7/2/2006

It’s berry-picking time. The blueberries, black raspberries and 

blackberries in our garden start ripening by the end of June and 

provide 

a bumper crop of fruit through the month of July. That is if we can win 

the battle against the birds. It’s our own fault that we’ve attracted 

them to the yard in the first place. We plant a variety of things that 

the birds, bees and butterflies love, created a pond for a water source 

and set up bird feeders during the winter. We’re delighted when they 

eat 

the garden pests and then frustrated when they eat the berries!

To grow any edibles successfully in this area requires fencing or 

netting. Deer can easily jump a fence under 8’ high. Rabbits and 

groundhogs can climb a fence shorter than 4’ and dig under one that 

hasn’t been buried a foot deep. Netting with an inch or smaller mesh is 

needed to protect berries and fruit trees from hungry birds and 

squirrels.

At our house the design and construction of all garden structures is 

the 

job of the “undergardener”(husband). His duties also include the 

digging 

of planting holes deeper than 6-8 inches and moving large or 

established 

trees and shrubs at the whim of the “headgardener”(me). Every year he 

has a new scheme to keep the birds away from his precious blueberry 

crop.

This year’s design is a masterpiece. The strong wooden supports hold 

the 

netting in place despite the strongest storms. The structure is tall 

enough to allow picking while standing erect. All the netting is 

securely fastened on all sides and over the top. And the entry point 

held closed with clothespins for easy access. The birds can’t possibly 

find a way in- or so we thought.

The morning after the construction was complete we found two cat birds 

trapped inside sampling the berries. After careful inspection, repair 

of 

some minor holes, building a scarecrow and hanging several shiny CD’s 

from the netting we have a veritable fortress. We have been able to 

pick 

over 10 quarts of berries so far.

Besides the ravenous wildlife another uncontrollable force of nature is 

rain. When it doesn’t rain enough we can always supplement with the 

garden hose. But when the rain is too much there’s not much we can do. 

This is why planting areas need to have good drainage. As long as the 

standing water after a heavy rainfall drains off after 24 hours, the 

drainage is adequate. If it doesn’t then you can try building raised 

beds for vegetables and flowers.

Some plants are showing the telltale signs of disease. Yellow, orange 

or 

black spots and white powdery coating on leaves are the symptoms of 

fungus. The infection occurs up to a month before the symptoms show on 

the plants. Effective control needs to be applied before the spots 

appear, just after the weather has been damp, humid and overcast for 

several days. Since plants are still growing at this point in the 

season, spraying a fungicide may offer some protection for the new 

emerging leaves. The new product “Serenade” has been showing fairly 

good 

results on some of the more troublesome garden diseases. It is an 

organic product containing beneficial bacteria that naturally fights 

fungus and harmful bacteria.

Another garden pest that showed up last week is this year’s brood of 

Japanese beetles. So far the number of beetles hasn’t been as high as 

last year. But it’s still early in the season. Some have predicted that 

there will be fewer beetles because of the dry winter and spring. 

Others 

say a mild winter favors the beetles. Look for them on their favorite 

foods: roses, grapes, raspberries, plum trees, cherry trees and linden 

trees. Handpicking the beetles from the plants in the morning and 

evening is the safest control. They move slowly at those times of the 

day. Just drop them into a jar of soapy water. Pesticides are also 

available to spray on large trees when necessary. Traps attract more 

beetles to the yard and are not an effective control. They should only 

be used on large properties (over 2 acres) to direct the beetles away 

from the plants. The directions state that the traps be sited at least 

50 feet away from any desirable plants.

Beth Nardone, botanist, is a resident of Hillsborough and is the 

Nursery 

Manager at the Belle Mead Co-Op. Questions and comments can be sent to 

bethtanical@patmedia.net <mailto:bethtanical@patmedia.net> 

<mailto:bethtanical@patmedia.net>