Q: I am too cheap and lazy to follow a spray program for insects and disease. I want fruits and nuts that don’t require spraying. I already have blueberries, muscadines, pawpaws, figs, Japanese persimmon and a cherry that has produced fruit only one year, but it was delicious. Can you suggest others that don’t require a spray program? Chuck Rigdon, Lithia Springs
A: You have a fine list. I know you have some “sunk costs” in the cherry tree, but to make your life easier, I’d replace it with a nice carefree pomegranate. I have details on how to grow them and recommended varieties at bit.ly/GApomegran.
Q: I am getting ready to plant a few full-sized apple trees. How deep and how wide should I prepare the spot? Rob Wilson, Leonardtown, Maryland
A: Apples are a great choice for long-term fruit! But to ensure long life, your goal should be to establish a strong root system initially. The planting hole should be as deep as the root ball. You do not have to dig a “hole” around the root ball, but you do need to loosen the soil thoroughly as widely as you possibly can. This gives the apple roots plenty of room to grow outward quickly. Before you set the plant in place, make sure you don’t have roots or rope circling the trunk. If so, they must be removed. No fertilizer or soil amendment needs to be added to the loosened area.
Q: My gardenia bush is over 6 feet tall and the bottom two-thirds is all bare wood. Should I cut it way back to get more growth from the ground up? Vicky Lister, west Cobb
A: I think severe pruning would be a good idea, but not now. The best time would be mid-February through mid-March. Shrubs are more likely to sprout from the dormant buds on the lower trunk during this time of warming weather. Cut the gardenia back to 12 inches high. Buds will slowly begin growing. When the new sprouts are 12 inches long, pinch out the tip bud on each one. It will then resprout and give a full appearance eventually.
Q: This Joro spider situation is getting out of control. Can’t you suggest anything we can do? Vicki Williams, Cumming
A: I think that unless a natural predator steps up to the plate, there’s no way the Joro invaders can be controlled. There are just too many of them. But I remember that in 2009 we had the same worries about the kudzu bugs moving into the peanut and soybean fields and decimating both crops. Fortunately, a tiny parasitic wasp and a natural soil fungus teamed up to wipe out that huge population of invaders.
Walter’s email address is georgiagardener@yahoo.com. Listen to his comments at 6:35 a.m. on “Green and Growing with Ashley Frasca” Saturday mornings on 95.5 WSB. Visit his website, www.walterreeves.com, or join his Facebook Page at bit.ly/georgiagardener, for his latest tips.
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