Growing fruit trees, berries, and vines

Beth Gallagher said:
My husband had to go to the ENT doc earlier so I decided to plant the lemon tree by myself. I think I pulled something in my back lifting the giant bags of potting mix, but it turned out pretty good. I put a bit of crushed rock in the bottom of the pot to help drainage, then I put volcanic rock on top of the soil to keep squirrels out. It doesn't look like much but it's taller than me. :D

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I should have cleaned up the exterior of the pot but I was in a hurry. Guess I'll get a wire brush and work on that later. Right now the sky has opened up and it is POURING rain.
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This video is about a group of vines that you can grow, and some will be perennial, depending on where you live. I think some, you can overwinter and then set back out in the spring if it is too cold to leave in the ground to come back up the next year.
I have grown Malabar spinach, and you can defnintely keep it inside as a house plant in the winter and then take new cuttings to plant outside the next year. I am doing that now with some that I overwintered inside the house.

I just got a chayote to see if i can sprout and grow it, and i might be able to cut it back and keep it overwinter, too. I have also tried growing the cucamelon, and it is an interesting little plant.
The fruit looks exactly like a teeny-tiny watermelon, but has a more cucumber-like taste. Mine did not overwinter, but I had it in a container, so it might have done better if it had been in the ground.

 
Trombocino squash I have grown it and recommend it to anyone who likes squash.
Ground nut I have tried it and it didn't really grow well here. It never produced anything and did not survive winter.
Passion flower I have never grown it or known anyone who has
Malabar spinach is grown here as a house plant but you have to keep it trimmed and supply artificial light here
Scarlet Runner Bean along with other runner beans, it grows here but only yields in the warmest years. It grew very well in the south though. Moose here will take the entire crop if they can reach it.
Hyacinth bean never tried it, but most African crops don't do well here
Akebia never tried it or know anyone who has here.
Cucamelon grew wild in Georgia--probably feral-and was used in sweet pickles or as a replacement for citron in fruit cake

One vine I would mention for growers in warm climates in the Loofah. Many people know it as a scrubber when mature, but the young fruit are edible and referred to as Chinese Okra. Be careful though, as it is very aggressive and can take over fences and buildings if given a chance.
Kiwi is another that will grow well in moderate climates, although it struggles here except when grown against a heated building.
 
The freezer is full of lemons from last year, and this tree is loaded with flowers again this year; not sure what to do with the ones coming? Lemon pies maybe and lemon aid.


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The sugar plum pear tree has had lots of flowers this year, still have a lot of pears canned from last year to eat. March winds have been blowing them off. It looked like snow from white flowers, under the lemon tree, a couple days ago.

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This year @Don Alaska, I will be getting the pole you told me about; to get the fruit off. Will not make the mistake I did last year climbing to top of 20 ft ladder and had to still use my snake grabber to reach them; so foolish of "me", to have done that. :unsure:
 
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Jake Smith said:
The freezer is full of lemons from last year, and this tree is loaded with flowers again this year; not sure what to do with the ones coming? Lemon pies maybe and lemon aid.


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The sugar plum pear tree has had lots of flowers this year, still have a lot of pears canned from last year to eat. March winds have been blowing them off. It looked like snow from white flowers, under the lemon tree, a couple days ago.

View attachment 1214

This year @Don Alaska, I will be getting the pole you told me about; to get the fruit off. Will not make the mistake I did last year climbing to top of 20 ft ladder and had to still use my snake grabber to reach them; so foolish of "me", to have done that. :unsure:
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I envy the lemon crop @Jake Smith.
 
My wife has certainly made lemon meringue pie @Jake Smith but I have not done pies much, even when I baked a lot. Getting pie crust to my satisfaction was not something I could do. Graham cracker crust I could probably pull off, but I seldom bake any more since my wife does not eat grain products containing rice or wheat any more.
 
Don Alaska said:
My wife has certainly made lemon meringue pie @Jake Smith but I have not done pies much, even when I baked a lot. Getting pie crust to my satisfaction was not something I could do. Graham cracker crust I could probably pull off, but I seldom bake any more since my wife does not eat grain products containing rice or wheat any more.
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I'm going to try it, did great with crust on apple, cherry, and coconut, so I'm sure the crust will be right. Hate to know you missing out on homemade pie. :(
 
Jake Smith said:
I'm going to try it, did gr eat with crust on apple, cherry, and coconut, so I'm sure the crust will be right. Hate to know you missing out on homemade pie. :(
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You will love your lemon meringue pie with home made crust, Jake!!! You can start with home squeezed lemon juice. I am so jealous. You can freeze the juice for all year pies! There are recipes online.
www.attainable-sustainable.net

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe from Fresh Lemons - Attainable Sustainable®

This homemade lemon meringue pie recipe might just be the perfect dessert. A sweet & tangy filling with a flaky pie crust and a fluffy meringue FTW!
www.attainable-sustainable.net www.attainable-sustainable.net
 
Mary Stetler said:
You will love your lemon meringue pie with home made crust, Jake!!! You can start with home squeezed lemon juice. I am so jealous. You can freeze the juice for all year pies! There are recipes online.
www.attainable-sustainable.net

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe from Fresh Lemons - Attainable Sustainable®

This homemade lemon meringue pie recipe might just be the perfect dessert. A sweet & tangy filling with a flaky pie crust and a fluffy meringue FTW!
www.attainable-sustainable.net www.attainable-sustainable.net
Click to expand...


Thank you, Mary for the link, I will come back later and study the recipe.
 
Starks is having a sale on fruit trees and berries with no shipping cost this weekend, so I ordered 6 more raspberry plants. The ones that we transplanted last summer just didn’t make it, probably because it was the heat of summer and just a bad time to transplant anything. I see one start coming up from where it got the other ones from, and i am going to look and see if i can find more.
Then, we will cultivate that area again, and plant the raspberries there, and this time they should grow and there is room for them to spread in coming years.

I also got 25 pack of strawberries, which are called “day-neutral” berries. They mostly produce in spring, and then more in small amounts during the summer and into fall. I think it said my raspberries will have a small fall crop , too. I have to look and see for sure.
Bobby made me a bed for the asparagus and one for strawberries right outside of the back door.
I was going to move some of the berries we already have into the new bed, but now, I am going to put the new strawberries there instead, and then fill in any empty spots from the old strawberry bed.
 
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I have been out picking the first strawberries the last couple of days, they are small compared to the store strawberries, but the flavor is excellent. I think I need to thin them out some, so I am going to transplant some to the little front yard garden. The black raspberries dont have much yet, but i see some flower buds on the red raspberries.
 
Not fruit trees but I am kind of excited this worked. I bought a HUGE pack of moringa seeds (not meaning to) two years ago but hemmmmed around about what I could do with them in this climate. I broke their shells last week and soaked them and then just kept them damp. Even after two years, the seeds sprouted. I am going to grow them indoors in winter after turning them into bushes if I can.
 
Yvonne Smith said:
Starks is having a sale on fruit trees and berries with no shipping cost this weekend, so I ordered 6 more raspberry plants. The ones that we transplanted last summer just didn’t make it, probably because it was the heat of summer and just a bad time to transplant anything. I see one start coming up from where it got the other ones from, and i am going to look and see if i can find more.
Then, we will cultivate that area again, and plant the raspberries there, and this time they should grow and there is room for them to spread in coming years.

I also got 25 pack of strawberries, which are called “day-neutral” berries. They mostly produce in spring, and then more in small amounts during the summer and into fall. I think it said my raspberries will have a small fall crop , too. I have to look and see for sure.
Bobby made me a bed for the asparagus and one for strawberries right outside of the back door.
I was going to move some of the berries we already have into the new bed, but now, I am going to put the new strawberries there instead, and then fill in any empty spots from the old strawberry bed.
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25 packs, thats good yall should be good on berries now.We don't have any strawberries yet.Haven't planted them since the others died.Need to buy some.
 
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