Question: I have a grape pruning question. I planted three new grape plants in late May. I have since learned that I should have pruned them down to 1-2 primary stalks after planting, but I didn’t do that. I am wondering if I should do this now or wait until their dormant period, Jan-Mar next […]
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Question: I bought a Baldwin semi-dwarf apple tree not realizing I needed two trees to produce fruit. Can you suggest a source and type? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Baldwin apples are triploid and have sterile pollen, so they can’t pollinate other trees–but they can be pollinated in return. I would reach out to […]
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Question: We have a self pollenating peach tree that was damaged with our last snow storm. It was spilt in half. I put back together with bolts. It seems to be doing okay but I’m not sure what else to do to make sure it better. Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Fruit trees […]
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Question: I’m trying to figure out what is going on with the leaves of my tomatillos. They were started from seeds inside a friend’s home and leaves started looking damaged about two weeks before they were given to me to transplant. Is it a fungus, or blight? It doesn’t seem to be bugs. Regular tomatoes […]
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Question: Something is eating the apple trees. They have bloomed, but the leaves are being attacked. Can you help determine what is eating them/how to get them to stop? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional There are numerous pests that can chew on apple leaves, and without other identifying clues it’s tough to say. […]
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Question: I have an old farm with 200-year-old apple trees and some have been infected with fire blight. I am planting some new apple trees and want to know how to plant them so the fire blight doesn’t infect the new ones. Is there a distance recommendation or specifics about how the disease is spread […]
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Question: Late frost last year meant zip peaches. This year could be a huge crop. After thinning the tiny fruit, how do we physically support the still heavily laden branches? I can easily envision tripod supports for near horizontal branches, but what to do for the not-so-horizontal branches? I’m thinking the trees will look like […]
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Question: Is it safe to use rainwater harvested from an asphalt shingled roof to water my raspberry garden? I am not so much concerned about the bacteria, but wondering about the chemicals from the shingles. Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional The short answer is that it’s complicated and different credible sources I found […]
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Question: I have a 23-year-old crabapple tree. This past summer and fall the leaves were spotted with black and brown. It only produced small shriveled black fruit. Is there a disease I should be treating for? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional Last year was a challenge for all kinds of fruit-bearing trees in […]
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Question: I recently discovered this growth/cocoon on a young beach plum. It is only about 5/8″ long and at first assumed it to be some kind of cocoon given the perfectly round opening, only it appears to the be the same woody material as growing on the beach plum (or perhaps very well camouflaged). Any […]
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