What did you do in your orchard today?

[R2elk]

@R2elk

Have a closer look at the following peach varieties for zone 4. All 4 are said to be hardy to -20F -28C. You may have to take some extra precautions when you dip below the minimum temp. Maybe a tent of plastic might help? 🤷‍♂️ But you can research the best means.

Intrepid
Contender
Blushingstar
Reliance

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

Problem is we are not a -20°F area. We routinely are -30°F and last winter was -40°F.

Even if a tree makes it through the winter, it takes an unusually mild spring to produce fruit. I have a prune type plum that does okay in town but I have gone 20 years between times when they fruited here. I have apricots that survive fine but have only produced fruit one year.

I have a peach tree in the garden that survived 5 winter but the voles girdled it this past winter. It came back from the roots but not very strongly because the grape vines have completely covered it. It came up from a peach seed buried with kitchen scraps in the garden.

I have two new volunteer peach seedlings this year in the garden. If they survive the winter they will get transplanted elsewhere.

I have been at it for over 30 years here. If it would have a chance to grow here, I have tried it.

If it can't survive on its own I am not going to use extraordinary means to keep it alive especially since keeping it alive does not necessarily equal producing fruit.

 

[R2elk]

@R2elk more reasonable price on Siberian C. I haven't purchased any yet so don't know shipping charge.

https://www.andrewsblendorio.com/product/siberian-peach/

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

https://www.bizapedia.com/ny/andrews-nursery-llc.html

I'm a little skeptical of a nursery that is "located" in an apartment.

 

[R2elk]

Well what month is it? who ever heard of an apple blossoming the end of September?

I looked up the phenomenon years ago when I had a Nanking cherry rebloom in September. Can't remember what they said was the cause but it does happen under special circumstances. It's never happened again for me.

 

[R2elk]

Don't particularly care for pear trees but a cold hardy fruit tree is a cold hardy fruit potential.

Now, just in case it lives, I need to find another cold hardy pear since they aren't self fertile.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I harvested mulberries yesterday and today. I've got some in the freezer and I think I'll put the next batch in the dehydrator. Might try to make a low carb cobbler or pie or something yummy. Its hard to see in this pic, but the tree is so loaded that some branches are touching the ground.

I spread out a sheet under the tree and gently run my hands down the branches. The ripe berries (and a few red ones) fall off onto the sheet and are easily gathered up from there.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Dehydrated mulberries are good with granola cereal for breakfast. Whatever you make, it's hard to go wrong with mulberries 😋 Do you know what variety the mulberry is? It looks like it has a weeping growth pattern, maybe a weeping mulberry?

Just an ordinary red mulberry. This is the largest harvest it's ever given me. Generally, the branches are totally upright, this is the first time they've had a large enough crop to droop the way they are now. I'm looking forward to trying them dehydrated.

 

[CrealCritter]

Wanted to show progress on the cherry grafts. I find grafting fruit trees fascinating. Perhaps I'm easily amused, no... I am easily amused. But not so easily amused to entertain clows. Because when you entertain a clown you become part of the circus.

Everything above the black treecoat is grafted scionwood. You can see the buds breaking well now. My hats off to Fedco Trees for sending me very good quality mazzard rootstocks.

Jesus is Lord and Christ ✝️

 

[R2elk]

Planted 3 Sassafras trees today. Highly unlikely they will survive next winter but you never know if you don't try.

 

[CrealCritter]

Only fair to post pictures of the Sunrise and Moonglow bareroots planted yesterday. They are not whips, more like sticks with 5/8 diameter plus trunks.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[CrealCritter]

After Wednesday they say it's supposed to rain most every day, who knows about forecasts though... It rained last night and is raining now. I may just wait until Saturday or Sunday to try my first ever attempts at chip grafting. I really want to wait until everything is well hydrated.

I'll be using this video a my guide. I think it's a good one. There is one thing I've yet to see or read about that's crossing my mind. It would stand to reason that you want to place the chip so it's oriented in the same position as it is on the bud stick. I guess it's common sense that you don't want to place it upside down. I suspect sap will only flow in one direction. So my suspicion if the chip were placed upside down it wouldn't take.

I'll share my experience with my first ever grafting attempts.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸