Archive for the fruit tag

How do I get get hazelnuts to produce fruit?

February 13, 2021 • Leave a Comment

I now have 5 seedling hazelnut bushes growing, in conjunction with National Arbor Day. They are still quite small, but I would like to know if there is a special fertilizer to boost the growth of hazelnuts.

Can you spell “patience”? Nut trees or shrubs may be listed as fast growers, but it takes several years before they are mature enough to produce good edible fruit. In this case at least 6 years, maybe as long as 12 years. After that long there will only be nuts if you have a minimum of two varieties of hazelnut because, like apple trees, they are not “self-fruitful” and need a second variety nearby to achieve cross-pollination between the varieties. And then you will have to battle the wildlife that also enjoys them! There really is no magic pill fertilizer to make your hazelnut trees grow faster to the point where they produce those wonderful fruits more quickly. Instead, make sure you get a soil test for the area in which they are planted to know the pH and the nutrient level of the site. Hazelnut trees (Corylus avellana, C. americana, C. colurna ) like a pH of 6 to 7. Although they will grow and produce fruit in shallow soils, they prefer a well-drained site with plenty of organic matter. Sandy and clay soils both benefit from cultivating in composted organic amendments.

Hazelnuts were often established as hedgerows in Europe and Australia since the plant’s natural characteristic is shrubby as opposed to single stem. Often for nut production, they are kept pruned to a single trunk and can produce a deep taproot. Although they do produce many shallow surface feeder roots, they prefer not to be moved once planted. Hazelnuts also don’t mind the cold winter temperatures of Michigan. They actually need a chilling of a couple months in the low 30’s to help them toward fruit production. However, they really do not care for drying winds. So while they are still young and easily moved, make sure you have sited them properly.

Related: Growing Fruit in Michigan

Under the unsightly exterior, bruised fruit might contain better nutrition

May 4, 2016 • Leave a Comment

An imprefect exterior of some fruits might be a sign of increased nutrition.

NPR’s The Salt:

When orchardist Eliza Greenman walks through a field of apple trees and gazes upon a pocked array of blemished and buckled fruits — scarred from fighting fungus, heat and pests — she feels a little thrill of joy. “I’m absolutely infatuated with the idea of stress in an orchard,” says Greenman, who custom grafts and grows pesticide-free hard cider apples in Hamilton, Va. These forlorn, scabbed apples, says Greenman, may actually be sweeter.

In an unofficial experiment, Greenman tested scabbed and unscabbed Parma apples, a high-sugar variety native to southwestern Virginia, and found the scarred apples had a 2 to 5 percent higher sugar content than unmarred apples from the same tree. More sugar means a higher alcohol content once fermented, producing a tastier hard cider.

But she loves these ugly apples for another reason: They may be more nutritious and have a higher antioxidant content. Says Greenman: “I believe stress can help create a super fruit.”

Read the rest of the article…

Designer edibles allow gardeners to grow for taste and good looks

May 20, 2014 • Leave a Comment

The nearly translucent Glass Gem Corn looks more like a work of art than a vegetable. (Photo: Greg Schoen/Native Seeds) — The nearly translucent Glass Gem Corn looks more like a work of art than a vegetable.
(Photo: Greg Schoen/Native Seeds)

The Salt at NPR:

To the home gardener who says “been there, done that” to the heirloom green bean, the French breakfast radish or the Brandywine tomato, take heart.

Nurseries and seed companies are competing to bring you the most colorful and flavorful designer edibles they can come up with. They travel the world looking for the next in-vogue plant for the home horticulturist. Every few years they introduce these new chic varieties in their catalogs and websites.

Alice Doyle, a founder of Log House Plants, a wholesale nursery for classic and unusual plants, says some of her customers are like wine connoisseurs who are always seeking the next best thing.

Read the rest of the story…

Why didn’t my blueberry plants produce blossoms or fruit?

June 9, 2011 •

I have several blueberry plants that didn’t blossom or fruit. I sprinkled aluminum sulfate and ammonium sulfate on them. Now the leaves are falling off and they seem to be going dead. Did I burn them? Will they come back?

There are two basic types of blueberries – highbush and lowbush. Highbush are the cultivated blueberries that grow best in a line extending from Muskegon to the lower end of the Saginaw Bay. Lowbush are the wild blueberries that grow throughout the state and are about 20 inches tall. Blueberries are considered to be a long-term crop as it takes between 8 and 12 years for them to reach maturity. With proper care, they can live for 20 to 40 years. I wonder how old your plants are and if they have ever produced flowers or fruit? Blueberries have fairly specific soil and climatic requirements for good production. Let’s go through these requirements and see if we can solve the mystery of no flowers and no fruit.

First, blueberries must have acidic soil with a pH below 5.5 and do best in soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5. Your soil should be tested before planting and regularly thereafter. If your soil pH rises above 5.1, add elemental sulfur or aluminum sulfate. Several pounds of sulfur or aluminum sulfate are needed per 1,000 square feet to lower the pH one unit. Ideally, your soil should have good drainage with a water table 14 to 22 inches below the surface. Blueberries need a consistent water source throughout the growing season but don’t like “wet feet.” When choosing plants, it is recommended that you choose a 3- or 4-year-old bare-root or container-grown plant, as younger plants have more difficulty getting established enough to maintain their winter viability and will take longer to bear fruit. Young plants are also fertilized differently than the older plants. Again, a soil test is preferable but in the absence of a soil test, these are the recommendations:

Planting year – 2 to 4 weeks after planting, sprinkle 1 ounce of 20-0-10-5 (NPK magnesium) within 10 to 12 inches of the plant.
Years 2-3 – Spread 2 ounces of 20-0-10-5 in a 2-foot diameter around the plant.
Years 4-5 – Spread 3 ounces of 20-0-10-5 in a 3-foot diameter around the plant.
Years 6-7 – Spread 4 ounces of 20-0-10-5 in a 4-foot diameter around the plant.
Years 8-9 – Spread 5 ounces of 20-0-10-5 in a 4-foot diameter around the plant.
10th year to mature bush – Spread 3 ounces of 20-0-10-5 in a 4-foot diameter around the plant.

On an established planting, apply the fertilizer around the drip line of the plant. On sandy sites, you may want to use two applications of fertilizer: half before bud break and half at petal fall. This will help reduce leaching. If 20-0-10-5 fertilizer is not available, use urea or ammonium sulfate.

Blueberries are self-fruitful and will set fruit without cross-pollination but they do require “busy bees” for pollination and fruit set. Native bees will do the trick in the backyard garden. Regular pruning is necessary for a high yield production. The most fruitful canes are 4 to 6 years old and 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Bushes should have 15 to 20 percent young canes that are less than 1 inch in diameter, 15 to 20 percent old canes that are 2 inches in diameter and 50 to 70 percent canes that are of intermediate size. Prune the plants when they are dormant (fall to spring). In early spring, you have the advantage of being able to see the canes that were damaged during the winter. There are a number of diseases that can plague our Michigan blueberries and your local extension office can provide you very specific information on each of them.

Now back to your mystery… How old are your plants? Have they ever set flowers or fruited? If not, maybe they need more time. Blueberries are very susceptible to early fall and late spring frosts. What is your soil pH? You can contact your local extension about having a soil test done. Take a good look at the canes. What needs to be pruned? How is your drainage and do your plants get consistent water? Don’t give up! You will likely be rewarded by a little more detective work and patience.

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Learn how to grow strawberries

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