Q. I had a wonderful crop of blueberries this year. Should I continue fertilizing them as the plants are still very lush looking?
A. The short answer is, “yes.” One continues feeding Blueberries after harvesting the crop. Blueberries like to be fed monthly throughout the growing season—March through October. They prefer an acid-type fertilizer, so a Camellia, Azalea, and Rhododendron food is recommended. And for the extended version for those who need to know more… Mycorrhizae type fertilizers such as Dr. Earth or EB Stone Organic are very advantageous for blueberries as the plants have a somewhat unique root system. Their roots do not have typical “root hairs” like most other plants. Root hairs are the fine, white fibrous roots that absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Blueberries compensate for the lack of root hairs by evolving a symbiotic relationship with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi in the soil. The thread-like hyphae of the fungus connect with the plant roots and extend into the soil. The hyphae then act like an extension of the plant’s root system by absorbing nutrients and transporting them back to the plant roots. In exchange, the mycorrhizae receive sugars manufactured by the plant through photosynthesis. Mycorrhizae fertilizers add, enhance, or replenish the naturally occurring fungi in the soil. Another benefit with established plants is the improvement of phosphorus intake as it’s not a mobile nutrient, unlike nitrogen that moves throughout the soil. Phosphorus remains at the soil surface until it’s exhausted by the surface roots of a plant. Phosphorus is the key nutrient for fruit production; however, this shouldn’t be a concern if you’re on a regular feeding schedule. The end of the harvest season is an excellent time to check the soil pH as blueberries like acid soil. Early next year would also work. They like a pH between 5.0 and 6.0. The soil pH can rise during the non-rainy season, especially if your water quality is marginal or varied. An improper pH will affect the crop of berries next year. It’s not necessary to have your soil tested by a lab. Instead, you can purchase a simple pH kit at your favorite garden center. I’d take three different readings and then average the results. You correct a pH problem by adding an acidifier to lower it. Aluminum Sulfate, PH Adjuster, FST and Soil Sulfur are a few of the acidifiers available. The amount and frequency depend on the acidifier. This ensures that plants continue to be productive year after year.
Q. I had a fantastic crop of potatoes this year, however, I noticed that some of the potato skins had areas with a green discoloration. I’ve been told they’re poisonous. Should I discard the green potatoes?
A. Potatoes are an edible tuber that forms underground. It’s important to keep the tubers covered during the growing season so that the maturing potatoes are not exposed to sunlight. The potato skin turns a green or a greenish-blue color when exposed to light. The damaged area could be large or small depending on the exposure. The green portion of the skin contains toxins and should not be eaten, but this isn’t the issue. The greenish coloration is merely a sign that a potato has been exposed to light, prompting it to produce more chlorophyll, and chlorophyll is not toxic to humans. What creates the problem is that light exposure also produces a substance called solanine, a glycoalkaloid, which has been shown to be toxic when consumed in significant quantities. Solanine is a natural defense mechanism of potato to ward off fungus and pests. It can also be triggered when a potato is bruised. Since solanine collects only under the skin and not throughout the potato, it is safe to peel away the skin and a thin layer of white flesh before cooking; however, I would discard any potato that is entirely green. Again, this is an individual problem that doesn’t affect the other potatoes you harvested, so enjoy them. Potatoes should be stored in a cool dark location. I’d used brown paper bags or a cardboard box and then cover them with newspaper. Dark or amber plastic bags can be used, however, you’ll need to punch holes in the bag for air circulation to prevent moisture from collecting. This keeps the potatoes dry and prevents mold from forming. The kitchen counter is not an ideal location except for short-term use. Next year when you plant, you can avoid the problem by adding potting soil or other types of organic matter to cover the seed potatoes as they grow. This is sometimes referred to as ‘Hilling,’ and it’s not unusual to add a foot or more of material during the growing cycle. Note: Scientists have determined that an adult would have to eat about four and a half pounds of light-exposed potatoes to reach toxic levels of solanine. Potatoes are, to a certain degree poisonous, though not in a deadly manner, and usually not enough to make anyone sick. The leaves of the potato plant contain high levels of a toxin and are direct relatives of the deadly nightshade plant, but so are tomatoes. In the US, it has been over fifty years since anyone has succumbed to potato poisoning, so the risk is very low. And finally, according to Wikipedia, deep-frying green potatoes at high temperature, three hundred and sixty degrees, effectively lowers the level of toxins while boiling them at two hundred twelve degrees is ineffective.
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