Renovating an old muscadine grape trellis

 

Q. Mr. Marshall, about 20 years back my mother planted some muscadines on a t-post arbor system. She passed away shortly after, and depressed, we all let the land kinda fall into disrepair. I've been working on bringing the yard back, and I finally got to the back where the muscadines were/are. Evidently a tree fell on the trellis at some point and though her original plantings still live, it is horribly over grown, there are shoots every where and trees that need felling. I found remnants of old fruit and rabbit droppings so I believe they are were still fruiting, but I had to cut down the older ones to get at the t-post and mesh it had snarled around. I left about a foot off the ground. It seems to be okay, but there is one gnarled up sucker that has 3 trunks.  Are these things hardy enough that I can expect them to come back? Are they responsive to hard cutting back? Or do you think I probably lost them?

I'd like to set them on a 1 wire trellis like you have here.

 

A.I think you would do well to cut the old trunks flush with the ground. It will be easier for you to work around them clearing brush, setting up your new trellis, etc. If the plants are in reasonably good health, they should sprout. After a few weeks of growth, choose the strongest vine to become your new trunk. Remove the others. It will take some doing to keep the others from returning, but stick with it.

What I love and don't love about my "pick your own" or "U-pick" fruit farm

I want to tell you what I love and don't love about my "pick your own" or "U-pick" fruit farm business. Here's why. I got into this business when, as a young man, I was working for a small retail corporation, then a larger one, and a larger one. Ownership changed so often I couldn't follow the tracks. Old employees were feeling forced "out to pasture" before they were fully vested in their retirements. I was rebellious, wearing thin white socks under my YSL suits. I had to get out of there. With lots of help from my family, I did.

I intend to post occasional thoughts about this. Here's the link to follow:

http://backyardfruitguide.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

From the National Garden Bureau: How to Store Your Summer's Harvest of Potatoes and Onions

Photo courtesy of The National Garden Bureau

The National Garden Bureau always publishes great tips on our favorite subject - gardening!

"During the winter months, when the ground is covered by a thick blanket of snow, there’s something particularly satisfying about still being able to eat food from your garden. Many summer-grown crops including potatoes, onions, garlic, beets, carrots and winter squash, can be stored with relative ease to nourish you right through until the next growing season. Even a modest-size garden can yield a substantial crop of winter keepers.

"To be successful storing these keeper crops at home, here are a couple factors to keep in mind:..."

To learn more, read the rest of The National Garden Bureau's article on How to Store Your Summer's Harvest of Potatoes and Onions.

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New York will research juneberry production

"One of the largest juneberry research nurseries will be established at the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm," reports Nursery Management magazine. Read more about the juneberry super fruit research at Cornell.

Can I dump used coffee grounds in my garden?

Instead of dumping used coffee grounds in the trash or washing into the garbage disposal, you can add them to your compost pile. They've been pulverized into tiny bits, so they will decompose rapidly.

You can also sprinkle coffee grounds around such acid-loving plants blueberries, cranberries, apples, pears, citrus, strawberries and bananas. A quarter-inch application every month or so will help to keep the soil a little on the acidic side.

Why and how you should add Epsom salt to your garden.

"Why and how should I add Epsom salt to my garden?" is a question I'm frequently asked.

Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate. Magnesium is important for producing chlorophyll and fruit. It also strengthens cell walls and improves plants' absorption of vital nutrients such as sulfur, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Sulfur is vital to plant growth. It helps plants produce enzymes, vitamins and amino acids.

Magnesium deficiency may be difficult to detect without taking a soil sample. Some plants such as roses, tomatoes and peppers exhibit deficiencies more readily than others. Common symptoms include yellowed or misshapen leaves and stunting.

Magnesium is often deficient in soils with alkaline pH, high potassium and calcium content. Take a soil sample to your regional Cooperative Extension Service for testing. It's the best way to determine whether your soil needs magnesium. If the test shows severe magnesium deficiency, the service may recommend addition of dolomite lime to the soil. But don't rely on dolomite lime alone to correct the problem. Add Epsom salt, too. If the soil test shows adequate magnesium along with high potassium and calcium content, you should still add Epsom salt to your garden.

Epsom salt has the advantage over other sources of magnesium because it is highly soluble. The salt granules can be sprinkled around plants. Diluted with water, the Epsom salt solution can be poured around plants or sprayed on their leaves. The foliar spray delivers maximum rapid results.

How much Epsom salt you should apply depends on the size of the plant and the method of application. Vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers benefit from 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt granules at planting time. Sprinkle the granules around the transplants. Larger plants such as roses and shrubs will benefit from 1/2 cup of granules applied in spring and again in fall. Depending on plant size, apply 1/2 cup to 1 cup of granules around grape vines, fruit and nut trees at the drip line because that's where the feeder roots are. The drip line is the outer circumference of the leaf canopy.

For foliar spray, add 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt per gallon of water. Apply generously two or three times during the growing season.

Gardeners often report better plant color, stronger growth, improved fruit set, better tasting fruits and vegetables. Epsom salt applied to tomatoes may help to prevent blossom-end rot.

Epsom salt can be purchased at grocery and drug stores.

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Biobest N.V. Announces Innovative "Flying Doctors Concept" Using Bumblebees

In a recent press release, Biobest N.V., a Belgian company specializing in sustainable crop management, announced they're "off to a flying start" in 2013 "with a brilliant new system for delivering biological plant protection, replacing costly spraying. Biobest, a pioneer of biological control using bumblebees, presents the innovative 'Flying Doctors' concept.


"Bumblebees, already used in the pollination of crops such as strawberries, can be used to bring microbial 'medicine' to plants to control grey mould and other major diseases, which cause huge yield losses annually."

This is genius! Read more about Biobest's "'Flying Doctors' system."

John Marshall
goGardenNow.com