Making Some Progress

**Scratch** · 05-27-2009, 08:38 AM

I started making some progress on my 1-1/4 acre property. I planted 3 apple trees, 3 peach trees, 3 blueberry, 3 raspberry and 1 blackberry bush. I also got 4 grape vines in and my garden is going well. I went from last years 8' x 8' garden to a 9' x 15' garden this year. I have hopes of canning carrots and tomato sauce this year. I never canned before, but got a booklet on it.
Once the fruit trees and the berry bushes start to fruit do any of you have any tips on keeping insects away. I would prefer not to use pesticides but will if i have to.

Thanks for any info.

**Chris** · 05-27-2009, 08:46 AM

Way to go!

Remember, canning veggies requires special preparations and a pressure canner, (as opposed to just making jams and jellies).

I started with 3 raspberry bushes too, I've got them confined in an 8x4 bed to stop spreading, and since they've filled out the area well and gotten established, they produce a ton. Typically the canes live for two years, so leave 1 year old ones be (maybe cut them back half if they're long or spindly) but remove 2 year old ones.

Blueberries are bird food, you can put netting over them. Otherwise the berries do not have much in the way of insect problems. I've never had an insect problem on my raspberries, or if I do, it is only one berry among hundreds so I don't care.

My pear tree is another matter. I get insect problems on it. Some years I don't spray it, some years I do. I accept some fruit loss. Generally though if I spray I use sevin and I only spray once. It puts a coating on it that'll kill the bugs when they come.

Beans are the same way. I have no idea how to control bean leaf beetles other than spraying. They're voracious eaters, but I spray my beans once when I see the damage, and the damage stops for the rest of the season (all the beetles eat the leaves then die and so the cycle stops I figure). I've got amazing and beautiful gardens that Id on't otherwise spray and I've got beneficial insects by the boatloads, but sometimes you just gotta spray.

Definitely don't spray until after the bees are done. I am usually spraying in late summer, like late july.

Also, as an side, did you get 3 apples that mature at different times?

**Sam** · 05-27-2009, 11:24 AM

I built a bat house to help control the mosquitoes, it is a long term solution to spraying. The bats eat most bugs so you gotta decide if it is the way to go for you.
-Sam

**crashdive123** · 05-27-2009, 11:27 AM

Sounds like you'll have quite a bounty.

**laughingbeetle** · 05-27-2009, 12:26 PM

I will be using a soap water mixture on the apple and pear trees this year. The well is right in the middle of everything, so I figure no pesticides, soap water never hurt me(though I might burp a bubble or two...

) I have had good luck with the soap mixture in the past for most bugs that like to eat the trees. I just wait until I actually start getting fruit on the trees, I don't want to upset friendly bees!

**Scratch** · 05-28-2009, 08:48 AM

Thanks for all the tips.

laughingbeetle - can you tell me your soap recipe? Does it kill the insects or just discourage them from eating?

Chris - We wanted to find trees that harvested at differant times but we ended up getting what was available. The apple trees are, yellow delicious, red delicious and Winesap. The peaches are Gerogia, and the other two names escape me. I am not sure when the fruit will be ready to harvest. I hope they survive, they look a little sorry since i planted them.

**crashdive123** · 05-28-2009, 02:46 PM

Scratch - try about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of dish soap in a gallon of water.

**mountain mama** · 05-28-2009, 03:11 PM

This is a recipe for non-toxic soap insecticide
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Moder...oap-Spray.aspx

**Rick** · 05-28-2009, 08:03 PM

Hey, Scratch - A couple of things you might do.

1. Take a soil sample to your county extension service and have it analyzed. They will tell you what your soil is missing and what needs to be added.

2. Your extension office will also tell you what pests are troublesome in your area and what will work best on them as well as when to apply it (organic or chemical).

3. Touch base with your local Master Garderner's Association. They are required to perform 100 hours of community service in order to become a Master Gardener (at least that's the requirement locally along with the training, of course). Part of that is manning a hot line for gardening questions. I think ours is Tuesday evenings from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. if I remember correctly. Anyway, you can shoot questions their way. If they don't know the answer then they will contact the regional extension service (usually a local university - here it is Purdue) and get back to you with the answers.

**Swamprat1958** · 05-29-2009, 02:33 PM

I have 7 peach trees, a row of raspberry bushes 10 feet long, three rows of blackberries (which have already produced 8 gallons of berries this year) totaling 50 feet long, one blueberry bush (which is struggling to survive) but no apples. I have been informed that apples don't grow well in Louisiana.

Call your county extension agent, they should have plenty of literature on growing, treatments and canning all the varieties you have listed.

**laughingbeetle** · 05-29-2009, 04:55 PM

I use the felsnaptha mixture as mentioned on the link Mountain Mama provided. I am ashamed to say I forgot all about Mother Earth News. Excellent resources there. My late Gram taught me about the soap mixture. She also had me eat it, once, when I was really cutting a tear into her sanity...I was a handful as a kid. I have great respect for the disciplinarian attributes of felsnaptha and willow switches...

**Rick** · 05-29-2009, 08:14 PM

You must be from the, "Go cut me a switch and it had better be a good one!" school. Been there, done that, couldn't sit on that......for a while.

**laughingbeetle** · 05-29-2009, 09:04 PM

Yup!! But it was either the switch or the harness strap...My choice. What a choice...

**Rick** · 05-30-2009, 07:59 AM

And never get cocky with, "I'd like two from the strap and two from the switch, please."

**mountain mama** · 05-30-2009, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by laughingbeetle

Yup!! But it was either the switch or the harness strap...My choice. What a choice...

Yup, I had a choice between a switch or an old razor strap. Good thing my nannie couldn't run as fast as I could.

**crashdive123** · 05-30-2009, 12:31 PM

Let us not forget those fateful, fearful, frightening words......wait until your father gets home! I found out early on that no matter how well I hid in the closet and gripped the doorknob from the inside, his grip from the outside won.....every time.