The word kiwi can refer to the smallest cousin of emus and ostriches (Apterygidae Apteryx), the people of New Zealand, or a delicious fruit that you might want to add to your garden or foodscape. Kiwifruit are native to China. Commercial cultivation didn’t start until the early 1900’s.

Kiwifruit cultivars

Your first decision, when growing kiwifruit, is to decide which species is best suited to your microclimate and taste. Collectively, kiwifruit are the berries of approximately 60 different woody vines in the Actinidia genus. The cultivars you see most often in the grocery are the ‘Blake’, ‘Hayward’, and ‘Saanichton’ kiwifruits. Some kiwi cultivars don’t taste good at all, but you probably won’t find them for sale at your local garden center. Nearly all of the fuzzy varieties of kiwifruit (A. deliciosa) are enjoyable to eat. Other varieties can also be quite tasty:

• Chinese egg gooseberry (Actinidia coriacea)
• Golden kiwifruit (A. chinensis) - green to yellow fruit; sweeter than most; short storage life
• Hearty red kiwifruit (A. purpurea)
• Purple kiwifruit (A. melanandra)

Traveling in Germany a few years ago, I was a little confused by grids of 20-foot poles pointing skyward. They looked alien, like a giant, bristling growth. That was before I learned about hops.

Hops are flowers from the Humulus lupulus plant and they love to grow up!

Hops in beer

I do not know how to make beer, so my knowledge in this area is limited. I do know that hops have been used in beer-making since the 9th century. Before that, other flowers and bitter herbs were used, including dandelion, marigold, horehound, and burdock root, in a mash called gruit. One of the main reason brewers switched to using hops was because there was a tax on gruit, but no tax on hops. Of course, that situation was only temporary. Hops are said to have an antibacterial effect, as well as providing a bitterness that balances malt’s sweetness. It is the unfertilized female flowers that are used in beer-making. The acids in beer have sedative properties, with or without alcohol.

Hops varieties

The flavor and aroma of hops flowers is largely the result of where they are grown. While there are many different hops cultivars, the plants can be [overly] simplified into three different types: American, British, and Continental European. American hops are robust, heavy producers with long sidearms. They tolerate a wider range of soil pH and soil structures. American hops are generally planted 4 feet apart in rows that are 14 feet apart. Common American varieties include Willamette, Chinook, Brewers Gold, and Zeus. British and Continental European varieties are genetically different from the American varieties. They have smaller, finer root systems and are less tolerant of soil variations. These varieties have shorter sidearms and can be grown 3 feet apart in 12-foot rows. This allows for more plant density on the same acreage. British varieties prefer more alkaline soil (pH 6.5 or higher) and can tolerate heavier soils. Common British varieties include Viking, Fuggie, and Challenger. Continental European varieties, such as Magnum, Glacier, and Pearle, prefer more acidic soil (pH 5.5 to 6.2). One subset of the European hops, referred to as noble hops, are less bitter, with a stronger aroma than others. These hops are used to make Pilsners and other mild beers.

Hops plant structure

Hops flowers are green, soft-petalled seed cones, also known as strobiles. Hops plants are dioecious, which means the plants are either male or female. To prevent male pollen from fertilizing the female flowers, plants are propagated vegetatively. When hops plants are grown from seed, the males are culled as soon as they are seen, similar to other flower bud crops. The hops vine is called a bine. As the bine wraps around a support, side branches, called sidearms, emerge. At the end of the growing season, everything aboveground dies back. In spring, the roots put out new bines and the whole process begins again.

How hops grow

Hops plants are fast growing, perennial climbers. That’s what all those poles and strings were - hopfields or hop yards. Hops grow from rhizomes that are placed in ‘hills’ or mounds that are 6 to 12 inches high. This helps with drainage. The rhizomes are placed 4 inches below the soil surface. Commercially produced hops are generally started in pots, in March. Then they grow in greenhouses until July. Plants are placed 7 to 8 feet apart in a grid formation that matches a series of poles that support strings used by the hops plants to climb toward the sun. In these commercial fields, air flow is critical to disease and pest management, so the bottom 3 feet of foliage is removed. If you are growing just a few plants for yourself, you don’t need to do that.

Sweet, luscious pineapple - try growing it at home!

If you are lucky enough to live in California, you might be able to grow a pineapple plant for yourself. While you may or may not get fruit, it’s an interesting experience and, hey, it just might work! (Plus, three-fourths of the world’s pineapple crop comes from Costa Rica, where they use a lot of pesticides. Just sayin’)

​Pineapples got their name back in the 1600s because European explorers thought they resembled pine cones, which were called 'pine apples' at that time. The Latin names, Ananas comosus, mean ‘excellent fruit’ and ‘tufted’, respectively. Pineapples are cousins to bromeliads, and the fruit are technically berries.

When a pineapple seed is pollinated, the fruit isn’t considered marketable. In Hawaii, where the majority of pineapples used to be grown, hummingbirds could not be imported, for fear that they would pollinate all the pineapples. There are some wild pineapple plants that only flower at night and these are pollinated by bats. 

How to start your own pineapple plant

You can try growing your own pineapple from the crown of a mature fruit. Simply follow these steps:

1. Wash the pineapple thoroughly to remove pests, chemicals, and other nasties.
2. Slice off the top part of the fruit, or the crown, removing layers until a circle of brown spots are seen. These spots are root buds.
3. Pull off enough leaves to expose and inch or so of the stalk.
4. Let it dry out for several days, up to two weeks. This is important.
5. Place the crown gently into/on top of loose soil and water lightly.
6. Water regularly, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.
7. Monitor for rooting.
8. Repot, as needed.

Currants are edible plants, native to the northern hemisphere.

Not to be mistaken with the tiny black raisins made from black Corinth grapes, currants are members of the Ribes family, along with gooseberries and jostaberries (a cross between currants and gooseberries).

​Most Americans are unfamiliar with currants because they were banned in 1920. This ban was put in place because currants are co-hosts, along with white pine, to white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola). This fungal disease was devastating to white pines on the east coast. That ban was lifted, in 1966, as resistant cultivars were developed.

​The small, pea-sized fruits can be red, pink, white, or black and are produced in clusters called ‘strigs’. Currants are tart, so they are not usually eaten fresh. They are more commonly used for jams, jellies, pies, syrups, wine and brandy. The flowers are also edible.

Currant plants are thornless, deciduous shrubs that make excellent additions to native gardens. They are drought tolerant and provide food and shelter to many indigenous birds. Native Americans frequently used currants as both food and medicine. In particular, they used currant roots to treat menstrual and menopausal problems. Scientists have found that currant roots and seeds contain high levels of gamma-Linolenic acid, a chemical known to be effective for those same issues.

Currant varieties

According to Wikipedia, there are black currants, red currants, and white currants. According to the University of Massachusetts, “Species are Ribes rubrum (most red currants and some whites), R. petraeum (white), R. vulgare (pink, white, and red), and R. nigrum and R. ussurienses (black). Native currants… belong to the species R. odoratum."

My order of Golden Currants (Ribes aureum) just arrived. Clearly, there is some confusion. Here’s the bottom line, as well as I can figure: 

• Ribes aureum (R. odoratum) - native to North America (except southeastern U.S.); drought tolerant; smaller shrub with yellow flowers; loses its leaves in late August
• R. petraeum - a vigorous shrub from Europe and north Africa
• R. rubrum - red and white currants are really the same plant with different colored fruit; an upright shrub from northern Europe
• R. sativum (R. vulgare) - a large-fruited spreading shrub from western Europe

How to grow currants

Traditionally, currants grow in cool climates with fertile, well-drained soil, where they are found in full sun or partial shade. Currants prefer heavier soil and more shade. Mulch can be used to keep roots cool and moist in summer. Most currant bushes reach 3 to 5 feet in height, but they can go as tall as 9 feet, under ideal conditions. Currents can be grown in large containers. Currants are normally purchased as bare root stock or young saplings that were propagated from hardwood cuttings. These young currant bushes need a lot of water to get established, but are very drought tolerant later on. Currents also need a lot of potassium. My clay garden soil tends to have plenty of that, so no treatment is needed around here. Most currant plants are self-pollinating, but production is significantly higher per plant with multiple plants nearby.

Pruning currants

Currants can be pruned as shrubs or trees, depending on your preferences and the plant’s location. Currants should be pruned once a year in winter using a method called renewal pruning. Renewal pruning ensures that there are fruit-producing 2- and 3-year old stems each year. Use the following pruning schedule on currants:

• Year One -  remove all but up to three stems at ground level
• Year Two - remove all but two or three of the previous season’s new stems 
• Year Three - repeat Year Two
• Year Four and ever after - remove any stems that are more than 3 years old and trim back any low-hanging branches

Pests & diseases of currants

Aphids, mites, currant borers, and the larva of some moths and butterflies are really the only pests that bother currants. Problems are more commonly caused by mineral imbalances in the soil or improper irrigation. Rust, powdery mildew, anthracnose, and leaf spot can sometimes appear on currants.

Since currant flowers tend to appear early in the season, sometimes as early as February, they provide pollen and nectar to our earliest pollinators. This helps set the stage for a more productive year overall. Each bush can produce up to 10 pounds of fruit, so it won’t hurt to leave some behind for the birds.

Add some native golden currants to your home garden in early spring or late fall for many years of fruit and flowers!

Why grow hazels?

The obvious reason for growing a hazel bush is the delicious nuts. Hazelnut plants can produce food for 80 years! Hazelnut shrubs also make excellent, drought tolerant anchor plants in the landscape. Traditionally, hazels were planted as hedgerows between properties and grazing fields. They were frequently coppiced, or cut to ground level to stimulate new growth, to provide long, slender poles for basket-making and wattle and daub fencing.

Unlike most plants, hazelnuts bloom and pollinate in winter. Yellow pollen-crusted catkins release their bounty to the wind, which carries it to tiny red flowers. There, the pollen stays dormant until summer. That’s when the nuts start to form.

Hazels are monoecious, or hermaphroditic, having both male catkins and female flowers on the same plant. Catkins are hanging flower clusters that contain pollen. Hazelnuts are self-infertile, which means you will need more than one plant to produce a crop of edible nuts.

Members of the hazel family are all deciduous. Some are trees and some are suckering shrubs. These suckers can be used to to create new shrubs elsewhere on your property or given to family and friends to start their own. Commercially, the suckers are generally removed and the shrub is trained into a tree form, to make management and harvest easier. What you do with yours is entirely up to you, but it is nice to have options!

How to grow hazelnuts

If you have access to suckers, use them! Otherwise, you can plant nuts in loose soil and water occasionally. Germination rates and speed can be increased by scarification, or scoring the outer layer of the nut. Once seedlings are 12 inches tall, they can be transplanted to their permanent location. They will begin producing nuts in their 3rd or 4th year. These nuts grow in clusters called burrs.

Hazels are shallow-rooted plants that cannot tolerate soggy ground. They are drought tolerant and require little effort on your part, once they are established. Only during the peak of hot summers do they need any irrigation.

Hazelnut pests and diseases

One very serious threat to hazelnuts has kept them from being grown commercially in the Eastern U.S. It is called eastern filbert blight. Our native species are resistant, and some are immune. This disease has recently made its way west to Oregon and California. Pests include bud mites, jay birds, and squirrels. Ads claim that giant eye floating balloons are a good way to keep birds out of fruit and nut trees, but I was unable to find any research that verified those claims.

Harvesting hazelnuts

Hazelnut harvesting begins in autumn, as the leaves and burrs turn brown. Remove nuts from the burrs and lay them out in a single layer, in a protected area, to dry for a few days. Roasting makes it easy to remove the inner paper, which can taste bitter, and it brings out that rich hazelnut flavor that we all know and love!

Blueberry varieties

There are three main types of blueberry plant: southern highbush, northern highbush, and rabbit eye. Southern highbush and rabbiteye varieties often perform well in higher temperatures. Generally, the northern highbush types need more chilling hours than my garden can provide. Even when they do grow, the fruit often lacks good flavor. Also, the northern highbush types will take longer to start producing fruit in warmer areas. Two popular southern highbush varieties for warm areas are Southmoon and O’Neal. Santa Clara County Master Gardener offer this list of blueberry plants that perform well in warmer climates.

Prepare for planting

Blueberry plants are nearly always sold as 1-gallon yearlings.These young plants will benefit from 7 to 10 days of acclimation, or hardening off, after growing in a greenhouse. Be sure to keep the soil moist but not soggy. The root system is a hairy ball that should never be allowed to dry out completely. If it does, the plant dies. At the same time, too much water can set the stage for fungal disease. Yeah, I know - picky, picky, picky! Of course, once you start picking scrumptious blueberries off your very own edible hedge, you’ll realize it’s well worth the effort. 

How to grow blueberries

So, choose the best varieties for your microclimate and taste. Even though most blueberry plants are self-pollinating, you will get a substantial increase in both fruit quantity and quality through cross-pollination with multiple plants. Plants should be spaced 4 to 6 feet apart. Blueberries perform best with 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day, so select the site accordingly. Good drainage is important, too, so be sure to amend the planting area with plenty of aged compost. This is critical in area with compacted clay soil. Plants should be placed with the crown at soil level. Since blueberries have a shallow root system, you can help them stay happy and healthy by mulching and watering regularly in summer. Blueberries can also be grown in containers.

Feeding blueberries
​
Blueberries seem to prefer ammoniacal nitrogen based fertilizers over nitrate based. I have heard tell that blueberries do not take up the nitrogen in nitrate based fertilizers. Too much nitrogen can burn blueberry plants, so do not feed until leaves have emerged, and then feed sparingly.

Acidifying blueberry soil

Blueberries prefer a soil pH of 4.5 to 5.5. To really know what you are working with, have your soil tested by a reputable lab. Over-the-counter test kits and strips are unreliable. Unless you want to spend hundreds of dollars on lab equipment, lab tests are really the only way to go. If it ends up that acidification is needed, try amending the soil with coffee grounds, citrus rinds, or oak leaves. You can also buy commercially available acidifiers. Keep in mind that changing pH is a slow process and that it requires regular monitoring.

Blueberry pests and diseases

Citrus thrips, katydids, light brown apple moth, masked chafer, blueberry bud mites, cranberry weevils, scale insects, Pacific flathead borers, plum curculio, sharp nosed leafhoppers, spotted wing drosophila, span worms, and Asian longhorn beetles will all try attacking your blueberry plants, but birds will probably cause the most damage. Personally, I built cage frames around my blueberry bushes and stapled netting to the frame. It works very nicely. Common blueberry diseases include twig blight, canker, stem blight, mummy berry, anthracnose, and blueberry stunt disease. Removing dead or diseased canes and treating with dormant oil can go a long way toward protecting your blueberry plants.

Your blueberry plants can live for 20 years, producing fruit after the third year. 

What summer picnic would be complete without the tang of rhubarb pie? 

While purists may enjoy their rhubarb raw, dipped lightly in sugar, many of us prefer rhubarb pie with luscious strawberries. However you eat rhubarb, it is a sturdy perennial that can provide shape, color, and food in a garden or landscape for decades. These plants can get pretty big, making rhubarb excellent anchor plants in a foodscape.

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is generally a cool season plant. It needs temperatures below 40ºF in the winter and prefers temperatures below 75ºF in the summer. That being said, I have had excellent success with rhubarb in San Jose (CA) where our peak summer heat can reach above 100°F.

You may be surprised to learn that rhubarb is related to buckwheat. If you look at the seeds, you can see the similarity. Rhubarb is believed to have started in Asia, some 5,000 years ago. Marco Polo is cited as the one who brought it to Europe and Benjamin Franklin carried rhubarb to North America, way back in the 1700s!

How to grow rhubarb

When selecting a site for rhubarb, keep the plant’s mature size in mind. Rhubarb plants can reach 3’ in height and 4’ in diameter. Rhubarb generally prefers full sunlight, but mine are under a small apricot tree (which probably protects the rhubarb from our summer heat). In temperate regions, the rhubarb harvest begins in April and continues until September.

Individual plants will be productive for 8-20 years, but, since they grow from rhizomes, the plants will replace themselves over time. [Side note: my mother purchased a 200-year old farm house in Upstate New York many years ago and decided to plant rhubarb along the southern side of an outbuilding. Apparently, the original owners felt the same way because, come spring, not only did the new plants come up, but so did the offspring of the original plants! Needless to say, Mom had plenty of rhubarb!]

Rhubarb can be grown in large containers, as long as there is enough room for a season’s growth. Rhubarb will do much better in the ground. Follow these steps to get your rhubarb patch started:

1. Select a site large enough for the plants, where they will get plenty of sunlight.
2. Clear all weeds from the area.
3. Top dress the bed with aged compost, since rhubarb prefers nutrient rich, well-drained soil.
4. In early spring (or fall), dig a large hole for each plant, spacing plants 4’ apart.
5. Plant one-year rhubarb crowns 2-3” below the soil surface and cover with aged compost or manure, before bud or leaf growth is visible.
6. Mulch with straw or aged compost and water well. Rhubarb plants are heavy feeders and will need repeated applications of compost throughout the year.
7. Do not apply chemical fertilizers to rhubarb in the first year. Chemical nitrates can kill young rhubarb plants. Mature plants can be fed one cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer each spring.
8. Be sure water regularly during summer to prevent bolting.
9. If flower stalks do appear, remove them. Flowering and going to seed will use up nutrients better spent producing roots and edible stalks. Also, rhubarb grown from seed is often not as tasty as plants grown from crowns.
10. Mature plants should be dug up, separated, and replanted every 3-4 years while they are dormant (early spring or fall).
11. Be alert for crown rot, the only real problem for rhubarb. Most insects do not bother rhubarb, probably due to the oxalic acid* in the leaves.
12. Do not harvest rhubarb stalks the first year. This gives the root system time to get established.

After the harvest has ended, remove any dead plant material and cover the plants with 2-4” of mulch. Underneath this protective cover, the plants will rest and prepare for the next growth season.

How to grow grapes

1. Select a site with full sun and good drainage.
2. Build and install a sturdy trellis to support the vines and ensure good sun exposure.
3. Start with one-year old bare root grape vines or healthy cuttings.
4. Trim off any broken or damaged roots.
5. Soak the vines in a bucket of water for 1-6 hours, depending on how dried out they feel.
6. Dig planting holes that are 2-3 times the diameter of the plant.
7. Place the vines 6-10 feet apart with two bud spurs at soil level.
8. Water well at planting time to help the soil settle around the roots.
9. During the first two years, allow vertical and horizontal shoots to grow so the leaves can produce energy for a strong root system. You may need to  provide a vertical stake to help the shoots reach the trellis.
10. Once the vine is established, select the strongest vertical shoot to become the trunk and remove all the others.
11. Start training vines during the winter, when they are dormant. The main trunk should be ‘headed’ (trimmed) when it reaches the top trellis wire. Canes should not be not be cut during the growing season.

Pruning grape vines 

The variety of grapes being grown determines which of two pruning methods to use. Grapes are either spur-pruned or cane-pruned. This is because different grape varieties produce fruit on different bud spurs.

Cane pruning leaves only the trunk and two to four shoots from the previous year’s growth to be trained along support wires. New buds will emerge from these canes to produce leaves and fruit. ‘Thompson Seedless’ and ‘Concord’ are cane-pruned grapes. One cane-pruning method is called the Four Arm Kniffen method and the University of Maine offers an excellent how-to video here.

Spur pruning leaves the bilateral cordons, or horizontal branches, permanently in place. In spring, new growth will emerge from this old wood. ‘Flame Seedless’, ‘Tokay’, and ‘Ribier’ are spur-pruned grapes. In either case, you will want to trim each cane to have no more than 14 spurs. Otherwise, all the plant’s energy will go into vegetative growth, rather than producing grapes.

Irrigating grapes

While most of a grapevine’s roots are in the top 3’ of soil, some of those roots can go down as much as 15’ deep! Grapes perform best when they are watered deeply and allowed to dry out between waterings. The amount of water needed depends on the type of soil, the depth of the roots, and the weather. On average, a deep watering every 2-3 weeks during summer is adequate. During cooler or wet weather, little or no water is needed. Once your vines have bloomed, it is important to water regularly. As fruit develops, erratic watering can lead to water-stress and cracked fruit.

Feeding grape vines

If grapes are being grown in rich soil, nothing needs to be added. Too many nutrients can reduce or eliminate fruit production. Remember, in the plant world, it’s all about reproduction. Grapes are the reproductive part of the vine. If the plant doesn’t feel the need to reproduce, it won’t.

Assuming your soil isn’t perfectly rich, nitrogen and potassium can be added before berry set. (‘Berry set’ is when the grapes are 1/4” in diameter.) Zinc should only be added before the vines bloom. The only way to know if these additives are needed is to have your soil tested by a reputable lab.

Harvesting grapes

To reduce the chance of pest problems, harvest grapes as soon as they taste ripe. Unripe grapes will not ripen off the vine. Grape clusters should be cut, not pulled, from the vine, and then cooled after being harvested. Do not rinse grapes off before storing them. Do that just before eating.

Pests and diseases of grapes

Spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, cutworms, thrips, click beetles, leafhoppers, branch and twig borers, and ants can infest grape vines. Diseases such as Eutypa Dieback and Pierce’s Disease can infect grape vines, and powdery mildew is a common problem. Birds and rodents can also wreck havoc on your harvest. Monitor grape vines regularly for these pests and diseases to ensure timely control. Contact your local County Extension office for information specific to your region.

While grape vines take some time to become productive, an established grape vine can produce fruit for 50-100 years! Only one or two vines are needed to provide a family with an abundance of grapes.

Get yours started today!