Slime mold on muscadine vines.

"Hello, I live in the northeast corner of Alabama and in early Feb., I pruned our muscadine vines.  Two of the vines are still "bleeding" and forming an orange colored build-up.  Should I do something?  If so, what?  Thank you for your time,  D.L."

It's slime mold, a species of Fusarium. It grows in the sap. Looks bad but is harmless. When the sap stops running, the mold will dry and flake off.

That reminds me of another question I'm often asked about vines "bleeding". I'll deal with it in a separate post.

John J Marshall
goGardenNow.com

John also blogs at goGardenNow.blogspot.com.

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Pruning a fig tree to reduce its height.

I received the following inquiry a few weeks ago.

Mr. John, (We) have a very large fig tree. It's at least 15 feet tall, if not taller. When is the best time to prune it? ...I would like to prune it so I can reach all of the figs! ALL OF THEM. Just kidding. ...I heard it was good to prune them, but I won't if it isn't!  -C.K., Athens, GA.

Dear C.K., I'm assuming that your fig tree is vigorous and in good health. Since you want to prune your fig to reduce the height of the tree, you need to do it so it won't grow back to its present height too quickly. Timing is important. Spring pruning tends to stimulate new, rapid growth; summer pruning does not, so prune in late summer.

Prune in stages. Heavy pruning all at once tends to stimulate new, rapid growth; selective pruning in stages does not, so prune selectively in stages.

Heavy pruning will reduce your crop a lot. You don't want that. Selective pruning in stages will reduce your crop a little, so do that.

Here's how:

Resign yourself to the fact that this will be a two-year process. Resign yourself to the fact that you will lose some figs.

Prune from late June to mid-July.

Be sure your tools are sharp. Make clean cuts. Avoid making ragged wounds.

Determine how tall you want your fig tree to be. Select about 1/2 of the tallest limbs, and cut them back about 2 feet below the ultimate height you desire.

Always cut back to a point just above a node, if you can identify it. A "node" is a point on a limb or branch where growth emerges. If you cut midway between nodes, or just below a node, you'll leave a stub that will die and rot. The rotting tissue can invade healthy tissue; you don't want that.

While you're at it, remove any dead, diseased or damaged limbs by cutting them back to the nearest node or joint.

Next year, follow the same procedure, cutting back the remaining portion that's too tall.

Avoid fertilizing. It will only stimulate your fig tree to return to its original height.

FAQ: What garden tasks should I do in March?

Among the most frequently asked questions, "When is the best time to...", is near the top of the list. Here are a few gardening tasks for March organized by region.

Northeast States: Frost is possible. Continue pruning dormant deciduous fruit trees, shrubs, vines; but avoid removing spring flower buds. Order spring flowering bulbs, onion sets, strawberries, rhubarb, and asparagus, if you haven’t already. Add mulch to planting beds, if needed. Plant bare-root fruit trees and shrubs. Clean and oil garden tools.

Mid-Atlantic States: Frost is possible. Continue pruning dormant deciduous fruit trees, shrubs, vines. Avoid removing spring-blooming flower buds. Spray dormant oil on dormant fruit trees, if you haven’t done so yet. Add mulch to planting beds, if needed. Take soil samples to your local Cooperative Extension Service for analysis. Adjust pH, if necessary. Plant bare-root fruit trees and shrubs. Clean and oil garden tools.

Mid-South States: Late frost is possible. Continue pruning dormant deciduous fruit trees, shrubs, vines. Spray dormant oil on dormant fruit trees, if you haven’t done so yet. Fertilize fruit trees and shrubs when dormant, if you haven't done it yet. Add mulch to planting beds, if needed. Take soil samples to your local Cooperative Extension Service for analysis. Adjust pH, if necessary.

Lower South and Gulf States: Finish dormant pruning of deciduous fruit trees, shrubs and vines. Do not spray fruit trees with pesticides if flowers are in bloom. For that matter, don’t spray any flowering shrub or tree with pesticides while flowers are in bloom. Fertilize fruiting shrubs, trees and small fruits.

Plains and Rocky Mountain States: Follow the same regimen as for Northeast States.

Pacific Southwest and Desert States: Follow regimen for Lower South and Gulf States.

Pacific Northwest States: Follow the same regimen as for Mid-Atlantic States.

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Cornell University releases new strawberry variety

"Cornell's newest and darkest strawberry variety -- Purple Wonder -- will make its debut at the Philadelphia International Flower Show March 5 through an exclusive licensing agreement with seed giant W. Atlee Burpee Co." Read more about Purple Wonder Strawberry.

Creeping Raspberry - A Perfect Fit For The Edible Landscape

Creeping Raspberry, also known as Creeping Bramble, Creeping Rubus and Crinkle-Leaf Creeper, is an evergreen ground cover shrub native to Taiwan. It goes by more than one botanical name:  Rubus pentalobus or R. calycinoides.  "Rubus" means red, and is the name given to the bramble genus.  "Penatlobus" refers to its five-lobed leaves.  "Calycinoides" refers to the very obvious calyx of the flower and fruit.  Though it is a vigorous grower, it should not be considered invasive.  It does not climb and is not rampant.

The first thing you'll notice about the plant is that it grows very low to the ground.  Its height is only about 2 to 3 inches.  As mentioned before, the leaves are five-lobed and have a puckered surface.  Foliage color is medium to light green during growing season and burgundy in fall and winter.  Small white flowers appear in spring, followed by edible fruits.  Creeping Raspberry is truly a ground cover plant for all seasons.

From goGardenNow

The plant is excellent as a ground cover and for erosion control in small to medium size areas.  It is also very useful in container gardens, so gardeners with limited space can also enjoy it.  The runners cascade nicely over the edges of planters, pots and even hanging baskets.  Creeping Raspberry is a perfect fit for the edible landscape.

The virtues of Creeping Raspberry are many.  It requires little maintenance, is disease and pest-resistant, attracts butterflies, is unattractive to deer and rabbits, and is drought tolerant once established.  Creeping Raspberry is hardy in USDA climate zones 6 through 10.  It thrives in full sun and partial shade.  It tolerates sandy to clay soil with pH ranging from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.

Creeping Raspberry does not tolerate foot traffic.  Winter weather can damage the foliage a bit, but early spring trimming should restore its beauty.

Begin by taking a soil sample to your local Cooperative Extension Service office.  For a small fee, they can run a lab test and tell you what your soil may need.

Prepare the planting bed for Creeping Raspberry by cultivating at least 6" deep, removing all traces of weeds. Compacted soil should be cultivated to 12" deep. I should add here that "cultivate" does not necessarily mean "roto-till."  I maintain that "roto-tilling" exposes weed seeds which can germinate and cause future problems.  But having said that, it may be necessary to till compacted soil to make it workable. 

Creeping Raspberry likes well-drained soil, so add enough soil to raise the bed about 4" above the surrounding ground level. Composted manure may be incorporated into the soil.  Fertilizer may be used. If you choose to do so, incorporate 10-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of no more 2 lbs. per 100 square feet into the top 4" to 6" of soil. Avoid synthetic fertilizers contacting any part of your plants.

Plant Creeping Raspberry 18" to 24" apart. Dig planting holes into the cultivated soil a little less deep than the depth of the growing container.  Water the plants in their pots.  Place the plants into the holes and back-fill, watering as you go. Press soil around the roots. Do not cover the top of the root mass with soil. The tops should be slightly exposed.

Add a top-dressing of mulch around the plants, not on top of them, about 2" deep.  The mulch helps retain soil moisture, so you can water less frequently.  It also helps suppress weeds.

Irrigate when necessary, but allow the soil to dry between watering.  Keep the planting bed weed-free until the ground cover begins to suppress weed growth on its own.

This is a lovely plant with a lot going for it.  You should definitely find a place for it in your edible landscape.

What is a scaffold limb?

What is a scaffold limb?

Looking up the definition at Dictionary.com, I found one that could that apply: any raised framework.

The plant (shrub, tree or vine) scaffold consists of the largest, strongest limbs or branches which form the main structure of the plant. In some of my blog articles and Youtube videos, I point out the importance of training a strong scaffold, beginning while the plant is very young. A strong and properly trained scaffold will allow the plant to withstand wind, snow loads, and fruit with minimal limb breakage.

Here are four examples:


Prunus persica (peach)


Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadine grape vine)


Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Tamukeyama' (Japanese maple)


Magnolia denudata (Yulan magnolia)

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