Blackberries

[Figgin' A]

Well, his advice then is almost as bad as the one I got in a NC nyrsery about fig trees not growing in PA.

I heard of haskaps long ago, while we were still in Russia, so i'm quite curious about them. It might be too late for this spring, perhaps I can try them next year.
Thanks!

Well, nurseries here still delliver them. I got my last two vareities in June IIRC. I would definitely advise getting them this year, as there will be no harvest this year, and very little next year, and the following year you will get a cup or two from one bush... then more and more the following years... It's painful to wait

 

[TorontoJoe]

Do any of you pinch off flowers in the early years after planting?

 

[Figgin' A]

I don't know that I've ever noticed waxwings around but it stands to reason they're here. I'll trust you on that and cover up. The blue jays and cardinals get all the attention it seems. I'll invest in some bird netting early....



Do you think something like the Surround WP could help with this? I'm itching to try this stuff on my cuc's... maybe It might work on the berries.... For larva anyways.... I doubt it would put the birds off.

Waxwings will show up once you have their favorite dinner in your backyard Here is a picture of the haskap farm I visited.... the entire field is under a huge net ...

Once the larva is there, I doubt it will help much... But I find that it's pretty effective at confusing bugs and preventing them from laying eggs on the leaves. I found it quite effective on cukes, preventing cucumber beatles getting on the leaves, it looked like it cofused them. I'd still get a few here and there, but it definitely helped control the numbers and i got no bacterial wilt while I was spraying... but man, that stuff gets on everythibg and having to constantly re-apply on new growth and after rain quickly became a PITA. It was also pretty effective a repelling Japanese beetles from my grapes. Kaolin clay is also very effective at controlling/preventing thrip and flea bettle damage on tomatoes and peppers. I still use it on my peppers. I don't know about berries, but it may helo mask them so birds won't find them... don't how easy it would be wash it all off themn berries... I am telling you, that stuff is so hard to get off my concrete sidewalk

 

[snarfing]

Do any of you pinch off flowers in the early years after planting?

Nah. Ime berry fruits and small fruited plants dont need this

 

[TorontoJoe]

Waxwings will show up once you have their favorite dinner in your backyard Here is a picture of the haskap farm I visited.... the entire field is under a huge net ...

Once the larva is there, I doubt it will help much... But I find that it's pretty effective at confusing bugs and preventing them from laying eggs on the leaves. I found it quite effective on cukes, preventing cucumber beatles getting on the leaves, it looked like it cofused them. I'd still get a few here and there, but it definitely helped control the numbers and i got no bacterial wilt while I was spraying... but man, that stuff gets on everythibg and having to constantly re-apply on new growth and after rain quickly became a PITA. It was also pretty effective a repelling Japanese beetles from my grapes. Kaolin clay is also very effective at controlling/preventing thrip and flea bettle damage on tomatoes and peppers. I still use it on my peppers. I don't know about berries, but it may helo mask them so birds won't find them... don't how easy it would be wash it all off themn berries... I am telling you, that stuff is so hard to get off my concrete sidewalk

it's been so bad recently that I'm good with that! Heck with the sidewalk! I cant eat sidewalks!

That may be the biggest net I've ever seen! Wow!

 

[Figgin' A]

Do any of you pinch off flowers in the early years after planting?

Never!!!

I got a handful of berries from several of my newly planted raspberry plants last summer... they were delightful! Waiting a whole year to try a new variety is painful to me, so I will take anything a plant will offer to me... and the plants look great this year. Huge!

My phylosophy is that if it can set fruit and ripen it, there is no harm in that...I see no point removing flowers from young plants. I never pinch off flowers from tomato or pepper seedlings before they get transplanted as many gardeners seem to do... I dont' understand why anyone'd want to do it.... it's definitely not a problme for me. I transplanted my tomatoes just a few days ago... check this out, would i see this if I pinched off the early flowers?

My peppers haven't been transplanted yet but some already have tiny peppers on them.... Peppers in late June here... awesome!

And dont' get me started on removing figlets from 1st year figs trees.... say, how can I refuse this generous offering from my newly rooted Cessac? It would be a figgiecide if i removed them

 

[TorontoJoe]

Never!!!

I got a handful of berries from several of my newly planted raspberry plants last summer... they were delightful! Waiting a whole year to try a new variety is painful to me, so I will take anything a plant will offer to me... and the plants look great this year. Huge!

My phylosophy is that if it can set fruit and ripen it, there is no harm in that...I see no point removing flowers from young plants. I never pinch off flowers from tomato or pepper seedlings before they get transplanted as many gardeners seem to do... I dont' understand why anyone'd want to do it.... it's definitely not a problme for me. I transplanted my tomatoes just a few days ago... check this out, would i see this if I pinched off the early flowers?

My peppers haven't been transplanted yet but some already have tiny peppers on them.... Peppers in late June here... awesome!

And dont' get me started on removing figlets from 1st year figs trees.... say, how can I refuse this generous offering from my newly rooted Cessac? It would be a figgiecide if i removed them

Very cool. I've never totally understood the "pinch tomato sucker" movement for instance. I tried it on some plants to assess... they were a train wreck.

My only conclusion is that Youtube is a bad place to seek growing advice.. Not like every video is wrong..... Some are outstanding! but there's so much conflict in processes with little to no insight on who's posting. It's not like someone here can't get something wrong. Of course, it happens...... but, on social media, content is protected based on how popular it is... not on how correct it may be.... And in those situations... who's keeping track of ... Mr, Ai?

 

[Figgin' A]

Very cool. I've never totally understood the "pinch tomato sucker" movement for instance. I tried it on some plants to assess... they were a train wreck.

My only conclusion is that Youtube is a bad place to seek growing advice.. Not like every video is wrong..... Some are outstanding! but there's so much conflict in processes with little to no insight on who's posting. It's not like someone here can't get something wrong. Of course, it happens...... but, on social media, content is protected based on how popular it is... not on how correct it may be.... And in those situations... who's keeping track of ... Mr, Ai?

IMO, YouTube is great for getting inspired. It helps me generate new ideas rather than blindly following someone. I like to explore and experiment a lot and stick with what works for me. My personal experience is my guide... Some may choose to follow someone else's experience, trusting their expertise... for whatever reason... they may lack time, skill, or desire to experiment on their own... if the results they get are good enough for them, that's all that matters, I suppose. Being correct can be quite relative... we do our gardening sometimes very differently from one another... what's correct while being a part of my process can be quite incorrect in someone else's...