What is a good planting site for grapevines? 

Grapevines can be grown on a wide range of soil types. Best growth and yields are obtained in well-drained soils. Avoid soils that are persistently wet during the growing season. Highly fertile soils are not essential. Grapevines tolerate a wide soil pH range. A slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 is preferred, but the vines grow well with a pH from 5.5 to 7.5. 

Because of space restrictions, planting sites are often limited in a home garden. Select a site that receives full sun. Avoid sites that are heavily shaded by trees and shrubs. 

Gardeners should also consider the possibility of herbicide drift. Grapes are very susceptible to injury from 2,4-D and similar broadleaf herbicides. In rural areas, select sites protected from herbicide drift by large trees (windbreak) or topography. In urban areas, inform neighbors of the location of your grape planting. If your neighbors apply broadleaf herbicides to their lawns, encourage them to apply these materials in the fall. Fall applications provide the best broadleaf weed control and are less likely to injure grapevines. 

I have some small, purplish spots on the canes of my black raspberries.  What is it and how can it be controlled? 

The small, purplish spots are most likely due to anthracnose. Anthracnose is a serious fungal disease of raspberries, especially black raspberries. The disease is readily recognized by the small, purplish spots that develop on young canes. These spots enlarge and become somewhat oval-shaped and slightly sunken with buff-colored centers and purple borders. With late season infections, spots are generally larger, more numerous, and more buff or gray than purple. Berries on anthracnose-infected canes are small, dry, and seedy. 

If the raspberry planting is seriously infected, prune all the canes back to ground level in late winter/early spring. Remove and destroy the pruned plant material. Then follow with several fungicide applications during the growing season. Use only those products labeled for control of anthracnose on raspberries. In following years, one application of liquid lime sulfur in early spring, just before the leaves emerge, will control the disease. Also, remove and destroy the old fruiting canes as soon as the harvest is competed. 

When can I start calla lilies indoors? 

Plant calla lily rhizomes 1 to 2 inches deep in a well-drained potting mix about six to eight weeks before the average last spring frost in your area. After potting, water well and place the containers in a warm, 70 to 75 degrees F location. Keep the potting mix moist, but not wet. 

When foliage appears, place the plants under fluorescent lights or move them to a sunny window. Calla lilies should be planted outdoors after the danger of frost is past. Appropriate planting times would be early May in southern Iowa, mid-May in central portions of the state, and late May in northern counties. Before planting outdoors, harden or acclimate the calla lilies to outdoor growing conditions. Initially, place the plants in a shady, protected location and then gradually expose them to longer periods of sunlight. After they’ve been hardened, plant the calla lilies in a moist, well-drained soil in partial shade. 

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