# Growing......alot



## Midwest Vintner (Apr 20, 2010)

well, we moved in about 10 months ago and missed the beginning of our growing season. we didn't have time really to get much planted. this year is different. 

we recently planted:
4 pear trees (2 of 2 different types)
4 cherry trees
2 concord grape vines to add to the 2 we already have
7 arona/chokeberry plants
10 eldeberry plants
5 black currant plants
3 gooseberry plants to add to the unknown amount of wild ones
60+ blackberry/raspberry plants to add to the 100+ wild ones (black rasp)
^my sister is moving this year and the realtor told her to get rid of her "sticks"
8 jalapeno plants <yes, we make wine and eat them

there might be more, but i can't think of any right now.

i'm wondering if and when i'll have time to pick all this stuff!!


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## Green Mountains (Apr 20, 2010)

Sounds like a fruitful summer and fall.


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## Tom (Apr 20, 2010)

Depending on how old the trees are not much this year. The vines take a few years to give quality grapes
The berry plants should give you a good yeald


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## Midwest Vintner (Apr 20, 2010)

Tom said:


> Depending on how old the trees are not much this year. The vines take a few years to give quality grapes
> The berry plants should give you a good yeald



yeah, i had posted about the trees somewhere else on here. i got a response, "tress are better planted 5 years ago." very true. i hope to see them get bigger. the cherry trees are 5 ft and the pears are 6-7 ft, but you're right tom. it'll be a few years. the blackberries and raspberries are going to be a chore because they are a bit too close in areas as i didn't till enough area and didn't know how many would survive the transplant. even with only a few inches of roots on many, as they were removed with haste, most are already putting on leaves.

i worry the grapes won't ever give us any fruit as last year the birds got them WAY before they were even close to ripe. we are talking about netting them though.


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## djrockinsteve (Apr 20, 2010)

I have intentions of planting some pear trees in my back yard. The types I want really need 3 different kinds to produce fruit. I'd love to find a grafted pear tree.

My 3 apple trees I kept from producing apples for 3 years to build the root and trunk system. Same with my grapes, always trimmed them back to thicken the vine.

This year I will have plenty of apples and grapes as well as a few other fruits and veggies.

Yes when do I have time to pick this stuff. In a few months you'll be asking what was I thinking?????

Remember don't fertilize your fruit trees and grapes other than a little organic. They will grow more than produce fruit.

If anyone ever has fruit trees that are not producing fruit even after pruning. Take a yard stick a gently rap the trunks. The trees will interpret this as I'm dying and produce fruit. Old farmers trick. That is assuming there are other trees nearby to polinate.


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## Larryh86GT (Apr 20, 2010)

Raspberries appear to be easy to replant. I dug up 9 runner canes from the raspberry row in my backyard Sunday and started a new row with them. I ended up with very little root on some of the canes but with some watering they have perked right up. Some of the runner canes were popping up 6 foot or more away from the row. 
More raspberries = more wine. 
Larry


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## Midwest Vintner (Apr 21, 2010)

Larryh86GT said:


> More raspberries = more wine.
> Larry



nice larry. raspberries aren't cheap and make good wine, so the more the merrier i say! gotta keep the animals away somehow though.


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## BobF (Apr 21, 2010)

Midwest Vintner said:


> well, we moved in about 10 months ago and missed the beginning of our growing season. we didn't have time really to get much planted. this year is different.
> 
> we recently planted:
> 4 pear trees (2 of 2 different types)
> ...


 
Sounds great! I've been busy planting as well. So far I've planted 50 elderberry plants and 6 red raspberry (heritage), 50 wild plum and 25 chokeberry.

I still have 25 elderberry and 12 jalapeno plant to go!

I have countless black cherry trees, but none I can really cultivate. I did do some cleanup around a few for better access. A few mulberries as well.

I have some wildlife-related stuff to plant well ...


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## Larryh86GT (Apr 21, 2010)

Midwest Vintner said:


> nice larry. raspberries aren't cheap and make good wine, so the more the merrier i say! gotta keep the animals away somehow though.



I have bird netting that I cover the early crop with because the robins are nesting then and are looking for food for their young and they really like raspberries. The later summer crop pretty much nothing bothers with except maybe a squirrel or so. By then I have gotten tired of picking them and don't mind that much.


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## Midwest Vintner (Apr 22, 2010)

Larryh86GT said:


> I have bird netting that I cover the early crop with because the robins are nesting then and are looking for food for their young and they really like raspberries.



that's good to know. we've got plenty of robins out here too. might consider netting more than just the grapes.

bob>eldeberry wine is goood! i wish i owned more land and had more money to plant a whole bunch of it! chokeberry (aka aronaberry) is something i wanted to try and see how well it goes. 

jalapeno's are something we have always grown in the garden. the garden is a whole other beast. it's 35'x90'. 

we have a bit more land, but going to see which fruits do better than others here first. we don't have much flat ground, but the soil is very good.

there is so much work to do on the property it's ridiculous. i'm 25 and unlike most of my friends, i rarely go out 'cause i'm so busy!


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## BobF (Apr 22, 2010)

Midwest Vintner said:


> that's good to know. we've got plenty of robins out here too. might consider netting more than just the grapes.
> 
> bob>eldeberry wine is goood! i wish i owned more land and had more money to plant a whole bunch of it! chokeberry (aka aronaberry) is something i wanted to try and see how well it goes.
> 
> ...


 
I wish I had that much sense when I was 25! 

If you're OK with native elderberries, they aren't expensive in MO. The state forest nursery (just outside of Licking) 1 yr old seedlings for $8/25.

They have a ton of other native plants/trees as well. Everything they sell is very young, but at 25 you have plenty of time for them to grow up! 

http://mdc.mo.gov/cgi-bin/mdcdevpub/apps/seedlings/search.cgi?record=all

I'm pretty sure it's too late to order anything this year, but they'll start taking orders for next spring this November.

NOTE: Not available for delivery outside of Missouri


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## Midwest Vintner (Apr 22, 2010)

BobF said:


> I wish I had that much sense when I was 25!
> 
> If you're OK with native elderberries, they aren't expensive in MO. The state forest nursery (just outside of Licking) 1 yr old seedlings for $8/25.
> 
> ...



lol. my dad isn't so young, so most of the berries and even the trees had a few years in them already. less time to wait, but the next round, we'll probably go with the cheaper smaller kind. the elderberries we got are a bit bigger 24-36" and were $7.50 a plant. my dad has a horticulture degree and i think he might be getting seed of some of the plants. he knows many tricks that i've yet to learn about plants.

thanks for the link.


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## Larryh86GT (Apr 22, 2010)

I planted a row of 25 strawberry plants this morning before heading off to work. I haven't grown strawberries before and am not sure what I am getting into with them but if they don't work out this can become my 3rd row of red raspberries.

Larry


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## BobF (Apr 22, 2010)

Larryh86GT said:


> I planted a row of 25 strawberry plants this morning before heading off to work. I haven't grown strawberries before and am not sure what I am getting into with them but if they don't work out this can become my 3rd row of red raspberries.
> 
> Larry


 
I've been tempted to plant strawberries, but I haven't yet. Let us know how much of a pain they are!


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## Midwest Vintner (Apr 23, 2010)

BobF said:


> I've been tempted to plant strawberries, but I haven't yet. Let us know how much of a pain they are!



oops forgot about the strawberry patch. just too much planting to remember it all! we did 30 or so in a 10x15 ft patch. they are easy to plant since the roots are not too deep. for berries, i just till the soil real well and then all you need is a hoe to part some lines in the soil. MUCH easier than the trees. lol especially 4-6 footers!

strawberries are great, but a border is not a bad idea because they are invasive. we had a patch at the old house that kinda took over. had to dig and cut them back and put in plastic w/ railroad ties to keep them out of the garden. they grow like wild fire and the birds will spread them too....

we used to have mint and it would spread fast. i guess you could make a mint wine and mix it with the black walnut leaf wine to make a nice tea styled wine. lol (we have alot of wild black walnuts on the property. they are dangerous when they have the nuts and there is wind! don't ask  )


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