agriculture tips

Introduction Aronia Plants Are Nature's Super Healthy Creation Aronia is a true Native American plant that is widely grown in Europe for fruit production. A native plant, developing in the North America ecosystem, Aronia bushes have adapted to grow in growing zones 3 to 7. It is a perennial, deciduous, self pollinating, self-supporting shrub. There are many advantages to growing an aronia plant on your property. It is a very ornamental and resilient plant. It is adapted to the natural ecosystem; it is better able to withstand invasions from insects and diseases as well as the natural variations in the climate than non native plants. Native aronia plants require little care once established on your property. The flowers are self pollinating (apomictic), thus only one plant is needed to produce fruit. Full of antioxidants, Aronia produces one of the healthiest berries on the planet. The Viking and Nero varieties are heavy fruit producers and can be a major source of income for a sma...

Pruning After establishment, the oldest stems should be pruned to ground in late dormant season. Restrict bush height & increase bushiness by cutting back upright stems. After berries have dropped or been harvested prune to shape the plant. Pruning the Aronia plants while the plants are young will also encourage branching. The best time to prune is in the late winter or spring before growth starts. By pruning in the early spring just before growth starts. This means there is only a short time before new growth begins and for the wound sealing process to take place. It does not seriously harm plants in the long run to cut plants back so that they may produce a dense growth of new shoots This is called "pollarding". As the plants grow larger prune to thin the plant so all parts of the plant receive sunlight. Pest Japanese beetles and other insect pests generally will leave the aronia plants alone. Blueberry Croft farm and nursery has not had problems with Japanese beetles....

Planting ideas With poor soils it is recommended to prepare planting holes for each plant by adding composted manure, composed leaves, peat moss, pine bark fines or other compost into the planting hole. When planting gently remove the plant from its container, keeping the root ball intact. Then carefully loosen the roots in the potting soil and around bottom and edges of root ball so the roots are free to grow out into the surrounding soil. Planting Methods Shovel Bulb planter Auger (a power auger making a 12 to 14 inch hole that can be filled with compost or other material can help where the soil is poor.) Tree planter (on the right:tree planter in action) Of these methods the tree planter has been shown to be the fastest and easiest in soil with good drainage. Good drainage is essential so the drainage of the soil needs to be checked before planting. Poor drainage is one of the primary problems when growing plants. In soil with poor drainage raised beds should be used. Raised bed m...

INTRODUCTION Pucker up and prepare to experience the benefits of the tart Aronia Berry. The term "super food" gets used a lot, but when it comes to these berries and their juice health benefits, the term is well-deserved. These berries are a genuine miracle of nature. Aronia is a low-maintenance and nearly a pest-free crop. It is easy to grow the aronia plant organically because it does not need to be protected against pathogens, pest, and diseases, as a result the fruit does not contain traces of pesticides. They are 3 times healthier than blueberries. The unique taste of the berry is one of life's unique experiences. Their high antioxidant levels, and high tannin levels make these berries tart. The berries are often made into juice mixed with other juice or made into jelly or other products. Another juice or sweetener is often added to reduce the tart taste THIS JUICE IS AN ANTIOXIDANT LEADER First the berry juice is a leading source of antioxidants . Antioxidants as y...

Inter-row Cropping Bale Crops An alfalfa crop growing between two-year old aronia bushes at with plant spacing's of 30 inches and the row spacing is 15 feet provides up to a $500/acre income source during the time required for the plants to mature. Alfalfa is an important perennial rotation crop that adds nitrogen to soil and improves soil. Alfalfa has an average life span ranges from 5 to 25 years although one field in New York has been mown successfully for more than 60 years. Organically grown alfalfa is a popular fodder to raise healthy, strong animals and it can also help raise strong, healthy and long-lived human beings. Alfalfa is an Arabic name meaning 'good fodder and it is considered to be one of the best fodders. Some people use alfalfa as a herb for making tea and claim great benefits from its use. They sometimes call alfalfa the miracle herb.Add a teaspoonful or two of alfalfa seed to your aronia berry juice for an even more healthy drink. It is like adding liquid...

Fertilizer and Nutrients Applying the right fertilizers at the right time can increase growth and yields. Professional advice should be used to determine the type and amount of fertilizing to use. Fertilized and watered black aronia plant seedlings are easy to grow. A slow release fertilizer such as 0.3 lb/plant (or 3/4 cup /plant) of 1.7N-4.1P-12K or 14N-12P-14K 5-6 month slow release fertilizer is required to ensure the long-term survival and substantial growth of the plants. Apply fertilizer at leaf break in the spring. A second application can be made later during the summer. To promote growth of the roots out into native soil, scatter the fertilizer in a wide, circular-shaped band around the plant on each side of the edge of the drip line and water it and mulch well. At some farms 14-12-14 5-6 month fertilizer is used for growing plants in the field. This is a granular slow release fertilizer. Be careful when fertilizing the plants as over fertilizing can kill the plants. If usin...

Irrigate Efficiently Using Drip Irrigation The annual demand by aronia plants for water is reported to be 32 inches of rain or more spread evenly throughout the year. (I must say this seems a little low to me). An efficient irrigation system may be a necessary requirement. The sprinkler is generally an inefficient system. Sprinklers can deliver a large amount of water in a short period but at the same time large amounts of moisture is lost due to evaporation. Sprinklers however may be the ideal choice for watering when establishing alfalfa. Alfalfa is relatively drought tolerant, but its growth does depend on the availability of soil water. If there is little or no irrigation water, annual yields will be low. Sprinkling can help serve as frost/freeze protection for vineyards during bud break and early shoot development in an occasional early spring frost to save a crop but is generally not cost-effective. The cost of materials, installation, and development of a pond or other water re...