The Gardening Thread

#1,151
#1,151
GVF said:
Previoulsy of Griffin (Hometown and 31 year resident) & Hartwell (18years).

Now dad's homeplace in Jackson County, TN outside Cookeville. (Cummins Falls)
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I spent a lot of time at Hartwell in the 80s and 90s. Attempted to buy a house on the lake in the 90s. Negotiations fell apart. The owner wound up putting money into improving it.
 
#1,152
#1,152
zhangliao04 said:
Been a while since I’ve been on this site.

Update:

Blueberry bushes grew a lot, but gonna have a lower than normal berry count because I was an idiot last year and tried to save them from that late hard April frost we had by putting a tarp over them (all I had).

Raspberry bushes are literally a hedge now. Got fruit on them and will probably have a ton moving forward until late fall like last year.

I need to put a reminder in my phone to fertilize my berries.

Peppers are in their grow bags and sitting in the yard where they get full sun. Doing quite well and have been picking off all fruit growth. This coming weekend I will stop doing that and start allowing peppers to grow.

I got 2 cherry bushes (1 Juliet and 1 Romeo). They are in the ground now and came with good bud growth. The buds have since popped and growing leafy greens. Won’t get any cherries this year as it is way too late so hopefully they grow well this year for some cherries next year.

The 2 peach trees I purchased from Arbor Day are a disappointment. Came in as bareroot and painted them within 3 days. Both lost their leaves (the few each had). One had growth on it at the base but it wilted away after about 1 week. The other has growth at the base and it’s still there at ~2” in length. So quite discouraging. I was honestly hoping for a much much better start. I don’t want to pay out the wazoo for 5-6’ trees, but may have to. And not sure this is the best time to plant fruit trees so this year may be a wash.
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Few comments:
My blueberries look great but will have very few berries this year. They were all planted late summer. I thought they were loaded pretty good for their size, but find very few now. But lots of new growth finally.

Grape is finally growing and not even big enough to start climging, but two clusters of tiny grapes.

Your cherries were a good selection. I went with the Carmine Jewel bush myself. Got a good start. Looking forward to next season.

My Raspberry got a relocation so it may have stressed it's production but a good move in the long run. Was great, then started looking stressed and not perking up. Water wasn't draining well, and when I dug it up, it was sitting in water. Also it's the first season. And also recalled that you can get two picks off Caroline raspberries if you prune back the dying portions of canes after first bounty. So, that may also be why it started looking iffy. But, it was a very necessary relocation, and hte heat has not set in here yet, so no biggie.

Don't sweat the peach trees. I panicked on mine. Planted it in the fall. Looked fantastic this spring, set fruit, then also started losing leaves, as well as the new apple. The ball is dry, so they are stressed. Rainfall doesn't matter. I did not water them regularly when planted and they didn't get settled in. Stick your finger down into the ball near the base and see how dry (or wet) it is. Then water about a gallon at a time 2-3 times a week for hte next few weeks or month. They will re-grow leaves. My new apple is fully recovered and kept its 4 apples. The peach dropped its fruit, but has recovered leaves about 75%, and I can see the others will come out. Peach trees will stress out fairly easy on first year planting and drop leaves in not watered in properly the first few months. The only way to know they are watering in good is to do the finger test. If too dry water. If tooo wet skip a few days. They will stabilize as long as you are sure there's no disease or pest issue.
 
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#1,153
#1,153
Tin Man said:
I spent a lot of time at Hartwell in the 80s and 90s. Attempted to buy a house on the lake in the 90s. Negotiations fell apart. The owner wound up putting money into improving it.
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I transferred with my employer there in 96 and left in 2014. Had no interest in owning the costs of being on the lake. Few miles inland and lived very easily....with a boat. Used to have a lot of friends around Norcross areas back in the teen days. Would ride to GACS church on occasion to visit around. Actually had friends nearly everywhere cause of church camp in NC growing up. Ex used to get really pissed if we were going somehere and I pointed at exit sign and said I knew someone there. "Can't we go anywhere you don't know somone." She was legit pissed. But also rode the crazy train.

Went into a church in St. Augustine while vacationing, and a guy in my greater group of firends down the hall from me in the dorms came in and sat beside me. He had gone back home the prior year to just go to chiropractic school.
 
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#1,154
#1,154
GVF said:
Few comments:
My blueberries look great but will have very few berries this year. They were all planted late summer. I thought they were loaded pretty good for their size, but find very few now. But lots of new growth finally.

Grape is finally growing and not even big enough to start climging, but two clusters of tiny grapes.

Your cherries were a good selection. I went with the Carmine Jewel bush myself. Got a good start. Looking forward to next season.

My Raspberry got a relocation so it may have stressed it's production but a good move in the long run. Was great, then started looking stressed and not perking up. Water wasn't draining well, and when I dug it up, it was sitting in water. Also it's the first season. And also recalled that you can get two picks off Caroline raspberries if you prune back the dying portions of canes after first bounty. So, that may also be why it started looking iffy. But, it was a very necessary relocation, and hte heat has not set in here yet, so no biggie.

Don't sweat the peach trees. I panicked on mine. Planted it in the fall. Looked fantastic this spring, set fruit, then also started losing leaves, as well as the new apple. The ball is dry, so they are stressed. Rainfall doesn't matter. I did not water them regularly when planted and they didn't get settled in. Stick your finger down into the ball near the base and see how dry (or wet) it is. Then water about a gallon at a time 2-3 times a week for hte next few weeks or month. They will re-grow leaves. My new apple is fully recovered and kept its 4 apples. The peach dropped its fruit, but has recovered leaves about 75%, and I can see the others will come out. Peach trees will stress out fairly easy on first year planting and drop leaves in not watered in properly the first few months. The only way to know they are watering in good is to do the finger test. If too dry water. If tooo wet skip a few days. They will stabilize as long as you are sure there's no disease or pest issue.
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My pink lemonade blueberries are actually coming in nicely on one of the plants. Looking forward to having those soon.

I looked at the carmine jewel as well. We can compare notes next year hah.

I really want to do a grape or 2, but need to finish some other plans first before doing that. In-laws had 2 vines that went crazy. They said it was too much for very little, but I tried to get them to keep them. They just needed to cover them with a net so the birds didn’t get to them.

What raspberry variety do you have? Mine is Joan J which is a thornless primocane. Just cut them back each year and the new canes the next year will produce a multitude of berries. I relocated mine this year as well. Thought it was too late, but they are having themselves a time (pic below). Had to get them away from the blueberry bushes, though. They got a lot bigger than I thought they would.

So you planted your peach trees last fall? When exactly? And how big was the tree you purchased? Also, what variety? (Sorry for all of the questions)

IMG_2301.jpeg

And here are all of my pepper plants:

IMG_2300.jpeg

IMG_2299.jpeg
 
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#1,155
#1,155
zhangliao04 said:
My pink lemonade blueberries are actually coming in nicely on one of the plants. Looking forward to having those soon.

I looked at the carmine jewel as well. We can compare notes next year hah.

I really want to do a grape or 2, but need to finish some other plans first before doing that. In-laws had 2 vines that went crazy. They said it was too much for very little, but I tried to get them to keep them. They just needed to cover them with a net so the birds didn’t get to them.

What raspberry variety do you have? Mine is Joan J which is a thornless primocane. Just cut them back each year and the new canes the next year will produce a multitude of berries. I relocated mine this year as well. Thought it was too late, but they are having themselves a time (pic below). Had to get them away from the blueberry bushes, though. They got a lot bigger than I thought they would.

So you planted your peach trees last fall? When exactly? And how big was the tree you purchased? Also, what variety? (Sorry for all of the questions)

View attachment 645991

And here are all of my pepper plants:

View attachment 645992

View attachment 645993
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Somebody loves them some peppers.

I went the lazy route on my seedless red grape. Gurney's exclusive called Razzmatazz. It's a crost between a red table grape and wild muscadine. All the hardiness and disease resistance of the muscadine with the flavor and sweetness of hte grape. No spraying required.

I chose the Caroline Raspberry. It's not thornless but is considered one of the best fruits in raspberries, and a hardier plant to disease than most. Canes are also stout pretty much self supporting. You can prune it two ways. All to the ground for one fall picking. Or, being an everbearer plant you can prune double prune for an early crop and a fall crop.

My peach is a Contender. It was over 5' after planting. But, at the nursery I bought it, it was a fraction of the price of online tree vendors. And already potted and over 5' tall. I think I paid $25 for it. $40 tops. It's self fertile which is why I chose it. Was only getting one. I'm gonna say I planted it toward end of October. I water it properly 2-3 times a week first 2-3 weeks but we had so much rain I let it go, not knowing that had no imact on getting a good start on the root ball. Didn't know you should keep watering them regardless. Same for the rainfall in the spring. When they dropped the leaves is when I went back to the nursery asking quesrions and got hte full scoop on watering in. I should have watered religiously for about 6 weeks before backing off. The garden center also educated me on the finger test to check moisture. I was told by another source even if you do water in peoperly a peach can be finicky hte first year anyway and may still drop leaves. Either way if you set your watering schedule routine for the next month or so, they should re-leaf now instead of waiting it out till next spring. like i said, my new apple has put out new leaves in full, and the peach is currently about 75%.

Just be patient on adjusting the watering and getting new leaves. This has been a good 2 month process thus far, and it's like watching water boil. Then one day you got half a tree of leaves. I guess the flip side is if they don't re-grow leaves since we getting into june, just keep an eye on the wood and that it is still green and alive. Atleast then the watering until it's established is focusing on the roots and not new leaves.
 
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#1,163
#1,163
GVF said:
Somebody loves them some peppers.

I went the lazy route on my seedless red grape. Gurney's exclusive called Razzmatazz. It's a crost between a red table grape and wild muscadine. All the hardiness and disease resistance of the muscadine with the flavor and sweetness of hte grape. No spraying required.

I chose the Caroline Raspberry. It's not thornless but is considered one of the best fruits in raspberries, and a hardier plant to disease than most. Canes are also stout pretty much self supporting. You can prune it two ways. All to the ground for one fall picking. Or, being an everbearer plant you can prune double prune for an early crop and a fall crop.

My peach is a Contender. It was over 5' after planting. But, at the nursery I bought it, it was a fraction of the price of online tree vendors. And already potted and over 5' tall. I think I paid $25 for it. $40 tops. It's self fertile which is why I chose it. Was only getting one. I'm gonna say I planted it toward end of October. I water it properly 2-3 times a week first 2-3 weeks but we had so much rain I let it go, not knowing that had no imact on getting a good start on the root ball. Didn't know you should keep watering them regardless. Same for the rainfall in the spring. When they dropped the leaves is when I went back to the nursery asking quesrions and got hte full scoop on watering in. I should have watered religiously for about 6 weeks before backing off. The garden center also educated me on the finger test to check moisture. I was told by another source even if you do water in peoperly a peach can be finicky hte first year anyway and may still drop leaves. Either way if you set your watering schedule routine for the next month or so, they should re-leaf now instead of waiting it out till next spring. like i said, my new apple has put out new leaves in full, and the peach is currently about 75%.

Just be patient on adjusting the watering and getting new leaves. This has been a good 2 month process thus far, and it's like watching water boil. Then one day you got half a tree of leaves. I guess the flip side is if they don't re-grow leaves since we getting into june, just keep an eye on the wood and that it is still green and alive. Atleast then the watering until it's established is focusing on the roots and not new leaves.
Click to expand...

What nursery did you buy your contender peach from?
 
#1,165
#1,165
zhangliao04 said:
What nursery did you buy your contender peach from?
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Johnson's Nursery and Garden Center. Cookeville, TN. I know both sons (David/Charlie) that run it after taking over from pops. I worked for pops in Grad School when they were a small operation. Family business been around over 100 years. Entire staff is very knowledgeable and great service. I want to say you said you are from general area here. If you have halfway decent access to Cookeville time wise, I would make a trip to them for trees, roses, fruit bushes, etc. My fruit trees, figs, blackberry (Sweet Ark Ponca), raspberry, blueberry all came from there. Any permanent type planting I want to add, I will go there. They have yet to carry bush cherry, but they do have tree cherries. I will however shop around for deals on veggies, annuals and perennials. I tend to go to the menonites for those.

They are also easily accessible for passers by on the interstate. I-40 Exit 290 to the north less than 1/2 mile. Can't miss them is you take exit 290 toward cookeville.
 
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#1,168
#1,168
GVF said:
Johnson's Nursery and Garden Center. Cookeville, TN. I know both sons (David/Charlie) that run it after taking over from pops. I worked for pops in Grad School when they were a small operation. Family business been around over 100 years. Entire staff is very knowledgeable and great service. I want to say you said you are from general area here. If you have halfway decent access to Cookeville time wise, I would make a trip to them for trees, roses, fruit bushes, etc. My fruit trees, figs, blackberry (Sweet Ark Ponca), raspberry, blueberry all came from there. Any permanent type planting I want to add, I will go there. They have yet to carry bush cherry, but they do have tree cherries. I will however shop around for deals on veggies, annuals and perennials. I tend to go to the menonites for those.

They are also easily accessible for passers by on the interstate. I-40 Exit 290 to the north less than 1/2 mile. Can't miss them is you take exit 290 toward cookeville.
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I’m in the Maryville area. Made me think about checking a local nursery I like to use called Stanley’s Greenhouse. Called them up and the lady informed me that fall is the best time to plant peach trees. Also said the 2 cultivars I want they carry and fall is when they get a lot of them. She put me down on a call list so looks like September-October timeframe is when I will get my peach trees. And they aren’t barefoot neither. Will be 5-gal size trees and at a very good price.
 
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#1,169
#1,169
zhangliao04 said:
I’m in the Maryville area. Made me think about checking a local nursery I like to use called Stanley’s Greenhouse. Called them up and the lady informed me that fall is the best time to plant peach trees. Also said the 2 cultivars I want they carry and fall is when they get a lot of them. She put me down on a call list so looks like September-October timeframe is when I will get my peach trees. And they aren’t barefoot neither. Will be 5-gal size trees and at a very good price.
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That would be a good wait. Another good reason to look into a Contender is that they bloom a week or two later than other popular varieties and more likely to skip a frost out. Contenders are better suited for upper zone 7's.
 
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#1,170
#1,170
GVF said:
That would be a good wait. Another good reason to look into a Contender is that they bloom a week or two later than other popular varieties and more likely to skip a frost out. Contenders are better suited for upper zone 7's.
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That reason (later blooming) and disease resistance are the main reasons I decided on Contender and Belle of Georgia. Also, the wife is a Georgia Belle so it just fits the family model lol.
 
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#1,172
#1,172
Have a purple Red Bud that sub zero temps got, planted last year. Noticed a canker had shot up next to it.

I cut back the main dead away, and allowed the canker to bloom.

Now leaves are green🤦🏼‍♂️
 
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#1,175
#1,175
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