S3E29 Garden questions from 9-14-19 Part 2 of 2 - The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener radio show

Replay of The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener Radio Show from 9-14-19
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In segment 4 Joey and Holly answer Garden questions.

Garden questions

1. My pear trees make very juicy but alittle on the tart side which we all love. I pick them before they fall. I would like to juice and store them with their tart yet sweet flavor intact. Any advice would be appreciated!

As long as you dont add sugar to the juice, the flavor should stay.

2. How do best propagate blackberries?
Take trimmings, either put them directly in a soil free mix, or put the cuttings in water and once they form good roots you can plant them in soil
A: Blackberries can be propagated through leafy stem cuttings as well as root cuttings. If you want to propagate lots of plants, leafy stem cuttings are probably the best way to go. This is usually accomplished while the cane is still firm and succulent. You’ll want to take about 4-6 inches of the cane stems. These should be placed in a moist peat/sand mix, sticking them in a couple inches deep. Note: Rooting hormone can be used but is not necessary. Mist well and put them in a shady location. Within three to four weeks, roots should begin to develop.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Propagating Blackberries – Rooting Blackberries From Cuttings https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blackberries/propagating-blackberries-cuttings.htm

3. What should I be doing this fall to prepare an area for a garden next spring? We bought a house that doesn't have an existing garden, but a large yard with great sunshine. Should we break ground now or in the spring? Its lovely black dirt, but should we buy soil to mix in? It's just grass lawn growing currently.

4.susan writes in and wants to know I am looking for a good fertilizer to put in my garden beds over the winter so that the fertilizer just seeps into the ground on its own and then next spring I can mix things up if need be. My beds are 2 feet wide by 6 feet long by 1 1/2 feet deep. Thank you for your help
A:

5. Question about protecting tomatoes searched your web site but didn’t find anything.
I saw tomatoes in mesh bags at a botanical garden. No one around to ask why or if this would keep the chipmunks away from the fruit. I hate finding bites in ripening tomatoes
Also if this does work does color of the mesh make a difference? I have organize colored mesh bags from golf course Thanks Rosemary
A:Thats to prevent cross pollination. It wouldn't stop chipmunks

6. Hi TWVG! Re: Recycling. For pizza boxes- tear off areas that ARE dry (lid/sides) and recycle them. Please don't toss the whole box! Also, we're encouraged to recycle styrofoam and bottles w/ caps on in my city. Everyone should check their local rules to maximize recycling. ty

Q. What should I be doing this fall to prepare an area for a garden next spring? We bought a house that doesn't have an existing garden, but a large yard with great sunshine. Should we break ground now or in the spring? Its lovely black dirt, but should we buy soil to mix in? It's just grass lawn growing currently.

A:You can dig it up now, if you are concerned about possible toxic soil it'd be good to get a soil test. You could also wait til spring, IF you turn it over now you can rake leaves and pile them on top of the area and as the leaves break down they will feed your soil. Your soil sound fairly rich in nutrients, but a soil test would be more telling. Aside from the soi(continued)