Badgerfowl's habitat projects

[badgerfowl]

Do you remember how long the antonovka took to bear fruit? I'm not expecting or need anything quick I just wanted to try something different.

 

[sandbur]

Do you remember how long the antonovka took to bear fruit? I'm not expecting or need anything quick I just wanted to try something different.

It was a long time. I would guess 15 years or more.

With proper pruning and fertilizing, I am sure you could shorten the time considerably.

I planted the tree and just ignored it for years. It could have dropped apples and I would not have known it.
I have a group of apple trees across the ditch in an area that I seldom get to.


what rootstock is you present dolgo on?

 

[badgerfowl]

B118. It had flowers last year but frost got them as it was easily the first to bloom. Only 2nd leaf this year and it still has half a dozen on it. I may move it next spring as I've got it too close to the field edge and it probably won't reach it's full potential there.

 

[badgerfowl]

Called Welter's on Monday to order seeds for our fall plantings. Seeds arrived today.

Brassica mix consists of 5 lbs GHR, 1 lb PTT, 1 lb DER, and 1 lb T-Raptor hybrid forage brassica.



10 lbs of GHR will be planted by the farmer who rents our 5 acre field along with 50 lbs of clover and 2-3 bu of WR.



They had 60% chance of rain for Friday but now it's down to 30% Friday thru Sunday. Next week is cool temps but not sure if we'll get enough rain if I plant this weekend. Might wait til the 20th.

 

[bueller]

If you can plant Friday I'd go for it. Moisture in the ground should be good right now and planting Friday will give you a chance of rain for 3 days. Hopefully we catch a storm or two during that time to get you up and running. The cool nights next week should provide plenty of dew to keep your new sprouts from drying out. If we miss the rains this weekend then the seed will wait a week or so.

 

[badgerfowl]

That's my plan Bueller. I see we're back up to 50% for Friday and Saturday. I plan on getting up there tomorrow afternoon and broadcasting half my seed. I'm holding the other half for another week or three. Really nice temps next week!

 

[badgerfowl]

Here's the before mowing shot where I'm going to try my brassica plot. It's been clover for years so it should have some good built in nitrogen.



Here's the after.



I didn't start spraying it til June so there's not as much bare dirt showing as around my apples, when I started spraying in May. Clover/WR/GHR will be planted around the apples August 2nd.

 

[badgerfowl]

Is this Winter Rye or something else?



This arrowwood has been the same size for a few years now. Maybe one of these years I'll put a bigger cage on it. The deer seem to like it.



Red-osier from a 2011 cutting.



2nd leaf Dolgo on B118. Will probably transplant this next year away from the field edge and into my other apple plantings.

 

[badgerfowl]

Is this cicada or winter injury? Both on the southwest side of the same tree.

 

[sandbur]

I would say sunscauld from the winter sun.

 

[badgerfowl]

That's what I'm thinking. Winter was terrible this year.

 

[sandbur]

Get that trunk shaded. Some say painting it white helps.

 

[bueller]

I've seen lots of posts showing winter damage on fruit trees this year. SLN's planting guide states "Painting fruit tree trunks each year with white interior latex (not oil-based!) paint will prevent sunscald & makes borer detection easier". I think I'm going to start doing this on mine beginning this fall.

 

[bueller]

That seed head sure looks like rye to me. I see your 2011 red osier has berries, nice!!! Hope you get that rain in the forecast. 30%(fri) + 30%(sat) +30%(sun) = 90% right :confused::confused::cool:

 

[badgerfowl]

Yea I hope so too! It changes every 6 hours. 60 to 30 to 50 to 30. Make up your damn mind!

 

[badgerfowl]

The red-osier had a few berries last year but I've got a few of them now that are producing nicely. Not sure if the deer eat the berries but I'm guessing something will get them.

 

[wklman]

I've seen lots of posts showing winter damage on fruit trees this year. SLN's planting guide states "Painting fruit tree trunks each year with white interior latex (not oil-based!) paint will prevent sunscald & makes borer detection easier". I think I'm going to start doing this on mine beginning this fall.

I paint the apple trees in my orchard with a 50/50 mix of water and interior white latex paint. It really helps with the sunscald damage for sure.

 

[2ndHand]

I paint the apple trees in my orchard with a 50/50 mix of water and interior white latex paint. It really helps with the sunscald damage for sure.

How high up on the tree do you paint?

 

[sandbur]

How high up on the tree do you paint?

The areas susceptible to sunscauld are the areas above snowline with an exposed (non-shaded) trunk.

I would paint any exposed trunk that lacks limbs.

 

[badgerfowl]

I paint the apple trees in my orchard with a 50/50 mix of water and interior white latex paint. It really helps with the sunscald damage for sure.

What time of year do you paint? Does it even matter?