| I PLANTED BLACKBERRY PLANTS ALONG THE NW SIDE OF MY HOME. THEY ARE TURNING BROWN AT THE BOTTOM STEMS BUT FLOWERING ON THE ENDS, SORTOF FORMIONG A FRUIT, THEN JUST FIZZLING OUT TO ABSOLUTELY NO FRUIT. CAN THESE BE SAVED & HOW? I WAS THINKING OF JUST PUTTING THEM IN CONTAINERS? ALSO I HAVE TOMATO PLANTS IN CONTAINERS. ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE MORNING, THESE GIANT BRIGHT GREEN CATERPILLAR-LOOKING BUGS HAD EATEN OFF ALMOST THE WHOLE PLANT. LIKE OUT OF A SCI-FI MOVIE! WHAT THE HECK WERE THEY? I HAVE LIVED IN A ZONE 5-6 MOST OF MY LIFE. ARE THERE ANY BOOKS/EDUCATION I CAN FIND ON GARDENING IN THIS ZONE 9 AREA? HELP!!! THANKS...SUE WHITE |
| Suzan, Blackberries do not do well in containers so I would leave them in the soil where you have them. If they fail to set for next year they may have a disease that makes the plants sterile. This cannot be treated in the plants would have to be discarded. The giant caterpillars on your tomatoes are tomato horn worms checked the plant's daily and picked off and destroy these horn worms. This is the best way to deal with them. There are several good books on gardening with that apply to your area one of the best as a vegetable book by Tom LeRoy space and Bill Adams. It can be be out of print but is worth checking for in bookstores or in a used bookstore such as Half Price Books. These two authors also have a fruit book out. They are from the Houston area so their information is very applicable to your gardening conditions. Thanks for the question. Please stop in again soon! |
