Pharmanista: You have a normal situation. It would be very unusual to see any blossoming in the 1st season after planting a Montmorency tree. In the 2nd season, you might see some blossoms, but they are likely not to set fruit, or to set small cherries then drop them. Same thing in the 3rd season. But by the 4th season, your tree should have grown up enough to set and hold a nice little crop of cherries. As the tree matures and grows more fruiting wood, the size of the crop will increase dramatically each year. Rootstock type also influences precocity of bearing. A fully dwarfing rootstock like Gisela 5 would be an earlier producer than a larger tree on the traditional Mahaleb rootstock. But a larger tree will eventually have a much larger crop -- enough for pitting and freezing lots of cherries. If you have a large, fast-growing tree you will, at some point, want to prune for size control. There is no point in growing cherries that you cannot reach from your ladder, and fallen cherries can often lead to infestations of the cherry fruit fly. Cultivate around the base of your tree in winter to kill the pupae of this insect and break their cycle. You will surely see the cherry fruit fly in North Carolina. Another thing you will eventually see in NC is bacterial canker, which is the bane of cherry trees in the east. If you see cankers developing on your tree, prune off the affected branches and dormant spray the tree with a strong copper solution to ward off development of this disease. Canker is the factor that usually limits the lifespan of cherry trees in the east to about 25 years, and it is worse in areas with lots of wild prunus like the common Serotina. Agree with Scott that the little red bumps are of no concern. They have been discussed here before, and I have also forgotten what they are called. It was something forgettable. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

lollyjack: So you are in third yr of being certified organic but you don't know what scale is and haven't heard of dormant oil. No disrespect intended but you have some studying to do. You have a lot more to learn than what I have time to explain. But dormant oil is applied during the dormant season to control scale and eggs of other insects. It is probably the backbone of most organic programs. The Fruitnut

Several studies have shown that either the glyphosphate in Roundup, or the surfactant in it that allows it to penetrate and kill the plant, is highly lethal to amphibians, and and to earthworms. Other studies have shown that it interfers with hormones and damages human placental cells, and possibly the placental cells of other mammals (you wouldn't want to spray it anywhere near where farm animals graze). It can inhibit mycorrhizal fungi (a bacteria that helps plants take up vital nutrients), and there are reports it can kill beneficial insects like parasitic wasps and lacewings. I have not read anything about using it around septic beds, but given that it is implicated in harming or inhibiting many organisins, including bacteria, I'd not recommend using it there. Ditto for your well area. I would suggest you rethink your desire to get rid of the clover too. Clover has been rebranded a weed only since the developement of broad leaf weed killers. Prior to that it was a very much desired addition to lawns because of it's ability to remain green throughout the heat and drought of summer. It also fixes nitrogen, allowing a healthier grass growth, which in turn discouraged other weeds. I've never read anything about poison ivy and veggies. Even if the veggies can't take up the urushiol, it can't be good to garden in poison ivy :-) Poison ivy is a pain in the a**!!!!! Most people don't have a reaction to it the first time they come into contact with it, so your experience is normal. It takes one or two exposures to become sensitized to it first. Lots of people also report that dogs don't have problems with it, but they can get the oils on their fur which then become a problem for you when you pat the dog. You can keep it to a minimum if you are dilligent about pulling it up as soon as you see it. Since you just moved, you might have a lot right now. You can buy cheap gardening gloves at a dollar store and latex gloves at a drug store. Use both! Put your feet into a couple of trash bags (might want to use two or three layers if they're thin), and tape them shut as high as they'll go and you're fairly well (and cheaply) protected form the oil. Throw out the gloves and trash bags inside another trash bag. You can also pick up some cheap clothing at a local thrift shop - wear it while removing it and them throw it away. By removing what you can see, you'll cause a growth spurt from any remailing stuff, but if you repeat the process every week or two for this summer, you'll have gotten rid of most of it without having had to resort to Roundup. Check nearby trees and undergrowth for old vines - they're hairy. If they're too big or high to remove easily, just hack through them and remove what you can - the rest of the higher up stuff will die and be out of the way so you won't need to worry about it. It sounds like a great place though! You're so lucky to have that much room! A lot of work to bring it into shape, but that's half the fun :-) BP

Fignut, Its ok. I wasnt sure if you clicked on the link from my first post, to see the photo. So I just pasted the photo on the post this time. I read that you souldnt do that but it seems like a lot of people do... I do not see another bud touching it like what you have posted in your photo. I get a leaf growing out of the new wood and a red bud growing between the new wood and the leaf. (notice under that leaf is another leaf with a red bud also growing between the new wood and the leaf stem.) I never had any figs on this tree and it is 11 yrs. old (at least)! My grandmother had it for 5 years, she then gave it to my mother who also had it for 5 years and last year my mother gave it to me. It has always been planted in the ground not a pot and we all live in the same zone. I'm not sure what kind of fig tree it is. I asked my uncle who gave it to my grandmother and he "thinks" its a Brown Turkey. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is a fig! In the mean time I will keep reading about how to care for them. I do enjoy it and the challenge. Thank you!