Bearing Fruit

June 2012

Pickaway to Garden

Bearing Fruit

June brings the Strawberry Moon, when it is full on the fourth. This year I have planted some strawberry plants for the first time. So I'll see if the moon bears fruit, so to speak. I planted an everbearing variety which will bear fruit all summer. Because they are newly planted I will pinch off any blossoms until July 1st. Then I can enjoy some berries every week until fall. If I had planted a June bearing variety this year I would pinch the flowers off the first year (if you can bear it) and hope for a big harvest next June. June bearing varieties produce one crop all at once and then stop. Strawberry plants of each variety last about three or four years and then they should be replaced.

Planting home fruits is growing in popularity (pun unavoidable). Tree fruits such as apples, peaches, etc. and cane fruits such as raspberries and bush fruits such as blueberries are quite expensive to buy at the local groceries. You can save some money by going to you-pick farms or you can try to grow some yourself. Those of you who have tried growing fruit may rightly argue that saving money is not going to happen, at least not immediately. The outlay for equipment and chemicals probably will not result in cheaper fruit. An exception could be grapes.

However, there is nothing quite as satisfying as sitting down to eat fruit you have grown, if the fruits last from the time it takes to get them from the garden to the table. If you'd like to try growing fruit by all means try it. But a warning, fruits require extra care if you are going to be successful. Do your research. Consult ohioline.osu.edu for the bulletins that describe proper care.

Speaking of ever bearing reminds me of my overbearing gardening buddy Rusty Scab. He said he was going to plant a lot of red raspberries this year and try selling the surplus. He was confident they would do well because of all the wild raspberries that grew around his place. I had to bear the bad news that wild raspberries will infect the cultivated ones. If he was going to be successful he would have to eliminate all the wild plants in his vicinity and keep them out, a big, difficult job. In the future I suggested he contact the ohioline.osu.edu before making such a big investment of money and time. Rusty left with such a dejected and disappointed look on his face I could hardly bear it.

The summer solstice is in June and marks the astronomical beginning of summer. On the 19th of June we will be experiencing the last day of spring. After waiting so impatiently for it to arrive, it will soon be over. My instinct is to say "Don't go, not yet." Yet the season will slip into the next without any outward sign that is obvious to us. It is only the knowledge of this astronomical event which causes this nostalgia. But come the 20th, summer will arrive without any fanfare. Spring will have slid into summer. Summer will bring some steadier weather, no more the swings of temperature that we experienced this spring, the swings that will keep my apple trees from bearing fruit this year.

Things to do in the garden:

You’ve probably already mulched the ornamentals. Now is the time to mulch the hot weather plants such as tomatoes and peppers. The ground is nice and warm. Mulch keeps the ground from drying out and suppresses weeds. It also moderates the soil temperature. Several layers of newspaper topped with organic mulch, leaves, grass clippings, coarse compost, shredded bark etc. should do the trick. Wet the newspapers while doing this or you will be chasing them all over the neighborhood when the wind gets under them. Two to three inches of mulch is sufficient and keep it an inch or two away from the plant.

Mulch under tomatoes also keeps the soil from splashing up on the fruits, during those occasional downpours. Soil on the fruits promotes disease. Blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium sometimes a result of uneven watering, lots of water followed by too dry conditions and vice versa. Mulch helps to prevent this by evening out the moisture content in the soil. If you don’t stake, trellis or cage your tomatoes and just let them sprawl on the ground, mulch will keep the fruit off the ground. If you find “volunteer” tomato plants springing up fight the temptation to “get a freebie” and pull them. Volunteers are allowing a second year of growth in that spot. You should rotate your crops just as good farmers do to prevent the buildup of disease.

June sometimes begins our droughty summers. Water your roses well but hold off on the geraniums. They will bloom best when kept somewhat dry. Newly planted trees and bushes should be watered well each week if the weather remains dry. Give them a good soaking. Don’t give them a booster feeding of fertilizer this year. Force those young roots to search for food by stretching out into the soil.

Keep your lawns cut to three inches, the resulting lush growth keeps weeds from getting enough sun to germinate and keeps the soil moisture from evaporating too quickly. Water, if you must, in the morning, never in the evening, so the foliage can dry out before nightfall. This keeps fungi from getting established. This is true for all plants, not just lawns.

Prune spring flowering shrubs after they have bloomed. Spring perennials should be cut back as the flowers fade. Deadhead flowers for more blooms. After the spring flowering bulbs’ leaves turn yellow (brown is better) they can be cut off. Also the bulbs that are too crowded can be lifted, divided and replanted. When iris are finished blooming they can be divided and replanted. Replant the vigorous outer tubers with two or three fans of leaves shortened to four or five inches.

Our hotline is open for your gardening questions. Call 474-7534 with your question or e-mail us at pcmgvhotline@yahoo.com. Master Gardener Volunteers will get back to you with answers to your questions. Try to provide as much information as you can.