Category: Practicum

Practicum Week 8: Asexual Reproduction

Propagating plants asexually vis divisions of crowns or through cuttings is super beneficial as it is a (usually) free alternative to getting more plants. If you have a mother plant, you can take lots of cuttings to get more “clones” of that plant. Especially if it is a really expensive or unusual variety, this is an extremely cost effective way to get more plants for yourself. The major disadvantage to this method of propagation is it takes a long time for especially cuttings but also certain crown divisions to establish itself—often a couple of years, which means its taking up space and not producing anything for you. There is also a pretty high rate of failure for cuttings success, which can be frustrating.

In terms of sexual reproduction versus asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction introduces genetic variance into the offspring; they have the genes of both parents which can be good or bad depending upon what you’re looking for. For example, it is good if the original plant wasn’t producing well in the climate you’re growing in as genetic variety may allow for better yields, etc. but it is bad if you can’t predict the outcome of the sexual reproduction (i.e. roses from seed versus from cuttings; you know what you’re getting from the cutting as it’s a clone of the mother plant but it’s a total crap shoot what you might get from seed due to the genetic variance of the two parent plants).

When taking a hard wood cutting, you should be taking the cutting in the winter when your plants are dormant. Use only last year’s growth not anything that’s woody. Cut into pieces with 2-3 leaf buds, with the bottom cut just below a bud (that is where the roots will come from). Dip in rooting hormone or willow water (if organic) and place into either pearlite, vermiculite, or some sand mixture. These mediums have very high pore space, which will allow the little roots to more easily push through the medium. Give them a good soak and water often, can use willow water en lieu of regular water if desired. Keep out of direct sunlight for a month.

Practicum Week 6: Raspberry Cultivation

If I were to grow raspberries, I would want a good mixture of varieties as well as a mix of summer-bearing and fall-bearing types. This would ensure a longer window of harvest and allow a good mix of flavors (and even colors) for customers to choose from. The fall-bearing varieties could also command a higher price as less growers are likely to have raspberries that late in the year. Additionally, because fall-bearing fruit buds are set on primocane (or first-year growth), maintenance could be as easy as mowing down the old canes every year at the end of the season.

To maintain the summer-bearing varieties, for the first year allow the primocanes to grow. Should use heading cuts on apical buds to encourage branching (done in the summer on primocanes). The next year, harvest from the floricanes. Remove floricanes immediately after harvesting all the berries. Maintain new primocanes using heading cuts.

No matter the variety, raspberries must be trellised to ensure larger yields, healthier/better tasting berries, and easier harvests. Trellising can be as easy as corralling the canes within two rows of wire set 12-18 inches apart. Generally raspberries grow so tall that you’ll need two sets of wire, one set around 30 inches from the ground, the others at 5 feet.

 

 

SOURCES

Fitzgerald, Tonie. Raspberries. Washington State University; Spokane County Extension. Accessed 12 Feb 2018.

Lockwood, David W. Berries; Pruning Raspberries and Blackberries in Home Gardens. Agriculture Extension Service; University of Tennessee. Accessed 12 Feb 2018.

 

Practicum Week 4: Kiwi Pruning

The hardy kiwis on the Organic Farm at the Evergreen State College are desperately overgrown and unmanaged. Since it would be really difficult to try to untangle and properly trellis the vines, what I would do is prune the male all the way back to two or three vines—just enough flowers for fertilization of the females. The male has overgrown and begun to encroach on the females, which will affect fruiting eventually.

According to Burnt Ridge Nursery—propagator, grower, and seller of hardy kiwi—it is very difficult to kill hardy kiwi by pruning if you prune during when the plant is dormant. Pruning in the spring, after it begins to push buds, is bad for the plant’s circulatory system and the cuts will not heal properly.

Kela pruning hardy kiwi berry
Photo: Allie Kuppenbender

What I would do:

  • Prune males after they’ve bloomed (late May, early June)
  • Males can be left as long as they are not entangling the females
  • Use heading cuts to bring the males in
  • Attempt to untangle cut male vines from female plant
  • Prune females only when the plant is dormant
  • Assess needs: how much fruit do you want over the next few seasons?
    • If proper trellising is the main priority: prune the females way back except for the cordons
    • Retrain the female cordons to the trellis properly
    •  If fruit is the main priority: prune accordingly (see below)
  • Prune back anything that is curling back on itself or twisting in anyway
  • Prune any second year growth (will not fruit again)
  • Prune anything that is dead and diseased (scrape test; if its not green get rid of it)
Pruned female hardy kiwi berry plant
Photo: Allie Kuppenbender

RESOURCES:

Growing Kiwifruit

UGa Minor Fruit

 

Practicum Week 2: Pruning 101

Before making any cuts, it is important to look at the tree you are about to prune and assess what the desired outcome for pruning. Pruning inevitably will

Dave pruning off a water sprout
Dave pruning off a water sprout
Photo: Allie Kuppenbender

decrease yield for that season, but over time it will increase the quality of fruit and decrease susceptibility to disease and pest pressure. Make sure to think about where the sunlight will hit the tree in the various seasons before ever even making any cuts. This assessment is critical to successful pruning. Pruning can be done either in the winter or early spring, when the tree is dormant, or in the summer. Winter pruning is generally more intensive, whereas summer pruning is mainly to increase sunlight and airflow in the center of the tree. Also keep in mind that, especially if you have neglected the tree for a while, this will be a multi-year process to achieve the ideal shape. In a given year, you should take out roughly 10-30% of the given tree without shocking its root system.

First Cuts I would:

Dave assessing a branch before a heading cut
Photo: Allie Kuppenbender
  • Take out suckers and water sprouts
  • Take out any crossing branches (either within the same tree or overlap on neighboring trees), look for which branches have the best crotch angles (ideally 45-60 degrees) as the branches to keep
  • Take out any diseased or dead wood

 

After these cuts, I would:

  • Do my heading cuts, which would bring the tree down and in (forcing more branching and less outward/upward growth)