly. Test a bit of the mixture on a small part of the plant to assure that the mixture won't do damage to the plant. Spray only on cloudy days or before dusk. Hot sunlight combined with insecticidal soap can damage plants.

Results of Community Poll Ending 18 September, 2012

Our Community Poll ending 18 September asked the question, "Where do you garden?"

22% polled said "On my own property in the city."
33% said "On my own property in the suburbs."
45% said "On my own property in the country."
None replied "In a community garden shared with others."

I should have included the answer, "I don't garden." I don't know whether any visitors didn't answer for that reason.

For those who would like to garden but don't because they don't think they have the space for it, community gardens can solve the problem. The American Community Garden Association provides lots of help for those who'd like to find a community garden nearby or start one. Even if you already have a garden, you might want to get involved helping with a community garden so you can share the pleasure of gardening with others.

Return to Community Poll at goGardenNow.com.

Blueberries cure rustiness

Dr. Boli suggests a cure for rustiness.

John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com

How close does a muscadine grape pollinator have to be and what would be a good pollinator?

How close does a pollinator have to be and what would be a good pollinator.

The nearer the better. Within 100' should be okay. Within 20' would be better. Plant one or two pollinators with the others and you should be okay. There are many good pollinators. Cowart, Carlos and Triumph are good.

John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com

How do I prune musadines to run on a trellis, how and when to do I fertilize?

Growing up as a kid I enjoyed gathering and eating wild muscadines. I decided to try growing some myself. I planted 2 vines in April. How should I prune them to ensure they are trained to run on the trellis? What time of the year is the best time to prune the vines? What is the best type of fertilizer to use and when to use it as well as how much? I enjoyed your video on prunning your muscadines. Since mine are young plants I don't want to be to aggressive and lose my plants.

Beginning now (July), choose 1 shoot (the longest and strongest) to train as the trunk. The goal is for it to reach the trellis wire, which should be at 4' height. Tie it to a 4' long stake. Use plastic tape or cloth ribbon. Remove all other shoots growing around the base of the plant, and remove any shoots growing from the "trunk" that are emerging any lower than the trellis wire. You can do that now.

When the "trunk" vine reaches the trellis wire, clip off the upper end of it. This will encourage lateral branching along the trunk. Remove all shoots except for the top two. Those will be trained to the trellis wire to serve as arms.

You can prune to train (as mentioned above) any time of year. When pruning for fruit production, do it late winter or very early spring before growth begins.

10-10-10 fertilizer is about as good as any. Fertilize any time between early spring and mid summer. Amount depends on size/age of plant.  For specific recommendations, take a soil sample to your nearest Cooperative Extension Office for analysis. The test results will include recommendations. 

I've grown clover for cover crop, and that worked well. I haven't needed to fertilize my vineyard in years.


John Marshall
goGardenNow.com
goGardenNow.blogspot.com