Questions not deserving of a whole thread

Somewhere I read that when you transplant a fruit tree, it’s good to dig a shallow wide hole. Hole should be deep enough to accommodate the root ball but shouldn’t touch the soil underneath it too much. If you happened to dig too deep, it advised to put back the soil and make it firm again. Not just leave the fluffy soil. No real explanation as to why.
Any thought on this? I thought making soil easily penetratable makes the roots grow faster. I don’t see any downside to digging deep and putting soil back without firming it so much to make it as it was.

The tree will sink as the soil settles and it might end up deeper than is good for it. I think the way around that is to initially plant high in a mound if you want to loosen the lower soil. I’ve never tried it, there are enough rocks here to make me a believer in the less is more philosophy when it comes to digging holes.

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We don’t have many rocks here but enough maple roots to make be believe in your philosophy. :slightly_smiling_face:

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This my first year having grapes. These are supposed to be Catawba grapes, which should be red. They are big and soft and juicy and something is starting to slice them open, like a bird is pecking them. Tasting them, they taste to me like Welch’s grape juice. Like a really fruity delicious sweet, and several seeds per grape. Catawba is supposed to be ripe way later in the year. There’s a tannin flavor.

Could these still suddenly turn red, or are the birds and seeds telling me these are ripe?

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I’m seeing some bacterial spot issues on my peaches. Is there a preferred treatment plan I can use for next year?

The only thing I sprayed them with this year was triazicide. They aren’t very bad, but I’m sure it will get worse if I do nothing.

I have Catawba grapes and while they are green like that before they turn ripe, they are also extremely sour- I’d almost call it bitter- tasting until they have completely changed to red and really aren’t at max sweetness until they have been red for some time. So if you have tasted those and they are as sweet and good tasting as you describe them to be, then I’m certain they aren’t Catawba and probably won’t be turning colors if they are already sweet and juicy and still green. I have 5 varieties of red/purple grapes and the same is true for them all…they are inedible until they change colors- and still need some time for peak sweetness.

I’m fairly new to grapes as well, so its nice seeing your post. I’ve really come to enjoy grapes very much. Once I learned to start spraying Myclobutinyl to keep Black rot away, I think they are a pretty easy way to grow some really enjoyable fruit! This time of year when I go outside to wonder around my orchard I always start by grabbing a bunch of grapes and then I enjoy eating them while I walk around and look at my trees. mmm. I love this time of year in the orchard.

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Doug,
Bacteria spot needs to be treated with bacteriacide. I use copper specifically Kocide 3000. Copper is both fungicide and bacteriacide. Triazicide is insecticide so it won’t help.

@Olpea is a very experienced peach grower. I think he uses a product called Myclosheild. Hope Mark can stop by here and offer you his advice.

Thanks for the advice. I instinctively felt like with how well formed the seeds looked it had to be really close, and if I couldn’t decide if they were ripe enough they were probably really close. I went ahead and picked a test bunch and I honestly it seems like they are either ripe and suppose to be the way they are or are just close and need a week. The skin slips super easily with a pinch, and the flesh is like a little balloon with the seeds easily squirting out the end. The skin itself is super sweet. What gives me pause is that the flesh is chewy not firm. I can’t be positive that it’s not just how they are. My wife thinks they are too tart for how much hassle they are, but I stood at the sink spitting seeds and ate the rest of the test bunch. I bagged in organza and unless someone tests me differently I was going to watch them a week and see how they firm up, or see how what kind of a jam I can make!

*I was trying to remember where I got them and the tag says Vigoro, so I got it last year at Home Depot. I don’t see any white wine grapes listed at Home Depot. My wife says it distinctly smells like wine to her.

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Mamuang is right.l, copper and oxytetracycline (mycoshield) are the best antibacterials for bac spot.

Copper can cause some leaf burn.

Ultimately, resistant varieties are the best option in high pressure areas. If pressure isn’t too bad mycoshield works well for highly sensitive varieties.

Something is eating my trees. This is what the damage look like. I sprayed safer soap thinking it’s some sort of a caterpillar. It doesn’t seem to have worked. Whatever they are they can do some serious damage in just one day. My Apple tree got attacked first and barely have any leaves now. Any guess as to what it can be?

Does anyone have a link to a peach ripening chart that has more varieties than the Dave Wilson fruit ripening chat. I’m trying to figure out what some of my mislabled trees are in relation to some I know are true. Thanks

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ACN has a good one

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Try the maturity chart at the bottom of this ACN page, it will download a pdf page with lots of varieties on it. Of course, they’re in PA, so it will differ with your location.

https://www.acnursery.com

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We owe each other a beer now :sunglasses: @subdood_ky_z6b

Jinx!

Cool, I’ll take a Killian’s Red, my favorite, even tho I don’t even know if they make them any more. Haven’t had a beer in many moons.

But, no Guinness, blech! Don’t care for that burnt taste at all.

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still make it. i buy some at our local shop n’ save occasionally. good stuff!

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THanks @Reg and @subdood_ky_z6b . That will be a big help. I know the actual dates will differ but the differences between varieties should be pretty much the same here is there. thanks

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Hey, general gardening question…

Is anyone able to keep kale or collards going all season or are you planting new plants for the fall?

All my kale and collards are looking rough after producing a lot of food. They lose their succulence in the heat and get attacked by haraquin bugs and white flies. I will plant new ones soon.

Has anyone had success growing lettuce all summer? I tried summer varieties and growing in a shady spot, but no matter what I do, I’m unhappy with the quality of the lettuce in August.

Thanks

Here in zone 5A, the kale gets a bit ragged during the summer, but when fall comes and temps drop it recovers. The best kale is after a frost or two which turns it sweet.

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It certainly doesn’t bother me, but you might want to put this in the “general gardening” category instead of fruit growing. Some here are sticklers for that kind of thing, and I suppose it does help keep things neat and orderly.

Sorry I can’t help with answers since I don’t grow lettuce, kale, or collards. I do know my winter turnips started off grear this spring and seemed to be coming back, but when it got hot they all petered out as well. Good luck!