With a little planning, gardeners can plant an apple orchard

Fresh apples available in the home garden for snacks as well as for cooking make an orchard a useful investment, especially since the trees will continue to produce for years to come.

As the fall approaches, the home gardener or small-farm fruit grower wanting an apple tree orchard can find seedlings and rootstock readily available as garden centers increase their supply.

Gardeners can develop an orchard inexpensively, depending on the number of trees bought, and a plan detailing site selection, varieties and soil preparation will enable development to begin.

A crab apple tree can serve as the second variety for apple tree pollination.

High temps may harm blossoms

Recent high temperatures nearing the 100-degree mark in June may have caused blossoms on fruit and vegetable plants to fall off or dry up.

Stress on plants, particularly squash, peppers and tomatoes, from high temps tends to cause blossom drop, and watering may not prevent it.

High temps above 85 can cause blossoms to drop.

Area watermelon season opens

Hundreds of young watermelon plants cover a Murfreesboro, N.C., field with countless vines stretching across the rows.

In a month or two, the plants with their hairy shoots will bear large watermelons, some weighing more than 25 pounds, for shipment to East Coast markets as well as markets beyond.

Murfreesboro, N.C., watermelon field

Fest draws crowd opening night

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina – Opening day of the 25th annual North Carolina Watermelon Festival, people gathered to take children on rides, play games, eat Carolina-style barbecue and other food, dance and listen to music.

Visitors could eat fresh and free watermelon slices all festival long.

Couples shag dance at the N.C. Watermelon Festival in Murfreesboro.

Old seed shop has new owner

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. of Mansfield, Mo., has purchased the oldest, continuously-run U.S. seed company now in its third century of operation.

Nested in the Wethersfield, Conn., historic district, Comstock, Ferre & Co., ripe with a museum exhibit featuring antique seed packing machines.

Comstock, Ferre & Co. seed store (Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.).

Old seed shop has new owner

Despite drought conditions, apple season opened in Virginia and North Carolina, two top apple-producing states, with an anticipated good crop.

High summer temps along the East Coast may have slowed the apple growth for early varieties but increased the sugar content, according to Va. agriculture officials.

Virginia, North Carolina among top apple producers.