Japanese Beatles

Help! Japanese Beatles are eating my peach tree. Jake returned home after a week in Colorado Springs. He left Scribbles in charge of looking after the various plants, fruit trees, raspberry bushes, etc while he was gone. When Jake returned home, Scribbles informed him that there was some sort of bug swarming around the peach tree. When he went out to take a look, this is what he found. Luckily, they hadn't gotten around to eating the entire tree yet. Jake immediately went to the store and picked up a bottle of Sevin Bug Killer which states that it will work well on Japanese Beatles. We will see if this does the trick or not.

Related Articles:

• Belle of Georgia Semi Dwarf Peach Tree
• Belle of Georgia Semi Dwarf Peach Tree Care
  
• Japanese Beatles are eating my peach tree
• Belle of Georgia Semi Dwarf Peach Tree Growth

The Path of Least Resistance

So actually, this was the path of a fair amount of resistance. The back portion of our property is not inclined to be civilized. In fact, areas that we have previously cleared have sprung back to life as if we had never touched them. We decided to focus our efforts on a small area and to create a path through the wilderness. We are quite pleased with the results of our efforts. This project allowed us to incorporate a clean landscaping look along with area's beautiful natural foliage.

Construction Steps:

1. First we cleared a small path through the woods. We selected an area that was already relatively clear of foliage.

2. Next, we laid out the path using dead fall tree branches from the forest. Landscaping timbers would probably last longer, but we have no shortage of replacement tree branches. This saves us the expense of landscaping timbers and also the cost and effort of hauling the tree limbs off to a landfill. Additionally, the tree limbs give the path a rustic charm.

3. Finally, we used a 2- to 3- inch layer of pine bark for weed control. Pine bark makes an attractive, usually dark-colored mulch. It can be purchased in various particle sizes, from shredded to large-sized particles, called nuggets. This project required 6 bags of mulch.

Website Link: About Mulch from the SavyGardener.com

Belle of Georgia Semi Dwarf Peach Tree Update

The peach tree that we planted on the19th of March 2008 continues to add new growth and is looking quite healthy. The tree is now approximately 8.5 feet tall. It was a little over 7.5 feet tall when we planted it 3 months ago.

Peach Tree Care:

• After planting, apply sufficient water to thoroughly soak the soil in the area of the tree roots.
  
• Keep weeds out of a 3-by-3-foot area around the tree because they compete with the tree for moisture and nutrients during the growing season.
  
• Keep mowers away from the tree to reduce trunk damage.
  
• Mulching will help to control weeds as well as conserve moisture.
• In March after the trees have been planted and the soil settled by a drenching rain, broadcast 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer over an area 3 feet in diameter. Do not allow fertilizer to accumulate around the tree trunk.
• In early June and again in early August, broadcast ½ cup of calcium nitrate or equivalent over an area 3 feet in diameter.
  
• Beginning the second year, fertilize the trees twice a year in early March and around the first of August.
• Early March application: Apply 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer per year of tree age to a maximum of 10 cups for mature trees.
• August application: Apply 1 cup of calcium nitrate or equivalent per year of tree age to a maximum of 4 cups for mature trees. Do not make the August application if the crop was lost to a freeze. Do not apply until the harvest of late-season varieties is completed.

Related Articles:

• Belle of Georgia Semi Dwarf Peach Tree
• Belle of Georgia Semi Dwarf Peach Tree Care
  
• Japanese Beatles are eating my peach tree
• Belle of Georgia Semi Dwarf Peach Tree Growth

Frost Protection For Your Plants And Flowers

Spring is a tough time of year to be a gardener. It can be 80 degrees one day and drop below freezing the next.

When planting in the Spring it is important not invest time and money on plants and flowers only to have them destroyed by a late frost. You can protect your investment by selecting plants that have a high tolerance for frost, or by waiting to plant until after the last frost date for your area. There are a number of websites on the internet that will provide you with the last frost date for your area. One of these sites is Victory Seeds.

Even by taking these prudent precautions though, you may still get caught by a late spring frost. If you have some advance warning that a frost is coming, here are some steps you can take to protect your plants and flowers:

• Move potted plants indoors. Potted plants are the most susceptible to frost since their roots are above ground.
  
• Water the garden thoroughly before nightfall. The soil will release moisture into the air around your plants during the night, keep the air somewhat warmer.
• Cover up your plants and flowers before dark! There are a number of commercially available plant frost protection products, but anything you can do to keep the cold air off of your plants will help protect them. Make a tent and cover your plants with some type of lightweight material. Materials that you can use include: newspaper, cardboard, plastic tarps, or bed sheeting.
  
• Cover small plants with some type of container such as upside down flower pot, can, bucket, cup or garbage can.
  

Good Luck and keep an eye on the weather!

Red Indian Summer Raspberry

The whole Pohick family has the gardening bug now. We had so much fun planting our Belle of Georgia Peach Tree, that we decided to plant some other fruit bearing plants. Today, Scribbles and Sarah helped Jake plant two Red Indian Summer Raspberry bushes. Here are some characteristics of the Red Indian Summer Raspberry:

• Everbearing - This means that it produces two crops per year. First in the spring and then a second crop in the fall. Common raspberry bushes only produce one crop in mid-summer.
• Scientific Name: Rubus idaeus
• Wikipedia Article: Raspberry
• Large, sweet, bright red berries
• Ideal for cooking or fresh eating
• Light - 6+ hours of direct sun
• Water Usage - Semi-Moist
• Spacing: 5' between plants
• Growth Rate: Fast
• Average Size: 5' x 5'
• Cold Hardiness: -20 to -30
• Pruning: Cut back in late winter
• Fertilization: Early Spring
• The ever bearing raspberry produces an early-summer crop on the previous season's growth and a fall crop on the current season's growth.
  
• Raspberries are valuable in home gardens because of the fruits fragile and perishable nature which prohibits the shipping of fresh berries.
  
• Health Benefits: Raspberries contain significant amounts of polyphenol antioxidants such as anthocyanin pigments linked to potential health protection against several human diseases. The aggregate fruit structure contributes to its nutritional value, as it increases the proportion of dietary fiber, placing it among plant foods with the highest fiber contents known, up to 20% fiber per total weight. Raspberries are a rich source of vitamin C, with 30 mg per serving of 1 cup (about 50% daily value), manganese (about 60% daily value) and dietary fiber (30% daily value). Contents of B vitamins 1-3, folic acid, magnesium, copper and iron are considerable in raspberries. Raspberries rank near the top of all fruits for antioxidant strength, particularly due to their dense contents of ellagic acid (from ellagotannins), quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid.
  

Planting Raspberries:

• Raspberries grow best in climates where the spring is lingering and slow to warm, but may succeed in warmer climates if the are grown in light shade.
  
• A row or hill of raspberries will ordinarily produce good crops of fruit for 10 years or more, before they need replacement.
• Raspberries grow best in rich,well-drained soil with a pH 6.0 to 6.5. They benefit from supplemental compost and manure. They should NOT be planted in an area where eggplants, peppers, potatoes or tomatoes have been grown within three years, because they are susceptible to verticicillium wilt which is associated with those plants.
• New plants should be set in the soil about 2 inches deeper than they were originally growing. They should be planted in late fall or early spring about 2 to 2 1/2 feet apart in rows which are spaced about 7 to 8 feet apart. After planting, cut the canes back to 4 inches, leaving the stubs to mark the rows until new sprouts appear. Newly planted summer bearing raspberries should be left alone for the first year to establish themselves, and then cut back to 3-5 canes per plant when the buds begin to show in the following spring.

Care and Cultivation:

• Raspberry plants should be fed in early spring by scattering all purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer around them at the rate of 1 pound per 10 feet of row.
  
• They must not be allowed to dry out during flowering and fruiting. In spring, shorten the canes to 3 feet, forcing the growth into lateral side branches which are trained along support wires.
• After they produce fruit, the spent canes are cut back to the ground. With ever bearing varieties the second crop is produced on canes which sprout in the spring, these canes shouldn't be cut back until they produce fruit the following spring.
  
• Never cut off the new canes which haven't produced yet, they will produce the next years crop.
• Raspberries are easily propagated by tip layering (pin the tip of the cane to the ground, where it will root, then once rooted you may sever the new start from the parent plant), or from sucker growths which spring up around the parent plant.

Raspberry bushes are available at many local nurseries or even from Amazon.com.

Raspberry Journal

• 20 March 2008: We planted two raspberry bushes today. Each bush is approximately 1 foot tall and has a few small green leaves.

Belle of Georgia Semi-Dwarf Peach Tree

Click here for care instructions for the Belle of Georgia Semi-Dwarf Peach Tree.

The Pohick's have planted an orchard. Well, it is currently a decidedly small orchard since it has only one tree. You have to start somewhere though.

When we lived in Oklahoma, we had a peach tree in the back yard which produced some very lovely fruit. The girls loved being able to pick a peach right off of the tree and eat it. Everyone enjoyed all of the fresh peach products that Molly prepared including peach pies, peach cobbler, peach preserves and old fashioned peaches and cream. Since we have moved so many times over the last couple of years, there never was a good occasion to plant any fruit trees. But since we are planning to stay in place for a few years at least, we decided that it would be great to have a peach tree again and planted one today. It will probably be a couple of years before the tree bears much fruit, but it will give us something to look forward to. The tree that we purchased is a Belle of Georgia Semi-Dwarf Peach Tree. Here are a few facts and characteristics of the Belle of Georgia Peach tree:

• Wikipedia Article: Peach
• Scientific Name: Prunus persica
• Light: 6+ hours of direct sun
• Self fertile - No other pollinator required
  
• Spacing: 20'
• Bloom Time: Spring
• Water Usage: Semi-Moist
• Growth Rate: Medium
• Average Mature Size: 15-20' x 20'
• Cold Hardiness: -10 to -20F
• Hardiness Zones: 5-8
  
• Pruning: Prune while dormant
• Fertilization: Annually
• The Belle of Georgia peach tree in Georgia history was named after Mrs. Belle Hall of Ft. Valley, Georgia, following the Civil War, after it was developed from a peach seedling of Chinese cling-peach seed origin. The legendary Belle of Georgia peach has also been called the Georgia Belle peach and is classified as a white pulp peach, pleasantly fragrant and of intense sweetness and spicy flavor. Very few other white peach cultivars compare with the well known superior characteristics of the Belle of Georgia peach tree. Large trees of Belle of Georgia are recommended to buy, plant, and grow—often bearing a few peaches the first year after planting. The freestone characteristic of the Belle of Georgia white peach makes it easy to eat freshly picked from any home orchard. You can buy Belle of Georgia peach trees from many internet nursery sites. Belle of Georgia is a reliable producer of large, aromatic fruit unsurpassed in sweetness. Pink-blushed freestones with deliciously pale and juicy flesh ripen in August. Resists disease.

Peach Tree Journal:
19 March 2008 - Tree planted today. Currently our tree is 7'10" tall and has some buds and a few pink flowers.
30 March 2008 - So far so good. 11 days after being planted, the tree looks like it has survived the trauma of being planted. All of the tree's branches are covered with small green leaves.
7 June 2008 - Our peach tree continues to thrive and is now 8.5 feet tall. See updated picture and additional information.
20 June 2008 - Japanese Beatles are eating my peach tree
7 June 2009 - Growing strong and lots of fruit

Check in periodically and we will provide an update on the tree.

Click here for care instructions for the Belle of Georgia Semi-Dwarf Peach Tree.

Related Articles:

• Belle of Georgia Semi Dwarf Peach Tree
• Belle of Georgia Semi Dwarf Peach Tree Care
  
• Japanese Beatles are eating my peach tree
• Belle of Georgia Semi Dwarf Peach Tree Growth