BY JOURNAL TIMES STAFF | Posted: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 12:00 am
Only one farm in Racine County offers berry picking - Walvoord Farm in Kansasville. Call them at (262) 878-0488. They're located on Highway A east of Highway 75.
Owner Gary Walvoord said he planted 40,000 more plants for next year, so count on them well into the future.
In Kenosha County, check out the Thompson Strawberry Farm in Bristol along Highway 50. Call them at (262) 857-2353 or check them out online at
http://www.thompsonstrawberryfarm.com
In nearby Walworth County, the Valley View Berry Farm in Lake Geneva and the Apple Barn in Elkhorn offer strawberry picking.
Contact Valley View at (262) 248-1398 or go to http://www.vallleyviewberryfarm.com. Contact the Apple Barn at (262) 728-3266 or go to
http://www.applebarnorchardandwinery.com
You're just a touch ahead of schedule, but not by much. Strawberries ripen from about June 5 to June 15 in the South and about June 10 to July 1 in the North.
The Wisconsin Berry Grower's Association's home page - http://www.wiberries.org - lists farms and orchards statewide that are slated to offer berry picking later this spring and early this summer.
How do you grow a plant from an avocado seed?
Believe it or not, there is a Web site titled http://www.avocado.org. It's the home page of the California Avocado Commission.
Before answering this question we feel compelled to point out that you might harvest avocados in three or four years if you plant an avocado seed today. Don't think you'll suddenly be able to make more guacamole than a Mexican restaurant just because you've got an avocado tree.
The California Avocado Commission advises the following, should you decide to try growing an avocado tree.
* Wash an avocado seed. Suspend it (broad end down) over a water-filled glass using three toothpicks. The water should cover about an inch of the seed.
* Place the glass in a warm location, out of direct sunlight. A mature seed will crack as roots and stem sprout in about two to six weeks.
* When a stem grows to six or seven inches, cut it back to about three inches.
* When the roots are thick and the stem has leafed out again, plant it in a rich humus soil, leaving the seed half exposed. Use a terra cotta pot with a 10½-inch diameter.
* Water your avocado house plant generously, but let it dry out somewhat between waterings.
You need to plant the pit in rich, humus soil with half the seed exposed. Water it lightly, but frequently, with an occasional deep soaking. Ensure the seed receives plenty of light. You're over-watering if the leaves turn yellow. But the soil is too salty if the leaves turn brown, and the soil requires leaching. Run water through the pot for several minutes and drain. Cut the stem back by six inches when it reaches 12 inches - this encourages new shoots.
You'll need to keep the plant indoors most of the year, but it can be outside in the summer.
And don't ever expect fruit, though you might get lucky. Commercially grown avocados require grafting.
What does the word "cob" have to with "cobweb?"
Absolutely nothing, according to various online sources.
Most everywhere we checked, though, cites the Old English word "coppe," which means - wait for it - "web."
Most word aficionados believe we, as speakers of English, shortened "coppe" to "cob," as years went on, which explains why we now have "cobweb."
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