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Fruits Selection, Planting, Care, Harvesting and Use

Apple

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I am looking for a standard size snow apple tree and am having difficulty finding this.   I don’t want a dwarf or a semi-dwarf, but a standard size tree. 

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Apple

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Every fall the apples fall off my tree and create a mess.  I like the flowers and shade but am tired of picking up the fallen fruit. Is there anything I can do, short of cutting down the tree, to prevent the fruit from forming?

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Apple

When is the best time to prune apple trees?

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Bartlett Pear

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I just planted a Bartlett Pear tree in my yard after it was recommended by a garden center.  Can you tell me anything about this tree or where I can find more hints on care and welfare of the tree?  

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Blueberry

BlueberrySEWisconsin100x60.jpgI live in southeast Wisconsin and want to plant blueberries this coming spring. I know the pH has to be a certain level, but can you let me know what else would be needed to prepare the soil. Also, what kinds of plants work best?
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Blueberry

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I am hoping that you could recommend a blueberry plant variety or two for my mom’s garden.  She is very partial to "sweet" flavors.  I have heard of blueberry varieties such as Bluecrop, Elliott and Duke, but nothing about their "sweetness" or "taste".  Can you possibly help me by making a recommendation?

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Blueberry

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I am going to be receiving some blueberry plants from a catalog this spring and I am wondering if I will need more than just 1 variety of plants in order to cross pollinate and have the plants bear fruit. I have read about the soil conditions and so forth but I have not seen any real definite answers to this question. Could you please offer some advice?

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Blueberry

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Are blueberry plants propagated from its roots or seeds?

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Cherry

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Is it possible to grow a cherry tree from the pits I find in the fresh cherries I buy at the supermarket? If so, what is the technique?

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Cherry

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How old does a cherry tree have to be before it produces fruit?

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Currant

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My currant bushes have been producing well for several years.  The plants are getting large and outgrowing their location.  How and when can I prune them to control their size but still have a large harvest?

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Edible Ornamentals

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I have a small yard but want to grow a small ornamental plant with edible fruits. Can you recommend any?

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Fig

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I live in zone 4 so I brought my dwarf fig tree indoors for the winter, and some of the leaves have turned brown and fallen off. Why did this happen? Also, will it bear figs indoors? Please give me advice on how to care for it. 

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Grape

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What do you think of Kelp as a fertilizer for grape vine? I’ve got 50 grape vines; St Pipen, St Croix and Foch. What fertilizer is best?

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Grape

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I started growing Concord grape plants this year. Since it’s their first year (there were no grapes), I’m wondering how far back to prune them in the fall. What about the next couple of years?

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Grape

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This is our first time growing grapes – they came with the house.  How do I know when they are ready to pick?

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Grape

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I would like to grow concord grapes. Will they survive Wisconsin winters?

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Grapefruit

My potted grapefruit tree is my pride and joy. I planted it from the seed of a grapefruit I ate over 10 years ago, and overwinter it in the house since I live in a cold (zone 4) area. Will it ever bear fruit?

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Kelp

Kelp100x60.jpgWhat do you think of Kelp as a fertilizer for grape vine? I've got 50 grape vines; St Pipen, St Croix and Foch. What fertilizer is best?
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Lemon

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We have a dwarf lemon tree we got this spring. We had a lot of fruit on the tree and took it into the house for winter and placed it under a grow light. The lemons turn yellow and we have been using them. We water once every two weeks. Now the leaves are wrinkling. Should we cut back on watering or turn off the lights?

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Lemon

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I want to grow a lemon tree but live in zone 5.  Is it possible?

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Lemon

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I live in the north but have an 8ft. tall lemon tree started from seed as a joke from a friend in Florida.  The leaves smell lemony when rubbed and are large, shiny & healthy.  We put it outside all summer.   How do we get it to bear fruit?  Do we need another tree to cross pollinate?   How do you tell if it's male or female?

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Male or Female

FlowerParts100x60.jpgHow can I tell a male plant from a female plant?
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Orange

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I started an orange tree from seed and now it’s over 6 feet tall. I keep it in a big container, but am wondering if I can transplant it outside to my backyard. How can I help it survive our cold South Dakota winters? Do I need to grow another tree to pollinate it?  

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Peach

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I have a peach tree that produced fruit for the first time.  Is there anything I can do to prevent the cracking of the peaches that occurred during ripening?

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Pear

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Every fall the pears fall off my tree faster than I can pick them up. I am getting too old to deal with the mess. Is there anything I can do, short of cutting down the tree, to prevent the fruit from forming?

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Pineapple

pineapple_100x60I love to buy pineapples cut off the tops, put into (on top of) water and get roots to grow and then plant them. Getting roots is almost always successful as is getting them into the ground. But of all the pineapples I have grown, and they have grown pretty big, only one has produced fruit. Can you help? How do pineapples reproduce? Once a pineapple produces fruit do you just leave it as is and it will give more fruit or do you have to cut it down?
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Pollination

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I have a south-facing greenhouse where I am trying to grow a variety of plants. My strawberries and tomatoes are blooming. Do I need to pollinate the flowers? If so how?

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Potted Fruit Trees

I started two trees from seed. One, an apple tree is 20 years old and I finally transplanted it from an indoor pot to the garden. The other is a grapefruit tree that is 18 years old and is in a pot that I put out each year and take in for the winter. Neither plant blooms. Should they be grafted?

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Pumpkin

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Our pumpkins are orange already. Should we harvest them and store them in the basement or refrigerator to keep them fresh until Halloween? Or are they OK outside?

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Pumpkin

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Are the large pumpkins often weighing hundreds of pounds really pumpkins or squash?

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Raspberry

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A while ago, I thought I read you can add something to your raspberry patch (in the soil) to increase the sweetness of your berry harvest.  Could you please tell me if this is true and if it is what is it?  

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Raspberry

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I have everbearing raspberries.  Do I cut them to the ground in fall?

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Raspberry

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I am growing red raspberries for the first time. I have received conflicting advice on when and how to prune.  Can you please help?

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Raspberry

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We have wild black raspberries on our property along fence lines and woods edges.  Is there anything I can do to increase production next year?

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Strawberry

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I want to plant some strawberries in my garden. This will be the first time I have grown strawberries in my zone 5 garden. Can you give me any advice?

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Strawberry

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My sister-in-law spotted a pink-blooming strawberry plant in her garden. What caused the flowers to change from the typical white color?

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Strawberry

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How do I care for my strawberries over the winter in a cold zone 5 garden?  

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Watermelon

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My family and I are trying to figure out how seedless watermelons are produced.  If the fruit does not produce seeds, how do they start the next generation of plants? 

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Watermelon

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We have planted watermelon in a small garden.  They are over running everything.  Can they be pinched off to keep them under control?  

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Watermelon

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I live in zone 5 and have tried growing watermelons but they never seem to grow full size or ripen. I would love to know how early to plant and what all it needs to make a great tasting juicy watermelon.

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Watermelon

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I’m growing watermelon for the first time this year. When it is ready to harvest?

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When to Harvest

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I planted several apple and pear trees five or six years ago.  They are finally producing fruit.  How do I know when to harvest?

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