“Aside from bad weather, too few bees can cause poor pollination. Honeybee colonies are dying due to colony collapse disorder (CCD). For insurance, create habitat for native solitary bees like the blue orchard mason bee. They are extremely efficient pollinators of numerous crops. Nest boxes for these and other native bees are available at most garden centers and on the internet.” Excerpted from “What’s Wrong
Read more →“Flies are members of the order Diptera, which means they have only two wings instead of four. This group includes many beneficial insects such as syrphid or hover flies, and tachinid flies, both of which are predators of destructive insect pests.” Excerpted from “What’s Wrong With My Fruit Garden?” by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth. Timber Press, December, 2013. Click here to order your copy
Read more →“Strawberries are highly ornamental and are welcome additions to any landscape. Shallow rooted, they find use as an excellent ground cover anywhere. Possibly the easiest of all fruit bearing plants to grow in a container you can easily accommodate strawberry plants in pots on your deck or patio.” Excerpted from “What’s Wrong With My Fruit Garden?” by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth. Timber Press, December,
Read more →“There are many different watermelon cultivars available with fruits that vary in size, flesh color, days to maturity, and whether they have seeds or are seedless. One interesting heirloom strain is called ‘Moon and Stars’ where the fruits and leaves are polkadotted with bright yellow, round spots.” Excerpted from “What’s Wrong With My Fruit Garden?” by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth. Timber Press, December, 2013.
Read more →“Pecan and walnut are related trees in the same botanical family, the Juglandaceae. Both of them are monoecious with dozens of tiny male flowers in four inch long dangly catkins and female flowers in small upright clusters of three to five at the branch tips.” Excerpted from “What’s Wrong With My Fruit Garden?” by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth. Timber Press, December, 2013. Click here
Read more →“The scientific name of this genus, Diospyros, comes to us from ancient Greek and refers to divine fruit, fruit of the gods, or food of the gods. People who know and love this fruit certainly agree. The divine flavor is complex, sweet and a little tangy, and the texture like jelly. You wait till they’re fully ripe and soft then you cut them open and
Read more →“What makes pomegranate flowers unusual is their size, to two inches wide, and their color, a glowing neon vermillion. Flower color varies by cultivar and can be orange, yellow, pink, or white, but the typical color is an intense orange-red. The flowers have five to seven crinkly, crepe-like petals and are very attractive to hummingbirds.” Excerpted from “What’s Wrong With My Fruit Garden?” by David
Read more →“Unlike apples, which are ready to eat right off the tree, pears are tricky. They have to go through the ripening process off the tree. If you let them hang on the tree till they’re fully ripe they turn to brown mush from the inside out.” Excerpted from “What’s Wrong With My Fruit Garden?” by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth. Timber Press, December, 2013. Click
Read more →“Each seed of the passionfruit is surrounded by an aril, a globule of orange liquid that is strongly aromatic, sweet/tart, and absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious. Cut the fruit in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon into a strainer. Strain out the seeds and preserve the orange liquid. Use the fragrant juice to make all manner of wonderful edibles, such as lilikoi cheesecake or
Read more →“The peach covers itself with large, pink, showy flowers in early spring. If the weather cooperates and the bees are active there will be baskets full of luscious fruit in summer. The flesh of the fruit either clings to the pit, called a cling peach, or separates easily from the pit, called a free-stone peach.” Excerpted from “What’s Wrong With My Fruit Garden?” by David
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