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.