As Gator said you just might get lucky and get a sneak preview of things to come; although perhaps not the full robustness of the flavor you would get next year when your plants fruit. I would just let them be this year to do there thing and prune next year after fruit set. JMT. Just my thoughts.

> Gary--are you using a mulching more or a regular mower? Yes, a mulching rear bagger with a spring loaded flipper. Another reason I do not mulch is that I have Merion Bluegrass. It is so easily diseased, I need to remove (sick) clippings. Merion is also prone to thatch simply because of the very high nitrogen it requires too.(@ 6lbs X 1000ft2 each year) It's a catch 22. Personally, I think my self-propelled mower travels too fast to mulch properly. Merion is so thick, that before the blades can get mulched fine, the machine is chomping forward for more. If I disengage the self propel, I do get my work out, making my doctor happy I guess! I was considering trying a Gator blade. Maybe then, my mulching would look better, but I'd still be contending with disease. Bestlawn will probably suggest that R word for my Merion :-)

I went no-spray many years ago. Encouraging birds, lizards, toads & frogs helped a lot. The rose area has a couple of bird feeders, three waters, including one big plant platter on the ground that the frogs love to soak in. Has some large rocks in it so tiny birds feel safe using it for baths & drinking. Please, NO OFFENSE intended, but I didn't have outdoor cats or dogs, which helps if you're trying to establish a wildlife-friendly yard. Yes, I LOVE pets!!! If you have outdoor pets, maybe you can place feeders & water in more raised or sheltered locations. Hang a few bird houses in sheltered places & I'm careful not to disturb bird nests in nearby shrubs & trees. My dad's fruit trees (also native species) attract birds, too. They sample a bit, but do little harm. A few overturned broken pots under shrubs make good toad hideouts. I have sprayed the veggies & some herbs that were getting gobbled. Used a solution of blender-shredded artemisia leaves--bitterest stuff I could think of--& it seemed to work. So now I clip stems & leaves to mulch them around the affected plants. Good luck.

I'm a blond and I still think that's funny. I was a platinum blond until age 19, now I'm a dishwater blond. my two brothers have spent my entire life telling me dumb blond jokes and I love it. They can both tell stories why I am called the family's blitzy blond. l.marie