Category Archives: Fruits

Well it took about a week and the snow is gone, the ground is thawing and I think it won’t be long for the trees to start their budding process.

A view from the top of the orchard on March 7, 2015.  Pruning is complete.

Every year we have been adding birdhouses to our pest management and conservation efforts.  We have 12 swallow boxes and 4 kestrel boxes currently and will be making more this winter.  Last week I cleaned out most of the boxes … Continue reading →

Rose and I are out collecting scions from plum, Asian pear and peach trees.  We will try our first attempt at grafting in the spring.  I have a few trees that failed to take and only the rootstock is flourishing. … Continue reading →

I was able to do a trellis test section a couple weeks back. On the end and center brace posts I mounted a five foot oak 3×3 with 10 inch J bolts to extend the post between 9 and 10 … Continue reading →

After seven days, two blizzards, one heat wave, wind gusts to 50 mph, 4000 holes, and one unexpected day off, the apple orchard at Sweet Rose has been planted. The forecast turned cold and snowy when we started planting the … Continue reading →

As much as we say it all depends on the weather, it actually depends more on who is there for you when you can’t make it without help.  My neighbor Ivan was there for me today.  The trees arrived today … Continue reading →

Well everything is in place for the apple orchard planting scheduled for next weekend.  Up to a crew of six consisting of  sons, friends and wives  (I’ll leave you guessing on how many of each!) will be on hand to … Continue reading →

I have been working steadily to get the apple orchard ready.  I have driven all the end posts for the trellis and have opened the soil in order to facilitate the actual planting of trees.  I have scheduled the delivery … Continue reading →

I completed moving the locust posts into position alongside the rows in the apple orchard.  I hope to drive all these posts as the main supports for the apple trellis.  I moved some last week but had to wait for … Continue reading →