Q: There are deciduous hollies with plenty of berries every winter along the county road that leads to my house. Can I get some of these berries and plant them to get more growing in my yard? Susan Whittaker, Greensboro
A: Propagating deciduous hollies from seed is not for the impatient gardener. Collect berries in late winter and separate the red outer coat from the seed inside. Prime the seed by placing a layer of them one-half inch deep in a plastic pot filled with 1:2 mixture of sharp sand and moist peat. Put the pot in a plastic bag and store in a cool place (like in the crawl space under a house) for twelve months. The seeds are then ready to germinate and can be planted in a semi-shade bed covered with chicken wire to deter squirrels. Seedlings will emerge in late spring, when they can be transplanted to growing beds for observation. Since hollies have male flowers on 50 percent of the plants, you won't know for five years which of your seedlings are females that bear the berries you enjoy.
My advice instead is to air-layer small limbs to make several rooted cuttings. Start the process next summer and you’ll thereby be assured of the sex of your plant. To learn how to do this easy task, go to xrl.us/txlayering.
Q: I have a cherry tomato plant and about 80 percent of the fruit has cracks. Anything I can do ? Steve Thomas, email
A: Fruit cracking is usually caused by hot, dry weather followed by heavy rain or irrigation. The skin gets hard in dry weather but then can't grow fast enough to contain the added water. I think you need to adjust your watering schedule to be sure the soil is evenly moist throughout the summer.
Q: We have healthy five-year-old muscadine vines that do not produce fruit. They get plenty of sun. What is the problem? Terry Sides, email
A: Muscadines can have either "perfect" flowers, which can pollinate themselves or "imperfect" flowers, which require a perfect-flowered vine nearby. It's possible you have imperfect flowered varieties. Consider planting a pollen producing vine like 'Carlos', 'Fry', 'Nesbitt' or 'Triumph' nearby. For details on growing muscadines, see xrl.us/muscadines.
Q: I recently moved from NYC to Georgia. I bought a nectarine tree last year and was shocked to see it bear fruit. However, all of the fruits had a gooey gelatinous stuff on the skin. Kyile Hernandez, Grayson
A: Welcome South - we are glad you are here! Nectarines are just fuzz-less peaches and their care is similar. You'll quickly find that insects and diseases love nectarines as much as you do. The oozing could be from plum curculio insects or stinkbug damage or maybe from brown rot. You won't have success with peaches or nectarines unless you spray regularly with fungicide and insecticide. Get details and a home orchard spray guide at xrl.us/curculio.
Q: I recently put up a metal arbor. I'd like to plant a flowering vine to grow over it and was thinking of Carolina jasmine. Is this a good idea? George Snyder, email
A: I have an arbor with Carolina jasmine planted on both sides. The scent when it flowers in May is intoxicating! Other than an occasional haircut to keep it growing tight to the metal, no care is needed.
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