Pick-your-own farms are lots of fun
Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on News 95.5 FM and AM750 WSB. Visit his website, www.walterreeves.com, follow him on Twitter @walterreeves or join his Facebook Fan Page at bit.ly/georgiagardener for more garden tips.
Q: My family and I will be in Georgia at the end of June. Are there any farms where we can pick peaches? — Anthony Pellegrino, email
A: There are several pick-your-own farms within the greater metro Atlanta area. Most offer restrooms, containers and sidelights like miniature goats or pigs to pet. Wear light clothing, a hat and sunglasses for the outing and afterward be thankful that you don't have to harvest food every day! I have links to several PYO farms at bit.ly/GApickyourown.
Q: I planted raspberry canes a few years ago. The berries turn dark purple when they ripen. Are they black raspberries? — Sue Grist Baum, email
A: There are several varieties of deep purple/black raspberry. They are best suited for gardens in the West and Midwest, not the Southeast. They seem to get viruses more readily than red raspberries. Red raspberries like 'Dormanred', 'Heritage' and 'Redwing' produce lots of red raspberries in the South.
Q: I have a Meyer lemon tree in a whiskey barrel planter. Every year when I bring it outdoors it drops its leaves and loses its flowers. — Sarah Lee, Paulding County
A: I think it's possible the lemon leaves are getting sunburned. Light levels outdoors are typically more than 10,000 foot-candles. Even in a bright sun room there are less than 1,000 foot-candles available to plants. Acclimating the lemon plant to full sunshine is a two-week process. Initially, place it in bright shade, with no direct sun, for one week. Move it then to a spot that gets no more than four hours and no less than two hours of morning sunshine. After a week there you can move it to full sunshine. If you're not sure it's ready to be moved from one spot to another, err on the side of caution and leave it there for a day or two longer.
Q: Can I plant pumpkin seeds in a pot and then let them spread and grow for Halloween? — Mary Boncek, email
A: It will have to be a BIG pot! Pumpkins have a big root system, needed to supply water to their numerous broad leaves. If you want to experiment, put a few seeds in a half whiskey barrel planter and let them grow. My bet is that by late July you'll have to water the plants twice a day to keep the soil moist enough for pumpkin health. It's much easier to grow pumpkins in tilled soil, where the roots can spread in any direction.
Q: Will a baking soda spray help to discourage fungal disease on tomato plants? — Sheila Carman, Massachusetts
A: It might … and it might not. Researchers have worked for several years on the use of various bicarbonates to control fungi. Some results have been positive, others not so much. If you want to experiment, use commercial products sold online, like Armicarb, Kaligreen or Remedy.
Q: Is there anything that will keep the neighborhood cats out of my raised beds? — Muriel Cash, email
A: I think a well-aimed motion-activated sprinkler would send the cats skedaddling. Look online for the ConTech Scarecrow or the Havahart Spray Away. The cats will be deterred by the blast of water these gadgets emit.
