Highway medians aren’t the best spot to grow fruit trees

A bent, rheumatic, hoary old orchard is nature's smile in the agony of her civilization. — Dallas Lore Sharp

Q: I see all this wasted areas of median strips on highways. Would not it be better planted with fruit trees instead? Any ideas? — Jim, Salem, Conn.

A: That is quite pragmatic but not practical, I think. There would be mess of rotted fruit on the ground. It would also require a lot of spraying with insecticides to survive. In Rhode Island we have an Adopt a Highway program that allows for sponsors to put up their banner while maintaining an area on the road. I doubt if they would want to get fruition for their efforts that way on the highway. I like flowering shrubs and tree that are drought tolerant instead of grass, but they may alter vision safety concerns.

Q: Can you explain how to make cuttings for blackberry and for grapevines? — Tom, Perryville, Mo.

A: Blackberries are easier. You actually take some of the new pencil shoots, if you can get some root. Since blackberries bear fruit on two- and three-year-old stems, you need to remove half of the new stems each year in the fall or spring anyway. Most grape growers are now using the Concord grape as root stock because it is resistant to diseases. Concord is the dark purple grape that we see along many country roads. Unless you use Concord cuttings, you may not have 50 percent success. Cuttings from both the plants should be taken from the terminal shoots in the early spring or fall. An eight -inch cut will give you plenty of cambium on the bottom. All leaves should be removed except two or three at the top. An acute angle should be made at the bottom. You may want to put the grape cuttings in auxin, a root hormone. A sandbox can be made near a spigot for easy access to water. Our sandbox should be six inches deep and filled with coarse sand. The cuttings should be inserted two inches into the sand. Mist once a day after the first day's soaking.

Q: We have been using moth balls to get rid of rabbits with great success. Are there any drawbacks? — Emory, Appleton, Wisc.

A: The most obvious one is the harm that could come to household pets. It is not the most pleasant odor. Have-a-Heart traps are safe for the rabbits. You can bait them with lettuce and carrots, of course. You could also hire Elmer Fudd.

Q: My apple trees seem like they have been girdled by some animal. We have two that have definitely been cut to the core. Any suggestions? — Bill, Alpena, Mich.

A: When the fibrovascular tubes just under the bark have been completely cut off, the trees are unable to feed the leaves. It can be saved with surgery if there are some tubes unscathed. You can make leaf-shaped cuts that are contiguous and as deep as necessary to remove all brown wood. You can use a chisel to go deeper.

I like a linoleum knife for the outside. Some of these cuts may be on different sides of the trunk and at different heights. You could also hire a tree surgeon to save the trees after catching the critter, probably a woodchuck.