WillsC,
You're lucky .. :°°°) .
I have to wait one month to catch up .

Nullzero,

Sorry missed your question.  I really don't know yet.....ask back in a couple years:)  

Beautiful place, I love the moss hanging in the trees.

I always thought Belize after the kid graduates, but maybe Florida would be easier, hurricanes don't scare me, keeps away the timid. :)

Looks like you don't have many problems growing there.  Thanks for proving spring is on it's way, I needed that.

Is it too late to prune blueberries?  Mine are leggy and I want bushes.

They have sporadic leaves on them but no new leaves.  Buds are swelling and really close to opening at tips.

Would it be better to wait until after fruit?  I went back and forth (as U can see still am) on whether to prune or not, most sources say it is unnecessary when young.

But mine are not filing in, then again it is still winter here...I'm still in denial.

Don,

If you prune now you will remove the fruit buds so no fruit.  For those of us in the south it really works best to prune right after the harvest is done.  Fertilize good a week before you prune and the fertilizer and the pruning will trigger a new flush of growth.  Let that growth come out 10" or so then pinch out the apical bud and they will sprout even more side branches.  The twiggier they are the more fruit you will get.  You can pinch for a couple months then have to stop so they can make fruit buds for next year.  In the north the growing season isn't long enough to do it but for us it works great.  

WillsC,

Thanks for the reply, I will ask you in the future. I got a few figs in the ground in PSL, sandy relatively quick draining soil. Hopefully I will know if they perform well or not in the next few years.

I have not planted any citrus yet, because I did not want to deal with all the diseases and pests such as citrus greening and leaf miners. How are you dealing with the citrus related pests and diseases?

Nullzero,

Also on sand here..pure snow white fine sugar sand.  I mulch a LOT 10" a year per plant in a 4'-10' diameter depending on the plant.    I put close to 100 varieties of figs in the ground last spring/summer and will add 100 new varieties this year.  Some grew from cuttings to 6'+ in a few months.

Leafminer I just ignore.  Fertilize the small trees well and they grow fast.  Once the trees put on some size the miners become a non issue.  I don't like to spray poison so don't.   The greening is a big problem but so far I have avoided it.  If the trees get it I will nurse them as long as I can then destroy them and wait for the guys in the white coats to find a solution to the problem.  

WillsC,

Yeah same here sugar sand 80% sand probably and the rest is clay/organic. I have Vista, Capelas, and Dark Portuguese in ground. Along with 7 mangoes, 3 pomegranates, and many other trees. I mixed decent amounts of crushed oyster shells into the fig holes to help combat nematodes. Will continue to mulch heavily as well.

Nullzero,

I grow a lot of things.....sadly too cold for mangoes which I love.  Have 26 varieties of pomegranates, 8 varieties of grapes, black berries, peaches, plums, mulberry, like I said I grow a lot of fruits:)   

Thank you for your advice.  I'll wait, after all I do want those yummy blue jewels.

After asking, I did some research, I will try SHB again next year when I have rain water collection capacity increased for more blue berries.  I'm positive it was our "city" water (even with vinegar added) during 2011's horrible drought, and not the 3 months over 100* that finally did them in.  It was all I could do to keep even blackberries alive.  I picked a lousy year to expand, lots of Kiowas now, so I caught a little break.

I started again in 2012 with Rabbiteyes, they have done well, but are still young.  I learned from the first experience to save back lots of rain water from winter and spring.

Have you or anyone else heard of growing them in wicking beds (SIPs essentially)?  I might try one just to test it, but I don't take losing plants well.

Which kind of Mulberries perform well for you?  I ask because Mulberries, and Pecans are on this month's list.  I have read good things about Shangri la from Naples area, I think.  

Do you grow in pots?  In ground would be tough in Texas I would imagine due to the alkaline soil.   The soil here is mildly acidic but the water is alkaline and rich in bicarbonates which is good for figs but bad for blueberries.  I use sulfuric acid to treat the water.  The wicking pots would work I would imagine.  The black mulberry I grow is just a local..has huge very sweet fruit but no idea what variety they are.  

I grow the blueberries in 20g pots, pine bark and peat.  I'm too close to Austin where the soil is alkaline due to the limestone, but east enough to be neutral.  the further east one goes the more acidic the soil becomes.  In East Texas, there are lots of Blueberries growing in ground where the water is more acidic as well.

I'll try and locate some sulfuric acid to treat the water.  One of my relatives in E. Texas had a well that smelled like rotten eggs, everything in their garden thrived, I'm sure all that sulfur and iron helped.

I trialed vegetables in wicking beds last year to try and conserve water, worked like a charm.  I'll likely move anything container grown to this method. 

I hope your right about spring...today it is 78 and the birds are certain it's a com'n, I got my fingers crossed the worst is over, it was freezing a few days ago.

Don,

Sulfuric is just battery acid so any auto parts store will have it. Then you just have to figure out how much to use.