AboutTom Alonzo Expertise I have been growing plants from seeds for at least 20 years. I have grown literally hundreds of different kinds of vegetables, trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, tropicals, some cacti, water plants, iris, rose, lilies, cannas, etc. I enjoy starting from seed.
Experience I've been growing my own seeds for 20 years with indoor propagation equipment I built myself. I am also an Allexperts volunteer on the perennial forum. I have completed the Master Gardener course through the Kansas State University Extension. I have experience with a wide variety of seeds and I have also read through Norm Deno's books on seed germination.
Question QUESTION: hope you can help. my tree is 17 years old , it use to have white flowers for 10 years but no cherry , we got a couple more fruit trees now we have 100;s of cherry there all most black now , and are so small about the size of a pea , how can i get my cherry to grow bigger? please help! ps my grape also are small , thanks lena
ANSWER: Hi Lena,
Thanx for your question. Your tree needs fertilizer as does your grape. You need to find out what kind of soil you have. There are soil testing kits available at most DIY or hardware stores and nurseries or contact your local county extension office. They will usually conduct soil tests for a small fee. If you need help locating your local extension office, let me know your county and state.
Use 0-10-10 or 15-30-15 fertilizer rated for fruit trees. Apply fertilizer around the drip-line which is the area around the trees where rainwater drips off the leaves onto the ground. Apply mulch around the tree and keep it 6-8 inches away from the trunk. Keep weeds and grass pulled as they draw nutrients away from your fruit trees and grapes. Water around the drip-line to get the fertilizer into the soil.
Please contact your local county extension agent for local growing conditions or let me know your general location and I'll find contact information for you. I hope this helps.
Tom
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QUESTION: THANKS AND I LIVE IN GLEN BURNIE , MARYLAND
Answer Hi Lena,
Thanx for the additional information. Please give the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service a call. Here is your contact information. The information is free and a service of you state agricultural college. I hope this helps.
Tom