May 21 and 22

Off for the next week, so digging moats and clearing the raised bed area.

Everywhere I have lived as an adult, I have taken descendents of the iris that my grandma had along her driveway.  I have dug them up and carried them across the state, then across the country.  They have lived along my driveway, in my yard, in pots on a balcony, and in planters on a shaded patio.

When we moved here, there was a ceramic pot that matches our Celtic cross for the garden, so the iris are there, and blooming as of yesterday.

I'm seeing lots of these little guys.

May 20 - how time flies!

It's been a little rainy, so not much new is getting done.

I got a cart that will eventually be used to follow me around the ground to hold my "stuff" - hand tools, water, phone, etc.  Right now, it's been used to move the tomatoes in and out of the garage until the nights get warm.

Monday is "spring cleaning pick up" day - we get to put out 6 bags/barrels of "stuff" that will be picked up with our normal garbage day tipping.  So far...I have two bags and one barrel.

Raised Beds

The goal for the week is to get the walkways raked and weed free.

So far I have one bed cleaned and this week will start to add amendments.

Orchard

Blank Spots for Containers

The goal for the week

 ___ get the additional bubblers in the new trees so they'll get watered with the established trees.

___ apply fungicide to the apple trees.

___ thin as many apples as I can reach.

___ Trim trees in the orchard proper so I don't put my eye out.

 

 

Panoramic of Orchard from Southeast Corner

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patio

Goal for the week

___ get the bubblers/drip line in the patio plants

___ rubbermaid container with pole beans and squash (save for Saturday when nights are warming)

May 13 - around the ground

Today I started "reclaiming" the dry beds.  Now that the weeds are easier to find and control in the main garden, I can begin "loop hoeing" the enclosed beds.

Finished the fungicide today.

Orchard Row 4 is raked, whole orchard is hoed.

Clipped all suckers on all fruit trees.

Baby Tumbleweed

Baby Apples (Tree One)

Cherries, Tree 2-3

Enclosed Beds

Nectarine, Tree 2-5

May 12 - WINDY!!!

I need to spray anti-fungal (pit fruits) and neem oil (for aphids on pears and apples) but I just don't feel safe about spraying chemicals, even safe ones, in high winds.  If it's calmer this afternoon I'll catch it then.

This morning I "loop hoed" the entire orchard and started to rake Path four.

May 11 - around the ground

First, these are iris that originally came from my Grandma's yard in Snover, MI.  Those iris are long gone, but every place I have lived, I have dug some up and taken them with me.

Next, this is an iris from the beds that were already here, that sit in front of the fence and current "raised beds" (unused)

Baby pears!  (with the current track record, I'm not hopeful)

and a photo of the orchard.

Accomplished today - water all fruit trees not hooked up to irrigation - took the loop hoe to the entire orchard and raked part of "row one"

May 7, what's around

What's New!

the lilac is blooming (we have a few bushes, but this one is best)

 One of the potted roses on the porch has some buds.

and the salvia are starting to bloom.

and so are the White Top (just saying so that I remember next year when they start)

Scraped the row of orchard, watered the "square"

May 6 -

Watered all the fruit trees not on the irrigation system (there are five right now)

we have aphids.  For now, I'm picking off affected leaves and more or less keeping them under control.  This weekend I'll get a spot sprayer for NEEM oil.  The roses in the front of the house have them also.

So...we have insects we don't want, but the insects we *do* want (and need) were not around.

My peaches were not pollinated.  I think that bees might be in our future.  I'm looking at a Flow Hive.

May 4 - Apple Trees 1 & 2

#1 has aphids

#2 is buzzing with bees and doing well, I did not see aphids

I scraped Orchard Row 1

Chart for watering, etc.

ORCHARD MAP (water every 3 days)

ROW 1

ROW 2

ROW 3

ROW 4

ROW 5

goldmine white nectarine

pear

plum

plum

north star cherry

cherry

cherry

nectarine

nectarine

(electric cable)

peach

peach

stella cherry

water schedule every three days

orchard - every 3 days

apple tree left gate

apple tree right gate

iris beds

water every other day

front square

water every day

veggies & flowers on patio

I also use a loop hoe and check for aphids/pests in row order and include the apple trees outside the orchard.

May 2, in Squishyville, NV

So...I’ll write an introduction post later...

The orchard is in bloom, except for the peaches, because we have peaches!

Today, I’m pounding in Job’s tree spikes in the orchard.

We have 4 apple trees, 2 peaches, 2 cherries, 2 apricots, 2 plums and a nectarine.

We have 3 trees to be planted - 1 nectarine and 2 cherries.