Question: As I was inspecting/removing aphids from our young apple trees, I noticed an odd growth on a few of the leaves of one of the trees (a native bred Black Oxford from our local orchard and nursery). My inclination is to cut off any affected leaf to keep this odd growth from spreading, but […]
Read more
Question: With all of the rain in July, I have raspberry plants way over 6′ tall. Few berries this year. Should I cut them back? I don’t want to hurt production next year, but these seem out of control. If cutting is the answer, how much and when? Also, I just planted a new section […]
Read more
Question: I have several blueberry bushes that are developing reddish/purple leaves and berries throughout the summer. This affected the berry bushes last year as well. I am struggling to diagnose the cause and come up with a remedy so I’m hoping to get some guidance. I have had some suspicion of fungal disease and have […]
Read more
Question: We have quite a few stone fruit trees/shrubs in our yard, including sour cherry bushes, apricots trees, and plum trees. This past spring the blossoms on these shrubs and trees browned, and many of the younger branches died. We only got a fraction of the fruit that we usually do, but the fruit that […]
Read more
Question: My somerset seedless vine (about five years old) now has berries and they are getting some fatal disease. They start with a brown spot, then it progresses to a brown bullseye, then half the berry shrivels, then the whole thing is mummified. I suspect this is black rot, yet again, even after cutting back […]
Read more
Question: One end of our strawberry bed is very unproductive. The plants form frail looking fruit trusses, and no fruit. I renovated the bed last summer, and the problem is still affecting the plants. Is it a disease? Answer: Donna Coffin, Extension Professor Is this end of the strawberry patch wetter than the other end? […]
Read more
Question: Last year I planted a Utah Giant sweet cherry. Until the last few days, it looked healthy. But recently the leaves lost their vigor and turned a light color. I would appreciate knowing the problem. Answer: Liz Stanley, Community Education Assistant, Horticulture The leaves look like they’re on their way out. If they’re diseased, […]
Read more
Question: Not really an important question, but one of my strawberry plants has four leaves instead of three. I was wondering if this was unusual like a 4-leaf clover? I wasn’t able to find anything useful about how common this might be online. Answer: Donna Coffin, Extension Professor Strawberries “typically” have three leaflets on each […]
Read more
Question: I have three blueberry bushes that I planted three years ago. They only produced berries the first year and nothing since. I add pine needles around them every fall. I have one of each: Bluejay, Jersey and Late Blue. What do I need to feed them or do I need more than three plants? […]
Read more
Question: I have chronic acid reflux and need a low acid tomato seed or plant recommendation. Answer: Frank Wertheim, Extension Educator, Agriculture/Horticulture Though there are a number of commercial .com web sites such that list low acid tomato varieties, they may not be verified by research based institutions. This University of Nebraska fact sheet on […]
Read more