Alkaline Diet Recipes – The 33 Best Recipes with Pictures & Calories

Alkaline Diet Recipes – The 33 Best Recipes with Pictures & Calories
This Alkaline Recipes E-Book contains 33 delicious, easy to cook recipes, illustrated with pictures and step-by-step instructions and calories in food. Plus 15 Alkaline Diet Tips and a comprehensive acid alkaline food chart. Restore your pH-Balance now.
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A Taste of Hungary – Collection of Authentic Recipes
Classic Hungarian recipes handed down from generation to generation, collected by a Hungarian housewife. Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions and colorful photos make preparing the dishes easy for you.
A Taste of Hungary – Collection of Authentic Recipes

Healthy American – Healthy, and Loving Life !
This site assists people to enjoy a happy and healthy life.
Healthy American – Healthy, and Loving Life !

Traditional Cookout Food

Traditional Cookout Food

Looking for the traditional cookout menu this summer? That will depend largely on whether you are looking for the northern or the southern style.

If you it’s a typically Southern cookout you are looking to create, you will need to grill pork, or perhaps chicken, and serve it with that irresistible sweet, tangy, barbecue sauce. If you want to do the Southern recipe with a difference, you could try the beer can chicken.

The way to do this is to buy a can of beer, drink half of it (the fun starts right away, as you can see), and pack the can with onions, garlic, celery, and seasoning. Remove the giblets from the chicken and put the rear end first over the can of beer. Spread melted butter on the outside of the bird, and then sprinkle it with seasonings to seal the skin. Place in the grill, but try to keep the lid down to cook the meat evenly. It will take approximately two hours to cook a chicken in this manner, but the results will definitely be worth it. Add barbecue sauce for the last part of the cooking, and serve the dish with potato salad and corn on the cob.

For a Northern style cookout, make brats, hamburgers, or hotdogs. The burger is the all-time Northern favorite, though, and can be cooked along with onion, garlic, and peppers. These can be served along with the burger in the bun as well. Add a dash of steak sauce, hot mustard, and catsup, a slice of cheese and a bit of crunchy lettuce to complete the perennial burger.

Traditional side dishes include potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, and salad. Fresh corn, garlic toast, and mozzarella are welcome options as well.

No summer cookout is complete without the accompanying cool drinks. Fresh lemonade or iced teas are traditionally served along with the barbecue. Beer is best among the alcoholic beverages.

For the traditional dessert, make either cakes or pies. Blueberry pie is what everyone loves, but you could try strawberry shortcake too. Cookies and brownies are favorites too. And what never fails as a fresh cookout dessert is the watermelon – fresh, juicy, hydrating, and American.

Remember that the traditional cookout is basic, without many frills. The emphasis is on the taste and the fare rather than on innovation and variety. So try a patriotic, traditional cookout this summer to savor a taste of the American heritage.

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Perfect Cookbooks

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Cookbook and recipe site with highly specialized cookbooks. Garlic, ketchup, pizzas and more.
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Cancer-Free – Recipe Guide to Gentle, Non-Toxic Healing
This recipe guide provides sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free recipes to complement cancer-fighting regimens & for more healthy ways of eating. This book is not intended to replace medical advice. Over 80 recipes tested by C.I.A.grad Chef Cosmoglos.
Cancer-Free – Recipe Guide to Gentle, Non-Toxic Healing

Make Weight Loss Easier- Here’s Some Healthy Snacks To Keep You Sane

Make Weight Loss Easier- Here’s Some Healthy Snacks To Keep You Sane

When most people think of dieting, they conjure up images of deprivation, cravings, and overall hunger. They think it’s a necessary evil to feel bad just to shed some pounds. It doesn’t need to be this way. In fact, if you’re in this mental mind frame before or during a diet, you’re doomed to fail. Break out of that shell and see the light at the end of the tunnel.

If I could show you a way to add something to your diet to reduce the anguish, you’d listen wouldn’t you? Well, here’s a simple tip I use with my clients yet easy way to crush your sweet cravings while keeping calories in check.

Your answer… Fresh Fruit and Berries

Yes, it’s as simple as the old switcheroo. In meals where you’d normally have some sweets such as ice cream or chocolate, instead indulge in nature’s dessert: Fresh fruits and berries.

More specifically, low-sugar, high fiber fruit. Berries are best, but other options like apples, grapefruit, kiwi, etc. are great too. Instead of polishing off an extra 500- 800 calories of empty calories, you can load up on these delicious, healthy snacks.

This caloric deficit will add up over time to help you lose weight fast. Losing weight at it’s very core, comes down to creating a caloric deficit. A caloric deficit is where the number of calories you take in (food, drink, whatever) is less than what you’re expending in a day.

When loading up on these fruits and berries, you’ll also get a nice dose of antioxidants- nutrients (and enzymes) that fight free radicals, which are charged molecules that roam around like rogues, causing muscle soreness and a whole host of other problems.

Here are some of my favorite fruits and berries:

Blueberries

Cranberries

Blackberries

Strawberries

Raspberries

Goji Berries

green apples

Grapefruit

Kiwifruit

Watermelon

Honeydew

Tip to make the berries even tastier: Top with some low calorie whipped topping for added flavor and texture.

How To Can Homemade Blueberry and Peach Pie Fillings

How To Can Homemade Blueberry and Peach Pie Fillings

During the summer and fall months, I enjoy going to our local orchard and farmers markets here in Pennsylvania and purchasing our fresh fruits. I will bring them home and freeze or can them for use during the winter months.

One of my favorite things to can is homemade pie fillings. Canning is not hard to do and there are many books out in the marketplace that will explain how to do home canning. You can find free information on the internet that will also explain how to do home canning, along with the supplies that you will need to do the processing.

The following 2 recipes are the ones I use to make homemade blueberry and peach pie filling.

Blueberry Pie Filling

4 1/2 quarts of fresh blueberries
1/2 cup lemon juice
rind of one lemon, finely grated
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon mace
5 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 1/2 cups water

Wash and remove stems from blueberries and then drain. Combine lemon juice, grated lemon rind, ground nutmeg, mace, granulated sugar and water in a large pan. Cook until the mixture begins to boil. Fold in the blueberries and cook for an additional minute. Ladle mixture into clean hot jars. Clean the jar rims and seal. Process quart jars in a water bath canner for 30 minutes.

Peach Pie Filling

6 lbs. fresh peaches
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 3/4 cups water
5 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Wash, peel, pit, and slice peaches. Loosen skins in boiling water for 35 seconds, then submerge in cold water. Gently peel off the skins. Place slices in a container of water until all peaches are sliced. Combine lemon juice, water, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg in a large saucepan. Stir and cook over medium heat until mixture boils. Drain peaches and add to syrup mixture. Cook for 3 minutes. Ladle the mixture into hot jars. Clean the jar rims and seal using water bath canner for 30 minutes.

Paleo Cookbooks – Complete Recipe Guide to Healthy Eating

A few blueberry recipe products I can recommend:

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Cat Food Recipes Cookbook: 65 Great Meals and Treats
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Teaching Your Kids To Eat Healthy

Teaching Your Kids To Eat Healthy

Every mother wants the best for her child. You want your child to look healthy, grow proportionately, feel energized and have a great immune system. So, why do most parents in America feed their children junk food by the time they start eating table food? Why do most restaurants serve French fries or macaroni and cheese for side orders and not steamed broccoli? It is really a sad situation to watch young children who are obese. Even schools offer peanut butter and jelly or ice cream for lunch. 

To ensure that your child is eating correctly you must feed them plenty of fruits and vegetables. But the trick is to make it delicious and fun. For instance, for breakfast, arrange a platter of fruit, oranges, grapefruit, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, they will love it! Make faces out of the fruit. Have them drink only water and no sugar 100% fruit juice that you juice yourself. Get them used to eating vegetables that are uncooked. Whenever they get hungry, offer small baby carrots, or celery, they will grow to love the taste just the way it is. You can introduce a new vegetable each week and learn how to hide it into your food. For instance, chop up Portobello mushrooms in a chopper and add it to your pasta sauce and watch them gobble it up, barely noticing the mushrooms. Make blanched broccoli (plain) and eat that for dinner. If they see you eating healthy, they will learn early on to eat that way. Do not let them eat packaged foods, such as macaroni and cheese, or fried chicken fingers, or anything fried for that matter. Make sure that they eat vegetables at every meal and be careful when you go out to eat. 

Offer natural desserts that you have made at home, such as homemade sorbet, or fruit smoothie, or peach cobbler pie (all natural). Stay away from cakes, cookies, etc that have preservatives and other unnatural flavorings. Make it yourself and offer it occasionally. You will find that they watch you and what you eat and if you incorporate a much healthier menu, so will they. 

The best part of raising your children to learn to love fruits and vegetables is that you will notice that they will turn down junk food when you are not around. At that point you will know that you have done your part in raising healthy adults.

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80 Easy Catfish Bait Recipes
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Maximize Profits Of Your Ice Cream Shop Through Your Profit Centers

Maximize Profits Of Your Ice Cream Shop Through Your Profit Centers

When we work with individuals who wish to open a retail ice cream shop, we begin with the menu. Many times the initial menu consists of ice cream, gelato, sundaes, milk shakes, etc. As the project progresses, we usually begin to define retail profit centers that include coffee, baked goods, sandwiches, crepes, and other items that make sense for the particular operation.  These additional profit centers are an excellent way to balance out income opportunities throughout the day and within the various seasons of the year. The upfront definition and brainstorming that takes place during the planning start up phase is often underdeveloped as the project unfolds and after the store is open. It is easy to overlook the creative potential within the various sectors of our stores.

Our organization has helped many frozen dessert stores begin and been there to assist the owners as their businesses unfold. In December of last year, we opened Summerfield Creamery, our first ice cream retail store.  As we have stepped into the management and operations of this venture, our eyes have really opened to both the challenges that our clients face as well as often overlooked opportunities. Whenever we have clients who come to our headquarters, we always visit our retail store. This has enabled us to keep a sharp eye on what we do as our new clients explore their dreams with our ice cream store being used as a model.

During the winter months, we sold a good amount of gelato and ice cream as well as specialty coffee, muffins, cake and pies. The reason we did so well with cold items in the cold months is that we are naturally in tune with frozen desserts since we have all lived most of our lives in this industry. We offered pumpkin flavor during Thanksgiving and candy cane flavors during Christmas. When warm weather arrived a month or so ago, the frozen desserts increased, the baked goods remained stable and the coffee side died. Why? We were not paying attention to the opportunities that were available in the unfolding season. Sure, people are not drawn to hot coffee as much as they are in cold weather. But they are interested in cold drinks such as frappes. It is important to remind your clients that these items are available. We have made signage and reminded our staff to make the suggestion.

Profit potential does not always have to be associated to the defined centers. Profit potential can lay with-in popular fads. For example, we offer fresh gelato style ice cream, sorbet and sherbets. The yogurt craze has swept the western states over the last few years has now made it to the eastern side of the country. There are a few yogurt shops springing up in our area that are doing well.

Another hot topic is local grown and the emphasis on reducing our carbon footprint. In response to these two evolving concepts, we developed a recipe for local grown strawberry, blueberry, peach and apple yogurt.  What a hit!  We visit the local farmers market, buy the fruit and take pictures of the farmers who grow the crop. Then we post these pictures and their stories alongside the yogurt. Our customers love the outcome and they buy.

If your concept includes a baked goods profit center, your menu should be visited as the seasons change. Heavier cakes and pies can be replaced with lighter feeling ones for spring and summer. For example, we have replaced our pecan pie with key lime and blueberry. Our hummingbird cake has now been replaced with coconut cream for the warmer seasons. Emphasizing fruit flavored cheese cake and other lighter feeling desserts are more appealing during hot periods of the year. Offer pairings as well that include specialty drinks and frozen treats alongside pies and cakes. As apple pie remains in demand, always offer to warm the pie and add a scoop of the customers favorite ice cream on top.

After many years in the frozen dessert business, I find it is easy to overlook opportunities and focus on routine. However, businesses that constantly monitor their operations, their menus and their clients’ desires are more successful. Listen to what is important in your community and explore ways of blending those important concepts inside your business. We all have regular customers and in addition to having that favorite place they can go and have a pleasant experience, they also enjoy new things that they may find in their familiar special place.

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Healthy Mediterranean Diet Recipes

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Provides Mediterranean diet recipes to help healthy weight loss and minimise the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, allergies, dementia and cancer. Delivered monthly and a full free report is provided to visitors.
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Gluten Free and Food Allergy-Free Recipes
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Gluten Free and Food Allergy-Free Recipes

Stay Slim This Summer – BBQ Survival Guide + Bootcamp Workout

Stay Slim This Summer – BBQ Survival Guide + Bootcamp Workout

Summer barbeques are a great American tradition: lazy summer days and warm summer nights packed full of fun with friends and family…and of course, the food.  Here are some tips and tactics for navigating the nutritional obstacles of this summertime fare so those BBQs don’t turn into LBs!   

 Obstacle 1: Burgers + Buns

Go Grass Fed: Not only are grass fed cows happier, but they are also packed with more omega-3s, they contain 1/3 less fat, and are “green” – literally they are better for the environment. Another option is to eat bison, the leanest cut of beef found on the range.
Fungi Filler: Slash calories while ensuring a juicy patty by adding diced mushrooms to your beef before grilling.
Poultry Blunders: While many people believe poultry is the healthy choice, ground turkey is often more fatty than beef patties, so always go for the lean or extra-lean variety and avoid anything fried or breaded.
Veggie Lovers: Vegetarians beware: there is not always a meatless option so come prepared with your box of veggie burgers.
Grab Your Buns: When choosing your buns opt for the thinner option when it comes to wrapping your patties. Try the new whole-wheat sandwich thins for only 100 calories versus the bigger buns that can have 200+ calories.
Toppers Galore: Lettuce, tomato, and onions…have it all! But avoid mayo and go easy on sugar-laden ketchups and BBQ sauce and opt for light dressings like mustard, salsas, and even a little layer of avocado. Opt out on cheese, bacon, and all the other fattening toppers that only camouflage the taste of the burger.

 Obstacle 2: Side Dish Stand-Off

Veg It Up: Veggie platters are an easy healthy option for a side dish and they are great to snack on before digging into your main dish. Instead of ranch dip, try adding a pack of powdered ranch seasoning to non-fat Greek yogurt which is a healthy dose of protein while cutting calories and fat, but not sacrificing the creamy taste of sour cream.
Beans Beans…:  This protein and fiber-packed side dish is a great choice, just watch out for little calorie-creepers like bacon, cheese, and sour cream.
Mayo May-Day: You know the culprits- coleslaw, potato salad, and veggie pasta salads.  A good rule of thumb, if there’s a hint of white creaminess to the dressing, skip it! One option to enjoy is a delightful devil(ed) egg which has very little mayo and has only 140 calories and 7g of protein in 2 halves.
Grill ‘Em: Toss some veggies in olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper and they are a healthy and easy side dish – asparagus, corn, squash, tomatoes, onions, red potatoes, all will work great! Try fruit too – peaches, pineapple, and even bananas are tasty picks.

 Obstacle 3: Dessert Dilemma

Fresh ‘n’ Fruity: Summer is the best time to enjoy all the fruits in season. So whether it is sliced cantaloupe and watermelon, or a fruit salad of peaches, kiwis, and blueberries tossed in some lemon juice, enjoy nature’s dessert. However, avoid calorie-laden fruit pies – or enjoy in moderation!
Go Frozen: Whether you like fruity popsicles or low-cal ice cream sandwiches (like Skinny Cow), these single-serving lighter options clock in at only 100-150 calories which is much better than ice cream which can pack in 400-500 calories per cup!
Dip It:  Strawberries dipped in chocolate are so easy! 1) Melt a bar of dark chocolate in a sauce pan, 2) dip the big, juicy strawberries, and 3) cool on wax paper. Enjoy 3 dipped strawberries for only around 120 calories.
Sip It: Tipping back a light brew, sipping some wine, or any other summer beverage is fine – just don’t have your cake and it too.  Literally – choose between dessert and drinks. Alcoholic or not, enjoy all beverages in moderation to avoid taking in too many calories that can be hidden in cocktails, punch, and soda. Also stay hydrated in the summer heat with plenty of H2O.

 After enjoying this (lighter) BBQ fare, burn some of those calories with some fun activities during a hot summer day. Did you know that playing beach volleyball for an hour burns 544 calories and a game of Frisbee burns up to 204 calories/hour of play? And when the high temps become too hot to handle, hit the water and burn 476 calories swimming laps, 408 waterskiing, and 304 surfing the waves. (Calorie burn based on 150-lb person per hour, compliments of www.caloriesperhour.com)

BONUS: Bootcamp Workout
If you want to burn more calories, try this do-anywhere work out that will torch 300+ calories in just a half-hour. No access to the gym? No problem you can do this work out in your backyard, the beach, a local park, or even in your living room.  Come equipped with a jump rope, resistance band, and a stopwatch – then perform this bootcamp-style circuit three times totaling a 30 minutes workout.

1. Speed Rope (60s): no skipping 1-legged horsey-style, 2 legs and fast!

2. Drop and Give Me 20 (pushups): if you can’t do them on your toes, knees are fine, but use good form.

3. Walking Lunges (15/leg): add a glute lift with your back leg before stepping into your next lunge if you want to feel the burn.

4. Bicep Curl w/Resistance Band (15): work those guns!

5. Squat Thrust/Burpee (15): 1) hands to the floor, 2) pop legs out behind you into plank position, 3) hop feet back in by hands, 4) explode and jump up…repeat.  Advanced option: add a push-up while you’re in the plank position before jumping back up!

6. Tricep Dips (15): find a park bench or stair case – bend legs to make it easier or extend straight out to make it tougher.

7. Jumping Jacks (20): get that heart rate up!

8. Row w/Resistance Band (15): step on the band, bend at the waist, and row back like you’re starting the lawnmower.

9. Wall Sits (60s): with your back flush against a wall, drop your booty so your legs are parallel to the ground and hold.

10. Military Planks (60s): elbows on the floor, legs straight out behind you…and perfectly flat body to work that core, if that is too tough try starting on your knees.

Now you’re armed and ready to enjoy a summer of fun, with an arsenal of knowledge to brave the barbeques and sport the swimsuit.  For more workouts and recipes, check out 12-Weeks To a Summer Bod and sign-up for free fit tips and more at http://www.getfitbook.com/. 

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Get Healthy With Some Fruity Fun

Get Healthy With Some Fruity Fun

It can often be difficult to factor fruit into your diet, especially if you are a determined junk food addict. However, you do need to eat a wide range of fresh fruit if you want to live a full, healthy life.

Fortunately there are lots of innovative ways to introduce some fruity fun into your life.

Blend it up

If you own a blender – and it doesn’t have to be a top-of-the-range model – you can start making delicious smoothies straight away.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the selection of fruits and berries in your smoothies. A combination of bananas, a mango and a chopped apple makes a wonderful and nutritious banana smoothie, while blackberries, blueberries and strawberries can also be blended together to make a tasty mixed berry drink.

The choice really is yours. Making smoothies is a great way to introduce healthier foods to your diet, because you can decide which ingredients suit your tastes. If you have any specific health complaints (for example, cranberries can ease the symptoms of cystitis), you can easily blend the appropriate fruits into your smoothie for an extra-healthy boost.

Cooking to keep the goodness in

In the case of many fruits and vegetables, cooking destroys vital nutrients. However, apples and pears become easier to digest if you roast them gently in the oven. Sprinkle on a little water to help the cooking process, and dust them with cinnamon to create a deliciously sweet snack.

Other fruits that can be cooked include pineapples and even strawberries. Stuck on a bamboo kebab skewer and lightly grilled, these make a wonderful warm dessert, especially when served with a little natural yoghurt.

When you’re heating fruits, do remember not to cook them to death, as this will destroy many of the enzymes that help keep your body healthy. You should also make sure you include a mixture of cooked and raw fruits in your diet.

How fruit helps

A diet that includes a wide selection of fruits is very important if your body is to function properly. Fresh and dried fruits can ease the symptoms of constipation, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and problems with memory and concentration.

As fruits are a valuable source of natural sugars, they also help to keep your energy levels stable and constant throughout the day, thereby promoting healthy sleep and combating insomnia.

Berries are particularly high in antioxidants and can help the body fight off a number of eye problems. For example, blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids which can be eased by eating raspberries and drinking tea made from raspberry leaves.

If you want to get rid of unsightly dark circles under the eyes, cranberries, blackberries and blueberries can all improve liver function and make these circles fade.

So whether you blend your favourite fruits together to make a sumptuous smoothie or sprinkle a few strawberries on to your porridge for a brilliant breakfast, the number of ways to get fruit into your diet is limited only by your imagination.

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Habit Guide: How to be Happy & Healthy
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Home Fruits Planting

Home Fruits Planting

A home fruit planting carefully selected, properly located, and well managed can enhance the home landscape, provide high?quality fruits and serve as a satisfying hobby. Though is about Apple, Pear, Peach, Plum, Cherry, Apricot, or Strawberry, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Grapes, Persimmon, the home fruit garden requires considerable care. Thus, people not willing or able to devote some time to a fruit planting will be disappointed in its harvest. Growing fruit at home can be fun and provide your family with fresh, flavorful and nutritious food. The benefits are many: • You can grow large amounts of fruit in a relatively small area • Fruits are a good source of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fiber • If you carefully choose the kinds and cultivars (varieties) of a fruit before you plant, you can harvest dessert-quality fruit from early summer through the fall • As an added bonus, the fruits you grow will taste much better than the fruits you find in the grocery store. Before you begin, you need to invest considerable effort into site selection, soil preparation, and planting plans. Before you order plants, you also need to learn about their pollination needs, their winter hardiness, and how susceptible they are to pests. Some fruits are easier to grow than others. Tree fruits and grapes usually require more protection from insects and diseases than strawberries and blackberries. So, strawberries aren’t much harder to grow than most annual garden crops and bear fruit quickly. Most tree fruits, on the other hand, require a large commitment to pruning, pest management, and care, and they won’t bear fruit right away. Generally speaking, flowers and fruits of fruit trees must be protected by pesticide sprays from before blossom?time until harvest. In addition, sprays may be required to protect leaves, the trunk, and branches. window.google_render_ad(); Small fruits are perhaps the most desirable of all fruits in the home garden since they come into bearing in a shorter time and usually require few or no insecticide or fungicide sprays. Make sure you are ready to devote the time to your planting before you start. The success of your home fruit planting will be determined largely by: • how susceptible your fruit site is to frost? • whether your fruit site receives adequate sun. • whether your site has well-drained soil at least 8 inches deep. • whether you choose plants that are adapted to your fruit site and winter hardy. • your ability to prevent fruits damage from diseases, insects, weeds and wildlife. • your ability to use good fruits cultural practices, including providing adequate water. • your ability to do what is required in a timely manner. Fresh fruits can be available throughout the growing sea­son with proper selection of types and cultivars (varieties). Fruits soils and sites Plant fruits avoiding poorly drained areas. Deep, sandy loam soils, rang­ing from sandy clay loams to coarse sands or gravel mixtures, are good fruit soils. On heavier soils, plant in raised beds or on soil berms to improve drainage. All fruit crops are subject to damage from late spring freezes. Hills, slopes or elevated areas provide better air drain­age and reduce frost damages. Make certain that the air can move freely throughout the planting site and is not “boxed” in with surrounding terrain or tree borders. Fruits do best in full sun. They can tolerate partial shade, but fruit quality will be lowered. Size of fruits planting area Plan the fruit planting to fit the area involved as well as family needs. A smaller planting, well cared for, will usually return more quality fruit and enjoyment to the grower than a larger neglected one. One?half acre or less planted to adapted cultivars of the best kinds of fruit is usually adequate for the average family. Plans for fruits planting While growing fruit at home can be rewarding, it will cost time and money. To reduce these costs, carefully consider the design of your planting, including arrangement, spacing, cultivar selection, number of plants, and aesthetics. Develop a planting plan well in advance of the planting season. Determine the kinds of fruits, cultivars, and quanti­ties of each needed. Locate a source of plants and make arrangements for plants to be available at the desired time of planting. One common mistake is to put the plants too close together. Allow ample room for growth so you can prune and perform other tasks. Another common error is to put in more plants than you need. A small planting that receives proper care will yield more good-quality fruit than a larger planting that is neglected. Perennial weeds such as bermudagrass and johnsongrass compete heavily with young plantings and should be elimi­nated before planting. This can be done by spraying with a post?emergence herbicide such as glyphosate (Roundup‰) in late summer the year before planting or by shading out weeds by growing hybrid sudangrass for the year prior to planting. Strawberries especially should not be planted in newly turned under bermudagrass sod. Not only will the bermu­dagrass regrow and cause extreme competition problems because of the short height of the strawberry plants, but the white grubs that frequently infest bermudagrass sod can destroy the strawberry roots. For best survival and production, supplemental water should be provided in the summer. Locate your fruit plantings near a water source. Fruit planting If possible, set the plants immediately after arrival. If fruits roots are dry, completely immerse the roots in water for a few minutes or overnight before planting. Always water plants immediately after planting. Never allow the roots to dry out or freeze. When trees planting is delayed several days, heel in the trees by forming a mound of loose soil or mulching material. Place the roots into this mound, cover them, and moisten. The trees may be vertical or horizontal as long as the roots are covered. This protects the fruit trees from drying or freezing. Set trees about the same depth that they grew in the nursery row. Trim off broken and dried roots. Place topsoil around the roots and firm the soil to exclude air. Settle the soil with water and make sure the roots are left in a natural outward position. Leave a small basin one or two inches deep around the tree to aid in watering. Prune back about one?third of the tree top. Wrap the trunk from the soil line up to the first branches (or 18 inches above the ground) to protect the trunk from sunscald, rodent injury, insect damage, and drying out. Fruit plants cultural practices During the first summer, cultivate or mulch around the fruit plants to reduce competition from other plants and to conserve moisture and fertility. Irrigation is especially important in the first few years while the planting becomes established. Pollination and fruits set One of the most common questions home fruit growers ask is, “Why won’t my plants set fruit?” There are many possible reasons for poor fruit set, including: • a late spring frost. • cold or rainy weather during bloom. • disease. • poor plant nutrition. • inadequate pollination. • lack of a compatible cultivar for cross-pollination in species that are not “self-fruitful.” Pollination and subsequent seed development are prerequisites for fruit set. With most fruits, flowers that appear in early spring begin as buds that form in the axils of the leaves during the previous year. Flowers of many fruits bloom during early spring and can be damaged by frost. If temperatures fall below 30 degrees F when the flowers are vulnerable, some or all may be killed, reducing or eliminating fruit set. Pollination occurs after the flowers have opened. Some fruits, such as grapes and peaches, shed pollen from their anthers (the male part of the flower), which falls by gravity or is carried by wind currents to the pistil (female part of the flower). With strawberries, blueberries, apples, plums, and sweet cherries, insects carry the pollen from flower to flower. Heavy rains during bloom can interfere with pollen distribution or insect activity. Seed formation will be poor if pollination is inadequate, and seed formation is essential for the growth and development of most fruits. For example, apples with only a few seeds will fall off the tree in June or remain small and misshapen. Some fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, peaches, tart cherries, and grapes, are self-fruitful fruits. Each plant can set fruit with just its own pollen. Other fruits, such as apples, sweet cherries, pears, plums, apricots, and elderberries, are not self-fruitful fruits. They require cross-pollination from another cultivar for fruit to set. Blueberry plants are self-fruitful, but berry size is larger with cross-pollination from another cultivar. Most nursery catalogs provide information about which cultivars are good for pollinating each other-for blueberries and other fruit crops as well. Certain apple cultivars, such as Jonagold and Rhode Island Greening, produce pollen that is ineffective in setting fruit on other cultivars. To be sure of adequate cross-pollination, plant at least three different apple cultivars. With groups of sweet cherry cultivars, the pollen of some cultivars is not compatible with others within the group. Yet the cultivar Stella is cross compatible with most sweet cherry cultivars and provides a good source of pollen for other cultivars. Stella is also self-fruitful. Many European plums (often called prune plums because of their high sugar content) are partially self-fruitful. But you can improve their fruit set by planting two or more cultivars. You will need to plant two or more cultivars of Asian plums because most are not self-fruitful. Plant all fruit trees used as “pollenizers” within 100 feet of the cultivar to be pollinated. You may need fewer plants if you rely on neighbors’ trees as pollenizers, but you could have a major problem if those trees are destroyed.