An abundance of garden fruits have had good growing seasons this year, like honeyberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Cherries and plums had a good run, too, and now, in the late summer, many home gardeners are wondering when to harvest apples and pears.
The key to harvesting these fruits is to know which variety you've planted. Some varieties of pears and apples are early-maturing, some mid-season, some late. Knowing the type of fruit will give you a ballpark idea of when you should start harvesting.
If you have an apple tree and the fruits are starting to color up well, pick one and cut it in half. If the seeds inside are brown, then it's mature and you can harvest your apples. Even if they have a tart flavor, they will continue to sweeten in storage.
For pears, the harvesting practice is a bit different. If they ripen on the tree, they might get mushy so try to harvest them on the immature side and then let them ripen indoors.
And another great way to know when to harvest pears is to take hold of a pear fruit and move it horizontally while its still attached to the tree. If the fruit separates easily from the tree, it's ripe and ready to harvest.
Which critter is nibbling carrot seedlings before they can mature?
Q: I've made a few attempts to direct seeds, cilantro, basil, carrots, spinach and beets into the garden. Each time, somebody's eating the tiny leaves as soon as they come up, so the plants don't even grow. I've never had this problem before. Who is eating the tiny seedlings? No one's eating the more mature plants. I've seen a lovely toad in my garden. Is she the culprit? - Celia, via email
A: Chances are that it's not the toad! It's more likely that the culprits are slugs and snails.
Because we've had consistently wet weather all summer in our region, your seedlings haven't had a chance. Whenever any tiny seedlings emerge, the slugs and snails are ready to pounce and eat them! And they are active at night, so you probably wouldn't see them.
This time of year, use an organic bait called "Sluggo." It's an iron phosphate-based bait that won't harm the plants or other creatures in the soil, but it will kill the slugs and snails.
Orange spots on plum tree might be a fungal disease
Q: I bought a Mount Royal plum several years ago. It never grew fruit, so last year, I put in a superior plum, and I've now got fruit on both trees. However, I just noticed the bark of the superior plum has all kinds of ugly orange spots on it. The leaves are eaten up. The fruit has orange spots too. What should I do? - Sylvia, in Lyndon
A: What you're seeing on your plum tree might very well be rust disease. That's usually a disease you find on apples and pears, but it can affect plums trees, too.
To combat it, if it's possible to relocate your trees, you can increase the airflow by planting them in a windier area. That might help the rust disease to never get a foothold on your trees.
Since this is a fungal disease, the rust has had a chance to spread because of our wet spring and summer. One preventive measure to try this winter: When it gets above 40 degrees, spray dormant oil or horticultural oil on the trunk, branches and especially the buds of both of the plum trees. That may kill the fungal spores.
Easy bulbs for small containers
Q: I've just been given four 12-inch planters to put on my deck, which gets good afternoon sun. Any suggestions on what bulbs to plant this fall that are preferably perennial and easy to care for by an elderly caregiver? - Marion, via email
A: Bulb season is close and you'll begin to see them for sale in your favorite local garden center soon, too. Come October, you can begin to try to force some bulbs in your containers over the winter.
If the containers are on the smaller side, stick with small flowering bulbs, like narcissus, crocus and scillas. Species tulips could even work for this. You can plant a mix of smaller bulbs and that would create a succession of blooms next spring. You can just plant all one type, too, like daffodils or tulips.
Once planted, keep the container of bulbs in a cool, dark space like a basement or closet for 14 to 16 weeks. Then in late February or early March, bring your container out of the basement or closet and force it to flower indoors. You could also wait until April and bring the container outdoors and have it bloom then, too!
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