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Lonesomedave
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Posts: 117
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:21 pm
Location: NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE- zone 6B - 7A on USDA plant hardiness map

I think I have made good progress

this is an update on several threads that I have been running in fruit and in tomatoes and other veg....just pulling them all together and issuing a progress report...and btw....happy birthday to ME.....looking over at my join date in my profile, it's exactly 2 years ago today!

about 2 years ago, I had run a thread on asparagus....to date.....back in '14 I planted 5 big (I mean BIG) plastic bins with asparagus, intentionally crowding them, but using incredible soil and feeding regularly. they have made great progress, putting up some real impressive spears and we have enjoyed eating them for a month or so.....I am now going to let them go, put all their energy into next years crop.....one year away, I think

as far as my pear trees (and one apple)....all are doing good...I have espaliered 6 pear trees to a fence in our front yard (matter of fact, I also did that in '14)....they are growing well, and a couple of em even have blooms this year....I will wait and see if any fruit develop, and if so, will thin it out to about 2 pieces per tree....don't want to stress the youngsters, but I am curious....all these trees, I think, are about 2 years away from actual production

on the strawberry front...I ordered 50 honeyeoye and 50 ozark beauties....we got them in about a week ago, and they all are showing good signs of life...the guy who helped me plant them had never planted strawberries before, so I had to show him how to do it....every plant he planted has perked up beautifully and I think we are on our way

the other night, I was looking at internet catalogs and saw an interesting berry....it is a strawberry called Mara Des Bois.....I decided to do it.... :mrgreen: ....I bought 100 of those, put in another 2 beds, and they came in, we planted them yesterday

I figure 200 berry plants ought to give me lots of berries starting next year, and maybe even a few this year.

have got most of my tomatoes in.....cherokee purple, brandywine, black cherry, sunsugar, and black krim....will put in kellog's breakfast tomato and maybe another variety when my nursery gets in their heirlooms....should be a couple of weeks

got spinach and cukes in.....will be doing some eggplant and squash and beans

other than that, not much happening in the garden... :()



/s/ dave

AnnaIkona
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Posts: 801
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2015 9:20 pm
Location: Canada zone 8b

Happy birthday to you! :) And wow that's lot of stuff you have done! Very impressive.

You mentioned a couple times that you ordered several plants online. May I ask how the plants were delivered? Was it stressful for them? Did they loose any leaves?
Sorry about the questions...I really want to order plants online but scared that they will be delivered poorly.

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Lonesomedave
Senior Member
Posts: 117
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:21 pm
Location: NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE- zone 6B - 7A on USDA plant hardiness map

nope and nope..... :mrgreen: ....they all arrived in excellent condition.

I think the secret to any successful plant relationship ( ordering/delivering/etc) is to deal with reputable companies who do this a lot

I looked on the internet and called them before I did business, but, in the end, they have all come thru like champs, whether they be the real biggee's like burpee's or gurney's or the slightly smaller, yet still reliable people I got my berries, trees (stark brothers) and asparagus from....I have ordered every single one of my long term plant projects and have not yet been disappointed

hope this helps

/s/ dave

AnnaIkona
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Posts: 801
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2015 9:20 pm
Location: Canada zone 8b

Thank you for the advice, Dave!
Have you ordered from any other company other than Stark Brothers that you have been satisfied with?
I really want to order some different varieties of strawberries online as I have been really inspired by some of the posts her on helpful Gardener forum.

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Lonesomedave
Senior Member
Posts: 117
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:21 pm
Location: NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE- zone 6B - 7A on USDA plant hardiness map

well.... I don't remember who I got my Honeyoye/Ozark Beauty from, but my Mara Des Bois came from a company called NOURSE....call them and see what you think.

there are several reliable people who do this...in the end, I decided based on several factors, not the least of which was price...I got fairly good prices on all my strawberries

as far as trees...I just don't think you can beat stark brothers....as I knew this would be a 20 year (or even longer) project, cost was not a factor...I wanted the best, and I feel stark is the best

for my asparagus, I went with a local tennessee company who specializes in asparagus....I figured their varieties would be acclimated to me, being from here and all, and they seem quite happy and contented... :mrgreen:

/s/ dave

AnnaIkona
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Posts: 801
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2015 9:20 pm
Location: Canada zone 8b

Thanks, Dave! I will have a look around the Web and call a few companies before I purchase.

Good luck on your garden! :) and hope your spring and summer crop is good!



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