Ginkgo, Blueberries, Alpine Strawberries
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Kat
Posted on: September 1, 1998

The Ginkgo plant (#P2862--500) can this be kept inside under plant lights for growing or is this strictly outside? I live in the NE region of the US and it gets cold in the winter. How big is the Ginkgo tree plant? I am assuming that I have to replant this tree or not?

If you can keep your light set-up fairly cool at night, then the ginkgo will do well under it. The tree is hardy in zones 3 to 9 (minimum winter temperature -40 degrees Fahrenheit), but some authors rate it only zone 5 In the garden the tree will eventually get to be 20 to 40 meters tall by 20 to 25 meters wide. However it is very slow growing, especially if its roots are confined in a pot for indoor culture. When it gets too big for your indoor space for it, prune it lightly, but then expect a fair amount of die-back in a delayed reaction.

Lowbush Blueberries (#P1465-100 and P1465-200). Can these be planted in the NE region of the US at this time of year since blueberry season is over now?

Yes, blueberries are shallow rooted and are therefore easy to transplant. Make sure you plant them into a peaty or sandy acid soil and mulch deeply to conserve moisture and moderate temperature fluctuations.

Can this bush be kept indoors in the winter without any problems or must it be kept outside? Will these bushes die in the winter if purchased and planted now? If somebody purchases the blueberry bushes, would you suggest to them when this bush should be planted? When should this bush be planted?

In your area the bushes would do better outside. The are hardy in zones 3 to 7 (minimum winter temperature -40 degrees Fahrenheit) and need temperatures close to freezing when wintered over in the house. Plant them as soon as you receive them. Prepare the planting site ahead of time to facilitate rapid planting. Shade the plants for at least the first two weeks to allow them to overcome the shock of being shipped in a dark carton and kept that way for about a week or two! Our shipments all contain general instructions on how to treat the plants so that they survive the shift from shipping conditions to outside planting conditions.

The Alpine Strawberry plant (#P6080): do they taste similar to regular strawberries? How long, after purchasing, will you start to see berries that are ripe enough to pick? What size pot would you recommend growing the Alpine Strawberries in?

They taste similar to regular strawberries, only better! The "strawberry" flavour is stronger. The occasional precocious plantwill be in bloom at shipping time, but all of them should bloom and fruit the second year. To grow them indoors, use a 15 centimeter (6 inch) pot, or plant several in a larger pot, such as a strawberry planter - it is about 30 centimeters across and has pockets on the sides into which you can plant the small plants you receive and have them cover the outside of the pot as they get larger.

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