Archive for July 27th, 2008
The surprise for me was learning that blueberries would even grow in California. About two years ago, I learned about Southern Highbush blueberries, which are a group of blueberries that were bred to grow and produce fruit in mild weather climates such as USDA zone 9. Southern Highbush Blueberries were developed in Florida. They include varieties with names such as O’Neal, Misty, Jubilee, Southmoon, and Sunshine. The one pictured above is a Sunshine bush growing in my yard.
I added a special acid soil mix to the planting sites and then supplemented with sulfur, because blueberries prefer acidic soil (pH 5.0-6.0). I planted about 7 bushes. They produce berries from June through August. They look healthy. But some of the plants produce a very small harvest (maybe 20-30 berries). And other plants produce many tiny berries.
Whenever a heat wave hits, the new growth gets sunburnt and wilts. Even when the weather is mild, the plants grow very slowly, even though they are getting regular watering from a drip system. Maybe I need to fertilize them more.
Despite the problems, I think they are a great addition to my garden. In this area, they are a novelty. I have never seen them growing in anyone else’s garden in the Bay Area. Plus, the berries are tasty and are great in pies and on cereal.
July 27 2008 | Blueberries | Comments Off on Blueberry Surprise
Last weekend, I purchased a new rose bush called Sheila’s Perfume from a local nursery. The flowers are extremely fragrant, which surprised me because many of the most attractive roses I have seen do not have much of a fragrance. I have heard that hybridizers focus more on looks than fragrance when developing new roses.
I am also impressed by it’s multicolored pink, orange, and white patterns. I have bought 3 new roses this year, but this one is my favorite right now.
July 27 2008 | Roses | Comments Off on Sheila’s Perfume Rose
I have had a lot of luck growing Sequoia June-Bearing Strawberries in pots. Right now, they are full of ripe strawberries. The berries are so much tastier than what I typically purchase in a grocery store.
When I grew strawberries in the ground, snails ate the berries before they even turned red. I was reluctant to put snail poison near the fruit, and it washed away quickly anyway. A few years ago, I started growing strawberries in pots that have copper tape around the bottom. I have had very few problems with snails since then.
Back in May, I was harvesting strawberries every week. Then in June, the June-Bearing strawberries suddenly stopped producing strawberries, even though I was watering every few days, and they looked healthy otherwise. Usually, the plants wilt if they are not getting watered at least that often.
I then tried fertilizing them with water soluble fertilizer every week. In about 3 weeks, the plants started getting the white flowers again, and now they are producing berries in abundance. I think that the nutrients may have leeched out of the soil in the pots.
Also, the plants are probably root bound in the pots and competing for nutrients and water. I probably put too many in each pot, although they don’t seem to mind as long as they are getting watered and fertilized regularly.
July 27 2008 | Strawberries | Comments Off on June-Bearing Strawberries