We planted another 4 fruit trees this morning, and I must say that planting them into previously dug and prepared soil is the way to go. It was a matter of taping up the trunks, digging a hole big enough for a 5 gallon pot, adding a chickenwire cage to keep the rabbits from chewing the bark, and providing support for our spring time winds. Voila, done!
It is amazing to see how much the trees that we planted last year have grown, next to these newly planted sprigs.
There are still 2 basins empty, for pear trees that I ordered over the Internet. They are varieties that I love (Comice and Sugar pear), but that were not locally available. The trees will come from Georgia, dormant and bareroot, hopefully in November when the soil is still somewhat warm.
Once these trees are in, the orchard is complete with 3 apple trees, 3 pears, 3 peaches, a fig, an apricot and an Italian prune. There are 2 nut trees out by the horse barn: a pecan and an Arizona walnut.
We are seeing some big insects right now. This is a horse lubber whose chirp I mistook for a rattlesnake.
2 comments:
That's SOME bug! Hope your orchard does well. I would so love to have one. We have a spindly crab apple tree, but the birds get all the fruit. Perhaps I should invest in netting?
Guess it depends on what your plans are for the crab apples :-) (I think they are a lot of work to process). Last year I did not protect the fruit because there wasn't that much and I believe in sharing, but most damage is done here by insects and you cannot protect against them. I also hate seeing animals trapped in bird netting, so I have sworn if off.
Post a Comment