What did you do in your orchard today?

[CrealCritter]

Tank and I had helpers planting last year's grafted apples. I do believe the neighbors little boy is tanks favorite human. That's their black lab, her name is mini or minnie.

I asked the little boy if he would touch the top of the baby apple tree and say grow. He did, he was really excited to help plant this baby granny smith apple. He said he loves to eat apples. He also liked my tin snips for cutting ratwire trunk guards. He said it was my outdoor scissors.

I still have more apple trees to plant, this row will have 15. Maybe they will help again tomorrow or maybe not? But if you graft them, you gotta plant them.

Jesus is Lord and Christ ✝️

 

[CrealCritter]

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.

View attachment 25860

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?

Jesus is Lord and Christ ✝️

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I have two plum trees that I need to get in the ground. I heeled them in when I received them since life was in turmoil at that time. They're sprouting all over the place so I don't feel I should put it off much longer.

 

[Mini Horses]

Hmmm. Any bee keepers in your area? Maybe offer them a site for a hive. Flavors differ with available nectar.

I have a new neighbor close. This yr, I've seen a lot of orchard starts going in ☺️ Next time I am out & see them working there, I'll stop & express my delight that there is "farming" being added. Besides, I'll be a customer when it's producing 🥰 the property has been sitting dormant for several years. House had some residents off & on but, just mowed grass on the acreage.

Anyway, I think of your orchard posts every time I go by & see the new plantings 👍

 

[CrealCritter]

Tank and I mulched last year's grafted apples with old nasty hay rounds. Tank really did help he would scratch at the hay to loosen it up for me. We did a pretty thick layer of mulch. I don't want to weed, I want to retain soil mosture around the young tender roots and hay decomposes pretty quick. Didn't find any snakes, just one mouse and lots of night crawlers 👍

I have two old nasty hay rounds left, hopefully it's enough to mulch in cherries and peaches. But I do know where there are many more old hay rounds. I'm sure if I asked they would give a couple to me. But I'll ask only if I really need them.

Jesus is Lord and Christ ✝️

 

[CrealCritter]

I checked the remaining peach grafts that have not broke bud yet. I checked by cutting a ultra thin flap of bark to expose the cambium layer on the grafted scions. All the scions' cambium layer is still green. This a great sign and means all the scions are all still alive, so there is still hope. I'll wrap the scions in parafilm and set outside them outside, in the kiddie pool tomorrow. Being inside climate controled, they may just need some variation in temperature and real sunlight instead of LEDs to break bud. I'll check them again in another week or so.

Jesus is Lord and Christ ✝️

Its been over 5 weeks since tank and I grafted these peaches. Just now breaking bud, busting through the parafilm👍 Don't Loose Hope

Jesus is Lord and Christ ✝️

 

[CrealCritter]

Baby apples

Baby pears

Jesus is Lord and Christ ✝️

 

[CrealCritter]

Starkbros $18.16 sale trees. 2x Santa Rosa Plum and 1x Montmorency Pie Cherry. They appear to be fresh out of the cooler and just breaking bud. Hard to beat their sale price. I'll plant them later.

Bud or sometimes called chip grafted

Jesus is Lord and Christ ✝️

 

[CrealCritter]

This would be awesome!!!!! Count me in. I have Fedco saved for next spring

I have but one favor to ask. Please remind me at the end of February beginning of March and see if we can try and coordinate a date when you will receive your root stock. I want to send you as fresh as possible scionwood for a greater grafting success rate.

Here is our full grown semi dwarf asian pear pollinator for our standard Bartlet. It produce good medium sized brown skinned pears. I pruned it pretty heavy this spring, it hadn't been pruned in a very long time. As you can see it still has some vigor and sent up numerous amounts of new growth that could be cut for scionwood. It should really take off now and fruit out nicely next year and the following years.

Here's our standard bartlet pear. The tree is huge and has to be about 35 to 40 foot tall so most definitely it's on a standard rootstock. I picked it standing on a 16 foot ladder with a fruit basket extended all the way and still could get to the top of the tree. I also pruned it pretty heavy this spring. Same as the asian, it wasn't pruned for a long time. It also responded positively and is sending up a lot of new growth that can be for scionwood.

The original orchard trees were planted in the mid 70's and all came from Stark Brothers. That's how I found out about the Stark Bro nursery next door in Mo. They must be doing something right... They've been in business since 1816 🤯

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[CrealCritter]

I checked and watered my air layers this morning. I'm very happy my M111 rootstock air layers are rooting. I would like cut these loose from the host tree and get them potted in 1 gallon pots by mid July. So I can graft them sometime in August.

This time I used CLONEX instead of powdered rooting hormone. I also wrapped the rooting balls with aluminum foil, I'm happy with changes. Aluminum foil makes it easier to pour water in the top of the rooting ball.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸