Episode 5: Let's Talk Fruit FAQs

Mark is back this week with the scoop on fruit crops, whether that’s battling fungus on your trees or maximizing the juicy returns on your berry bushes. Tune in to this week's episode for his expert advice, and don't forget to send in your own gardening questions for a chance to be featured in a future episode!
More of a reader? See the questions and answers below.

Mentioned In This Video

Strawberry Plants

Peaches

Nectarine, Nectacot, & Apricot Trees

Black Raspberries

Questions & Answers In This Video

Robert in Zone 6

A: If you do, you're cutting into the crown and you could risk killing that plant. The only time you want to cut strawberry leaves off is after the main harvest, where you do what's called rejuvenation. And that’s where you go in and cut the leaves off and thin the plants.

For everbearing strawberries, there's not much to do now. A strawberry patch, if properly maintained and rejuvenated, can last 10-15 years.

For the less-diligent gardeners, I recommend buying new varieties every 3-4 years and planting them in a different spot of your garden.

Matthew in Zone 5

A: The best time to spray for leaf curl is during the dormant season -- after leaf fall and up until bud swell; you do not want to spray later than bud swell, or you risk damaging the plant. You want a nice, cool, dry period above 40 degrees and under 70.

Now there are a few products that easily control leaf curl. One would be our Soap Shield® Flowable Liquid Copper Fungicide. What you want to do is get very thorough coverage over the whole plant. And if your infestation has been bad, you will want to do a second application.

Charles in Zone 7

A: Imagine it's late winter or early spring, and you're out in the patch in front of your bush. The first thing you want to do is remove the dead canes from the bottom of the plant. The next thing you want to do on the nice healthy canes is trim the side shoots or laterals to 10 in. After that, secure your plant to the trellis.

In the summer, when the new growth comes up from the bottom, that's your primocane at about three feet. Pinch out the top two or three inches, and that'll make that bush out. And that's about all you need to do. As those laterals grow, you can train them to the trellis.

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Featured Exclusives

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Simply Irresistible® Hybrid Sweet Corn Seed

Gurney's® Ruby Monster Hybrid Tomato

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Episode 5: Let's Talk Fruit FAQs

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Questions & Answers In This Video

Have a Question You’d Like Answered?

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