It’s been a mild and springlike March and that means it’s time for gardening. If you’ve got questions, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University’s Extension Service. OSU Extension faculty and Master Gardeners reply to queries within two business days, usually less. To ask a question, simply go to the OSU Extension website and type one in and include the county where you live. Here are some questions asked by other gardeners. What’s yours?
Q: Last year, for the first time, my grapes appeared with a fungus or other covering that made them inedible. The grapes are purple and they are eating grapes. They’ve been wonderful for years until last year. The fruit was covered with a dark fuzzy material and the crop (one plant) was a total loss. Is this a fungus? I haven’t been feeding them so I’m probably at fault. I pruned them back hard this month in hopes that this would help. I hadn’t done so before. What are your thoughts? – Multnomah County
A: Your description sounds like they had bunch rot, also referred to as botrytis rot. It is a fungus disease in which the affected grapes shrivel and may develop a gray to blackish growth on the surface.
Unfortunately, this is a common problem with our wet spring weather. The tight spacing of the fruits on the cluster limits surface drying each day which is critical for healthy fruit development. Fertilizer is seldom needed for local grapes. Grapes do well on their own in our region due to the combination of the vine’s deep roots plus our nutrient-rich clay-based soils.
The fungus survives from year to year on the canes and on any shriveled fruit which remains on the vine or has dropped to the ground. I suspect your hard pruning has taken care of that issue. But do check for fallen fruits; if any are found, collect them and put them in the trash. No chemicals are available to home gardeners to manage this disease. Instead, you must rely on cultural strategies. Here are some adapted from our official disease management recommendations. Your overall goal is to provide excellent air circulation within, and around, the vine and fruit clusters:
- Remove leaves adjacent to clusters at the fruit set to pea-sized stage. Removing leaves too early may decrease fruit yield, and after the pea-size stage may be ineffective. Avoid sunburn by removing only the morning-sun side (east or north) of the canopy.
- Use an appropriate trellising system to increase aeration and sun exposure.
- Avoid excessive vegetative growth in the home garden by generally avoiding irrigation and fertilizer.
- Wherever some grape clusters abut each other, remove one of the two early on, thereby increasing drying of the remaining fruits.
This free publication may also be helpful: Growing Table Grapes. – Jean Natter, OSU Extension Master Diagnostician
Consider a soil test before planting blueberries. Photo courtesy of OSU Extension Service
Q: I’m looking to plant a blueberry patch on my property. I have room to plant anywhere from 30- by-50 feet to 50- by-100 feet. Our elevation is 450 feet. I’d like blueberries blooming for as many months of the summer as possible, but want decent tasting berries. We typically freeze them and use them in baking throughout the year, but we also want to invite our family and friends out to pick to their hearts desire.
I’m looking for suggestions on varietals, quantity to get correct pollination, spacing, irrigation and providing the right nutrients to get the best quality blueberry. I’ve done some research online and found that I am getting a little information overload. Do you have information that can help guide me in the right direction? Do you know anyone that would come in and plant them properly (with my help)? – Multnomah County
A: The Willamette Valley is a great place to grow blueberries. I have several recommendations for you from OSU Extension.
- “Growing Blueberries in Your Home Garden”. This extensive publication has all the information you need to make the decision of where to plant, how to plant, and what cultivars to plant. There is a handy chart of cultivars listed in order of ripening. I would plant multiples of each of the cultivars that meet your criteria. I would also start with a smaller patch. I personally have eight blueberry plants. This past summer, I picked them weekly for six weeks. This took several hours each time and gave us over 75 pounds of berries that made it into the freezer. All that to say there is a time commitment to care for blueberries and to harvest them. This time of year, though the effort is a distant memory and blueberry pancakes, pies, and muffins make it worth the effort.
- The most important step to successfully growing blueberries is taking the time to properly prepare the soil. Blueberries are super particular about soil pH. They grow in a pH range of 4.5-5.5. They will wither and die if the pH is out of their range. Amending the soil takes time. It isn’t an instant fix, pH moves slowly. A Guide to Collecting Soil Samples, details how to take a soil sample.
- The next step is to actually send the soil sample to a soil analytical lab. They will test it for you and include nutrient recommendations for the particular crop you want to grow, in this case, blueberries. Analytical Laboratories Serving Oregon, has a listing of several labs from which to choose. A soil test is inexpensive and worth every penny. By following their guidelines, your plantings will flourish instead of struggling.
You can see that your potential blueberry patch will start with soil preparation and might take a year before planting. While you are waiting for the results, you can then concentrate on choosing cultivars.
When you actually get to planting, you might be confident to do it yourself after reading the OSU blueberry publication. If not, you will need to contact landscaping companies to find help. OSU cannot give any recommendations.
Enjoy your blueberries. They are one of life’s great treasures. – Anna Ashby, OSU Extension Master Gardener
The Link LonkMarch 14, 2021 at 10:00PM
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Ask an expert: Excellent air circulation is key to clearing up grape bunch rot - OregonLive
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