Fruits
Split trunk on mango
Q: I have a mango tree that I started growing from a seed in a pot twelve years ago. I’m very worried that I might be losing it. The trunk has been drying out. Is there a way to save...
When To First Prune My Peach Tree
Q: How soon after planting can a peach tree be given its first pruning to develop the wine glass shape desired? A: The first pruning is usually done a few minutes after the tree is planted. Many growers cut the...
Should I Prune My Peach Tree Early?
Q: We have been waiting for the right time to prune our peach tree and I know you recommend March for that. However we just noticed that they seem like they will bloom very soon. Should we still wait until...
Georgia Fruit Tree Recommendations
Q: I am new to Georgia and am interested in planting a few fruit trees in my back yard. I’d like rare but hardy ones. Any suggestions? A: “Rare” and “hardy” may not be possible. If a fruit tree is...
When Do Meyer Lemons Bloom?
Q: My Meyer lemon has about ten blooms starting to form. Is January the normal time? A: It is behaving normally. Mine has bloomed indoors in January as well as outdoors in May depending on the weather conditions. When a...
How To Prune A Pomegranate
Q: I planted a pomegranate ten years ago. I have read that it should be pruned a specific way if it gets too big. A: I don’t think there is a “specific” way to prune; it just depends on what...
Peach crown gall on trunk
Q: I planted three peach trees last year and one of them has a growth about ten inches off the ground. I want to prune the trees this year to get the canopy growing correctly but am concerned about this...
Sour Green Crabapples: What Tree Are They From
Q: Back in my younger days we picked golf-ball-size green crab apples that were incredibility sour but tasted so good. What kind of trees were they? A: A crabapple is defined as any apple whose mature fruit is less than...
Why Are My Heirloom Tomatoes Lumpy?
Q: I save heirloom tomato seeds. Some of the fruit is very lumpy this year. Any ideas why? A: Lumpy, distorted, oddly shaped tomatoes are generally referred to as “catfaced”. Oddly, it has nothing to do with cats. The deformity...
Is white sap on fig fruit harmful?
Q: Some of our figs have white goo on them. What is it? Is it harmful to ingest? A: Like many members of the ficus family, edible fig tree branches and fruit exude a milky white latex when injured. I...
Squirrel Damage to Tomato
Q: Do you know what would cause this damage to tomato plants? A: It could be either a squirrel or a chipmunk. In my experience, squirrel damage is usually higher on the plant than chipmunk damage. The chipmunks usually chew...
Fiddle Leaf Fig Propagation
Q: My fiddle leaf fig started out really small and now it’s hitting the ceiling! Where will it go from here? A: If you give your fiddle leaf fig enough space and light, it will grow 40 feet tall! My...
Flowers Falling Off My Tomatoes
Q: My tomatoes look very healthy but the flowers fall off. A: Hot weather always causes tomato pollination problems, particularly with varieties that have large fruit. Visit your plants once or twice a day and lightly thump the flower clusters...
Blueberry Leaves Stuck Together
Q: My blueberries are starting to turn blue but I noticed that something is binding the leaves together. It looks like the leaves have been bitten on the ends but they are then stuck together with something invisible. A: You...
My Pomegranate Trees Have Only One Or Two Fruits
Q: My wife and I have three six-year-old pomegranate trees. One of them has full of orange flowers but only one or two fruits. Most of the flowers are single but there are many double flowers too. A: I think...
Bumper Crop Of Baby Peaches – How To Thin The Peaches
Q: I have a bumper crop of baby peaches. Is there a rule of thumb for thinning the peaches? I know the branches won’t support all of them. A: You are right. If you don’t remove some of the fruit,...
Starting A Vegetable Garden On A Sunny Cow Pasture
Q: We are moving out in the country and I’d like to start a vegetable garden. Our property is on a sunny former cow pasture. I’d like to grow corn, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, and maybe potatoes. Any suggestions on...
My Fig Tree Stopped Producing Fruit
Q: Early this spring our figs were leafing and had several small fruits. Now, they have lots of large green leaves but all the figs we saw earlier are gone! There are no signs of new fruit. A: It is...
