GRAPE VINES Growing Information

HOW DO YOU GROW A GRAPE VINE?

Find a  site to plant your vine. Grape vines appreciate full-sun and a loamy, even gravelly, rich soil.

Construct a support that will be able to hold the weight of a mature vine and it’s fruit in season. This may be a trellis growing alongside a wall or self-standing as you would see in a vineyard. You may decide to grow it over an arbor or even a pergola.

Grapes rely heavily on water so ensure that some reticulation is available or keep the water up to the vine especially when you’ve first planted it and also while it’s fruiting.

HOW DO YOU PRUNE A GRAPE VINE?

Once your grape vine is under way, it’s time to think about pruning it.  The First reason to do this is to keep it under control, and the second reason to do this is so that you may produce the maximum amount of good quality fruit.

The first few years are the same for the basic systems, the goal being to produce a strong root system and trunk. Here are the steps:

1.When planting, cut the vine back to two or three buds. It's a good idea to place trellis stakes or posts by the vine at this time; the wire can be put up later.

2.Early in the first summer, pick out the strongest growing cane and let that one grow. As it gets taller, let several side shoots develop off the main one where you intend to place horizontal supports.

3. The following winter or early spring, prune back all canes as shown. Leave three buds on each of two or four lateral spurs (depending on how many arms you want). Put up wire supports.

4. The second summer, tie the side shoots to the wires as they grow. Remove flower clusters - you don't want the vine to fruit yet. Also remove shoots from all buds except those on the spurs.

Four-Arm Kniffen System
Second Winter
Choose four healthy, well-spaced arms to train on the wire for fruit production. If they are very long, trim back to ten buds. Choose four more canes for renewal spurs; cut these back to two buds. Remove all other canes. The following summer, the buds on the fruiting canes will grow into long shoots, each bearing two to three bunches of grapes. The buds on the renewal spurs will also produce shoots; if they are vigorous, let them fruit. If not, remove their fruiting clusters.

Third Winter
Remove the canes that fruited and choose one replacement from each renewal spur to tie to the wires. Trim to ten buds. Cut back another four canes to form renewal spurs. Your vine should now look approximately as it did a year ago. Repeat each year.

CHERRY BUSHS Growing Information

Select a planting site in full sun for the best growth, although this tree also tolerates partial shade. This plant prefers sandy loam, but it can grow in a range of soil types.

It grows best with a pH between 4.5 and 7.5, which is a relatively wide range. Add peat moss to lower the soil pH and add limestone to raise the soil pH.

Dig a hole in the planting site.  Place the plant in the hole so that its soil line is even with the surface of the soil.

Fill the hole with loose soil and pat the soil down to remove the air pockets in the soil. Water the soil with 1 inch of water immediately after planting and once per week during the first two growing seasons from spring and summer.

Apply fertilizer on Cherry Bushes in early spring before the plant starts to grow. A high-phosphorus fertilizer encourages fruit production and a high-nitrogen fertilizer promotes leafy growth.

Prune diseased and dying growth as it occurs, as Hansen's Bush Cherry can withstand live pruning. Trim the remaining healthy growth to maintain the plant in its desired shape.

Elderberry Planting Instructions

Elderberries grow best in moist, fertile, well-drained soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5, but will tolerate a wide range of soil texture, fertility, and acidity. It’s a myth that they prefer swampy areas. In fact, they do not tolerate poor drainage. Plant elderberries in spring, as soon as possible after they arrive from the nursery to prevent plants from drying out. Space plants 6 to 10 feet apart. Elderberries are shallow rooted, so keep them well-watered during the first season. Plants are easy to propagate from hardwood cuttings taken when plants are dormant.

Fertilizing

Elderberries respond well to fertilization. In addition to incorporating manure or compost before planting, apply additional fertilizer annually in early spring. Apply 1/8 pound of ammonium nitrate (or .5 lbs. 10-10-10) for each year of the plant’s age, up to one pound per plant (or up to 4 lbs. 10-10-10).

Harvest

Harvest elderberry fruit in late August through early September, depending on the cultivar. When ripe, the entire cluster should be -removed and the berries stripped from the cluster for use. Uncooked berries have a dark purple juice and are astringent and inedible. Use the fruit as soon as possible or keep it at a cool temperature for later use. It is difficult to transport elderberries because the fruits fall off the cluster during transit.

Pruning

Elderberries send up many new canes each year. The canes usually reach full height in one season and develop lateral branches in the second. Flowers and fruit develop on the tips of the current season’s growth, often on the new canes but especially on laterals. Second-year elderberry canes with good lateral development are the most fruitful. In the third or fourth year, older wood tends to lose vigor and become weak. In late winter to early spring while the plants are dormant, remove all dead, broken or weak canes, plus all canes more than three years old. Leave an equal number of one, two, and three-year-old canes.

Persimmon Growing Information

 
Plant several trees together. The trees will each contain only male or only female flowers and very rarely develop into self-pollinating plants. Therefore, for a successful harvest of persimmon fruits, several trees should be planted together. Oriental varieties of the persimmon are capable of producing fruit from a single gender flower.

Plant in an area with good drainage. Standing water can weaken the trees and will have a negative impact on fruit production. Trees should be planted about 20 feet apart and in a place where they will be protected from strong winds.

Give careful consideration to where you plant the trees. Mature trees will reach between 20 and 30 feet, so attention should be given to making sure they have plenty of room to grow. Healthy trees will grow up to a foot a year while they are maturing. Pruning is not necessary and fertilization will depend on the soil mixture. High nitrogen content is advisable, and will aid in leaf production.

Take care of your trees. It will take about seven years before a persimmon tree matures to the capability of bearing fruit. While waiting for the trees to mature, make sure that branches are secure and protected. Some may need to be braced and kept from breaking. The trees are susceptible to various types of insects so be sure to watch for any signs of pests.

Harvesting: The blossoms will occur in groups and thinning the groups will help increase the size of the fruit. After harvest, the method of preparing the fruits depends on the astringency of the tree. The maru type of persimmon must be cured before consumption; the fuyu is ready to eat after being ripened on the tree.

Mulberry Growing Information

Select a planting site in full sun.

The Mulberry grows in acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, silty loam, well drained soils.

Dig a hole in the planting site.  Place the plant in the hole so that its soil line is even with the surface of the soil.

Fill the hole with loose soil and pat the soil down to remove the air pockets in the soil. Water the soil with 1 inch of water immediately after planting and once per week during the first two growing seasons from spring and summer.

Strawberry Growing Information

Strawberry plants also grow well in pots, patio planters, even in hanging planters. While there are many varieties of strawberries, there are basically only two types: June-bearing and Everbearing. The June-bearing strawberries bloom in the spring and produce a plentiful crop that ripens during June. The Everbearing strawberries produce both a spring and a fall crop, and continue producing some berries throughout the summer, more when temperatures aren't too hot. For the home gardener, the best strategy is to plant both types and harvest ripe berries over a long season.

Planting and Care Basic Requirements
Strawberries can be planted in both the spring and fall. They need a sunny location with good drainage. Because strawberries stay in the ground for several years, it is advisable to prepare the soil first by working it well, amending it with organic material such as compost or leaf mold to promote drainage, and manure to make it fertile. In locations that don't drain well, creating a raised bed is an effective solution.

Strawberries require little attention after planting, especially in well-prepared soil. Water often enough to keep the soil moist, and it helps to cover the bed with a mulch of compost, bark, or pine needles if available. The mulch will help keep the soil moist and cool, and will also cut down on weeding. Soon your plants will grow leaves and begin flowering. For plants that produce the best over the long run, it is advisable to pick off the flowers for the first six weeks, and trim off any runners the plants may send out. By doing this you will promote strong root growth and more plentiful berries later on. It is best to simply pull weeds by hand and avoid cultivating too close to the plants. Strawberry roots often are shallow and can be damaged. In the fall, you can apply a fertilizer to give them a boost for the next season. By the next Spring, your fully established plants will give you lush growth and a bountiful crop of delicious strawberries to enjoy.

Preparing the Plants
Strawberries come in bareroot bundles. If you have to keep the plants for a time before you can plant them, moisten the roots and place them in a plastic bag to keep the roots moist and put them where they are protected from direct sun. If the roots are long, you can trim them back to about 4 or 5 inches in length before planting.

Planting
In beds, plants should be spaced about 6 - 8 inches apart. If planted in rows, space (about 2 feet) between the rows for you to walk. Make a small hole in the soil large enough to accommodate the roots. Fill in the hole with soil and pack the soil gently around the roots. It is important that the planted strawberry have its crown just above the surface. If the crown is under the soil, it risks rotting. If it is too high, the roots are exposed and may dry out. Once you have your plants in the ground, water them well.