Early peach May 22, 2013

Not really ripe just yet, but here is one of my first small fruits. Good thing I have friends that know more than me and tild me to take most of the fruit off the tree because this tree was loaded with peaches after breaking dormancy and coming into full bloom back in February. I took off all but 5 for this first year.

2-17-13 Lowcountry Fruit Growers Society (Pineapples) February 18, 2013

Yesterday was the third meeting of the Lowcountry Fruit Growers Society.  The main topic with how to grow your own pineapple fruit and a presentation was given by Kathy Woolsey.  Kathy has a website of her own http://www.CypressGardner.blogspot.com.  She did some great demonstrations and gave tips on how to grow your own pineapples started with a pineapple from the grocery store.  She gave some really great tips including how to pick out a good pineapple at the store.  I would like to pass on those interesting facts and tips on to you guys, so here goes.
To get a good pineapple at the grocery store make sure it has  some yellow on it and make sure you smell the pineapple.  It should smell sweet and delicious when you smell it.  It is always very important to smell your produce.  If it doesn’t smell good it probably won’t taste good either.
If you plan on keeping the top in order to grow a pineapple, make sure that the tops in pretty good shape in has a nice shape to it.  Before getting the core of your pineapple, which it helps to have a special tool for, cut off the top of the fruit.  After that you can go ahead and eat your pineapple.  If you have a pineapple corer that makes it a lot easier.
After that you can break the edges off of it and this will actually expose little roots that are already growing.

Pull off the leaves on about the first inch or so of the stem.  You might find roots growing there as well.  Set it in some damp soil. The soil should be well-drained soil, like a cactus mix potting soil. Make sure that you do not over water your pineapple or you will cause it to rot.
Keep your pineapple in what might seem like a very small pot for the size of it.  This helps get air into the root system, preventing root rot.  In about 4 to 6 weeks your pineapple should be starting to get some pretty good roots on it an after 2 to 3 months your pineapple will be ready to be planted into a 1 gallon pot.  Fertilize your pineapple with a good water-soluble fertilizer about every 2 weeks.  By the time your plant is 6 months old the roots should be filling the pot and ready to go into a 2 gallon pot.
To overwinter a pineapple plan on bringing it inside your home are in a green house or even your garage, as long as it won’t get below freezing.  Stop fertilizing during the winter and expect your pineapple’s growth to slow down significantly.  By spring your pineapple will probably be ready to go into an even larger pot, but always make sure that the roots actually fill the pot it’s already in before transplanting.  You should resume fertilization and place the pineapple in a location with full sun.
Many people are able to get a pineapple to grow but unable to get it to produce fruit.  If you seem to be having this problem try using over ripe apple slices or banana peels in the pot and covering it with sheet.  The fruit will produce ethylene gas which will cause the plant to go into flowering mode.  What’s your pineapple plant produces a flower, make sure that it is outside so the pollinators can get to it.  Poor pollination causes small fruit.  As your pineapple fruit begins to form and gets larger place bamboo sticks around it to keep it from falling over.  For the sweetest fruit, allow the pineapple to fully ripen and turn yellow on plant.  After the first fruit, most pineapple plants will produce 2 or 3 smaller pineapples.

First peach blossom January 30, 2013

I had a feeling after the warm weather the last couple days that I would find this and actually came over here just to check. I was right and here it is. My very first peach blossom. I’m sure more will open soon but for now it is just one flower on my florida king peach.

Florida King Peach tree ready for spring January 27, 2013

This is one of the trees I just transplanted and it seems to have taken the move ok. I am glad for the more wintery (for the Charleston, SC area anyway) weather we have had over the last week or so. I have been really worried that it will bloom and then be frozen, ruining any chances of me being able to eat a homegrown florida king peach this summer. Check out the buds on this thing.

I hope it either holds off a while longer or that spring is early without any major frosts. The last couple winters have been quite mild and a couple weeks ago it was in the 70’s most of the week. Some of my fruits need more chill hours so I hope it stays cool for a while longer or their buds will be immature and unable to produce fruit this year. Wish me luck. I am truely at the mercy of mother nature on this one.

First strawberry plants

I am sort of suprized to see this already but here it is. One of my little strawberry crowns has sent up a lovely set of leaves. I didn’t expect to see anything this quickly.

Good gardening weather January 14, 2013

Today is so warm and lovely that I decided to drag out all of the seeds, trays, flats, peat pots, etc and get some stuff started. I am starting both cool and hot weather plants. They will be the last of the cool and the first of the hot. Since it is so nice I set the dragonfruit cuttings and grapefruit seedlings out as well. I plan on bringing in everything except the tray of peatpots started with cool weather veggies and the tray with potting soil and lettuces in it. The one tray has tomatoes, peppers, okra, and cucumbers in it and will not only need to come inside but be set on a heat mat since I have been snuggling with my dog at night instead or turning on the furnace. I have been keeping the dragonfuits inside until now. They could have gone out yesterday for sure but when I am busy I neglect such things. Some of the cuttungs have roots escaping the bottom of their flat so I know it iis nearing time for their first transplanting even though only one actually shows any signs of new growth on top. I am happy to see good root growth and will plan to start giving some appropriate fertilizer after I get them transplanted. I will be asking more about them at the Lowcountry Fruit Growers Society meeting this Sunday coming up to make sure I am doing the right thing. I’m off to work as soon as I get cleaned up.

Ruby red grapefruit babies

2 of the “Ruby Red” seeds I planted a month or so ago are showing signs of life. I was starting to get skeptical.