Enjoy Muscadines Year Round!

Add a Taste of the South to your
 Holiday Meals and Parties

Muscadines are like Christmas, they only come around once a year. I am excited when they ripen in mid August and I am sad when the harvest is over in mid October. If only there were muscadine flavors available year round, the world would be a better place.

Well, what if I told you we have many muscadine products available year round. Now you can enjoy this wonderful southern flavor with your favorite meals and we have packaged them in gift boxes that you can mix and match and choose your favorites to share with family and friends this Christmas season.

• Our red and white muscadine juice contains 100% pure juice, best served chilled and is out of this world. Save a bottle to ring in the new year with. (Our most popular item)

• Our muscadine and scuppernong jelly and preserves make breakfast the best meal of the day, you are responsible for the buttered biscuits.
  
• Don't forget to try our muscadine syrup on your pancakes, we've been told that if I-Hop offered muscadine syrup they would sell more pancakes.
  
• For our grill masters we offer muscadine steak sauce and muscadine bbq sauce, fantastic on steaks, chicken, and pork.
   
• Our kickin muscadine pepper jelly is made with jalapeno and bell peppers, it is perfect with cream cheese and crackers or it compliments vegetables very nicely. Great addition to party menus
   
• For chips and dip fans we have muscadine salsa. It is a tomato based salsa with muscadine fruit to enhance the flavor and texture, it is wonderful and is more nutritious than the average salsa.
  
• For salad lovers we offer our muscadine vinaigrette. It is a combination of muscadines, vinegar, and oil for a healthy alternative to the average salad dressing.

We are sort of like Blue Belle Ice Cream with our muscadine products, we eat all we can and sell the rest. You don't have to wait until the fall to enjoy the flavors of muscadines, all you have to do is give us a call or order online and we will take care of the rest.

Greg Ison
Add a delicious taste of the south to you holiday meals.

We offer many Muscadine Gift Boxes perfect for Christmas gifts

 

Muscadine Gift Boxes are Perfect for Christmas Gifts
www.isons.com

Muscadine Fall Maintenance Reminder

 

It's time to remove any fruit left on the muscadine vines

For more information visit www.isons.com

Removal of fruit.

Any fruit left hanging on the vine that was not harvested should be removed. If left on the vine the fruit will rot or mummify (become raisin like) on the vine. This rotting fruit can lead to a build up of disease over the winter and will be present in the spring. If you do not remove the fruit you will have much more disease pressure such as ripe rot or macrophema rot that can affect next years harvest.

 

Many vines will also have what are called "shot berries", these are grapes that get about as big as a dime and are green and will not ripen on the vine. They are the product of the vine either trying to set a second crop or late blooms being pollinated but do not have enough time allowed for the ripening of the fruit. Any green or shot berries should also be removed this time of year.

 
Do not prune too early. For years we pruned our vines beginning after the Thanksgiving Holiday. But through trial, error and experience we have found the best time to prune muscadine vines is from mid January to mid March. We have found that a vine that has not been pruned can handle colder temperatures or big swing in temperatures better than a vine that has been pruned. In general we experience our coldest temperatures from late December-January, by pruning later we are giving our plants a better chance of coming through the winter with little or no cold weather damage.

If you are used Blue-X plant shelters this year and your vines have reached the top wire, now is the ideal time to remove the shelters.

On a planting report we have a beautiful crop of muscadine vines this year, so if you are thinking about adding a few vines or considering planting some acreage now is a good time to begin getting your orders in. Take advantage of the Early Bird Discount by ordering before November 15th. The all new 2013 Catalog will be available later this week. Check it out or request one to be mailed to you.

I hope these tips will ensure  that you have an abundant crop for 2013.

Happy Planting & Keep Growing!
Greg Ison

The Easiest Fruiting Plants To Grow In Your Home Garden

When it comes to growing fruiting plants many gardeners can be either intimidated or out of their comfort zone. The biggest challenge for the home gardener usually comes down to pruning and summer maintenance of fruiting plants. I have compiled a list of cultivars that I believe are the easiest for the home Gardener in terms of pruning, spraying, and low maintenance.

Blueberries:  
Blueberries are one of the lowest maintenance plants a home gardener can add to their landscape. Blueberry plants have little to no disease or insect issues. They will grow to a height of 8-10 ft tall with a 3-4 ft spread. The home gardener can hedge the plants back to control the height if desired. Plant spacing should be 4-6 ft apart, in full sun with  well drained soil. Blueberry plants like a pH in the 4.5 range. If your pH needs to be corrected you can add peat moss in the hole when planting your blueberries then mulch with pine straw. In the summer the plants are graced with plump, juicy, fruit and the fall will add striking color to your landscape. They can be planted as a hedge or grouped in an island similar to the way azaleas and roses are. Blueberry plants are partially self fertile but will produce more fruit when planted with another variety. Pruning simply involves a light hedging in mid winter, and removing any interior branches that are crossing one another.

Figs: 
Figs are a traditional southern fruit that is easy to grow.Fig trees (bushes) have little to no disease or insect issues. Fig trees can grow as tall as 10-12 ft tall with a 10-12 ft spread. The home gardener can control the height by cutting the tops out of the tree which will lead to more lateral branching. Figs are tolerant of most soil types but grow best in a deep clay loam soil. Figs like a pH in the 6's and a heavy layer of mulch. Figs produce best with little or no pruning, however branch thinning is recommended to prevent the accumulation of dense unproductive twig growth. Figs ripen in late summer/early fall and are a beautiful addition to your landscape. Figs are self fruitful.


Pomegranates:

Pomegranates are steeped in history and are one of my favorite fall fruits. Pomegranate trees have little to no disease or insect issues.  They grow to a height of 8-10 ft tall with a spread of about 6 ft. The home gardener can control the height of the tree and the spread by hedging back mid summer and again in the winter months. Pomegranates prefer a more alkaline soil and will grow best in amended soils using a soil conditioner or peat moss. In the early years of planting we recommend pruning the bush to 1/2 of its original height the first 2 winters to promote a strong framework and discourage straggly branches. After the first couple of years the only pruning required will be the removal of low branching and the removal of dead branches. Pomegranates are self fruitful.

Olives:
Olives are one of the oldest cultivated fruits and steeped in history. There are little or no disease or insect issues on the plant. They will grow to a height over 20 ft but most are kept pruned to a height of 8 to 10 ft. They can grow in any light soil, including clay if well drained. Olive trees prefer a hot summer and a milder winter, if the winter temperatures drop below 14 degrees Fahrenheit the tree may incur some winter injury. Olive trees are drought tolerant and can live and produce olives for decades if properly pruned. Olives ripen in the fall and early winter. The fruit must be cured before consumption.


Persimmons:

Persimmon trees were first introduced into the United States in the 19th Century. There are little or no disease or insect issues on the plant.  They will grow to a height of 12-15 ft tall with a spread of 6-8 ft. The home gardener can control the height and spread of the tree by pruning mid summer and again in the winter months. Persimmons prefer a soil pH of 6.0-6.5, well drained and fertile. They can tolerate many different soil types but need it well drained and in full sun. As the tree matures, any branches that cross over one another should be removed allowing adequate sunlight and air penetration through the canopy. Persimmon trees live a very long time and make a nice landscape tree. Their beautiful fall color and decorative fruit make a nice addition to any landscape.

Muscadines:

Muscadines are a native plant to the southeast and have little or no disease/insect issues. They love our heat and humidity. Muscadines prefer a pH in the 6's, and like a well drained soil in full sun . Muscadines do require a wire trellis or an arbor to grow up and down on. The first year there is simple pruning involved to direct the growth up and down the wire. Once the framework is established, a winter pruning is necessary to ensure proper fruit set. Muscadines ripen late summer and early fall. The aroma is sure to attract anyone to their location in the garden. An arbor makes a stunning display in any landscape.


Blackberries:
Blackberries  can be easily grown and require very little space in the garden. They have few disease or insect issues on the plants. Blackberries are tolerant to a wide variety of soil types, they prefer well drained, sandy loam, and a pH in the 6's. Blackberries produce their crop on the last seasons growth. Once the cane has produced and begins dying back, the cane should be removed and discarded to help reduce disease pressure. Once the old woody canes have been removed, only the vigorous new growth will be remaining. Once the new growth reaches 48-60 inches in height, the canes should be tipped to encourage branching. Plant spacing should be 3-4 ft apart, and average yield would be 1-2 gallons per plant. Delicious.


Jujube's:

Jujube's are commonly called the Chinese date.  It is an exotic fruit that grows well in most areas of the South. They have little or no disease or insect issues. Jujubes are a nice landscape fruit however most varieties have a few thorns on the tree. Jujubes are adapted to a wide range of soil types and prefer a pH in the 6's. When eaten fresh the jujube is like a sweet, dry apple. The fruit is about the size of a date and are best eaten when the fruit is half green. Jujubes ripen in the fall.


In my opinion these are the best options for growers who want to grow fruit organically and have little disease or insect issues. All of these selections will add beauty and interest to any garden and will only require minimal maintenance. We hope you have room in your landscape to add one of these great cultivars to your garden.

Plants and trees are going into dormancy and we are fast approaching our shipping season. We have a great inventory this year and the plants are beautiful!   There is still time to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount when ordering.  Browse Now

Keep Growing,
Greg Ison
ison@isons.com 

Strawberry Plugs: How to plant and grow strawberry plugs

Strawberries are becoming one of my favorite plants. I can not think of any other plant that you can plant in the Fall and begin harvesting fresh berries the following Spring.  Most fruit plants and trees have to grow for several years to either reach maturity or they must be trellised and trained to establish the framework necessary for fruit production.

With our strawberry plugs, you simply plant in October and the arrival of fresh, sweet berries begin the following spring. Now that I hopefully have your attention, I would like to go over the details of successfully planting strawberry plugs and the care they require.

First we need to choose a location:
It needs to get plenty of sunshine and is weed free.  Strawberry plants will grow well in many different soil types; we recommend that the soil has good drainage. If the soil does not drain well then the plants should be planted on raised beds. Strawberries also like organic matter (manure, compost, or peat moss) that has a ph in the 6.5 range. We recommend at least 5% of the soil be composted with peat moss or compost. Once the location is prepared, you are ready to start planting your strawberry plugs.  Space your plugs 12-18 inches apart in the row; optimal row spacing is 3-4 ft.  Set the plants in the row with the root ball facing straight down. The middle of the crown should be level with the soil line. Soil should be well watered after planting to set the plants in the ground but try not to water the plugs directly. After the soil has been watered properly the soil line should be level with the bottom of the crown on the plant.

Second maintain good weed control:
The easiest method to control weeds is called plasticulture. Place black plastic over the raised beds and plant the strawberry plugs through holes punched in the top of the plastic. This will improve weed control from growing around your strawberry plants, help conserver soil moisture, and keep the fruit clean. You may also choose to cultivate around your plants, keeping them free of weeds and this method would not require the use of plastic

The third step is fertilization:
Fertilizer is used to maintain soil fertility and maximize plant growth and fruit production. We recommend using 1/2 lb of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet to be worked into the soil prior to planting your plugs. We also offer a specialized water soluable strawberry fertilizer.

The fourth and final step is mulching:
Strawberries are perennial plants that must survive the weather conditions throughout the winter to survive. Mulching strawberry plants help prevent quick freezing and thawing which can affect plant survival. Mulch maintains a large volume of dead air spaces, which help insulate the plants through cooler temperatures. The best mulching materials to use are wheat straw or hay. You should mulch the plants in mid to late November when the plants have started to go dormant. We need to obtain a 2 inch layer to provide adequate protection; the mulch should stay on the plants until the tops of the crowns put out new growth in the Spring.



Advantages of planting Strawberry Plugs

• Plugs do not have to be planted immediately; they can be kept in the trays until you are ready to plant
• Average loss rate of plugs is 1 to 2% compared to 15-20% for bare root plants
• Plugs have an intact root ball so they are easier to plant
• Plugs establish more quickly minimizing transplant shock
• Best of all, you plant in the fall and harvest in the spring



Happy Strawberry Planting!

Greg Ison

Order Strawberry Plugs Now for October Delivery





Strawberry plugs have 50 per tray.