Going into winter, what to do with crabs and pears?

[Catscratch]

Gotcha, is break down the worst concern?

 

[sandbur]

Another option for some folks is a municipal lawn/yard waste recycling center. I don't have that option here, but near my old place I could have gone and loaded a pickup and trailer with some beautiful finished compost for free (assuming I shoveled it on, I think there was a small charge for them to load it).
It's available for free in Little Falls.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We pile 4" of crushed limestone on top of our landscape fabric to a diameter of 40" roughly. It more or less fills the cage from side to side. For the last 3 years - no rodent problems. Alum. window screen around all trunks 32" tall. Very open around all apple trees - I don't think the little boogers like to stick their necks out for the hawks & owls, foxes and yotes.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Sunscauld looks like this.

Before



After




Only happened on the white oaks last winter. Nothing on the reds. Wonder if the slightly darker bark made a difference. These are obviously still young trees and not as much a problem on a bigger tree or like mentioned further south....

 

[chummer]

Sun scald on my pears. Killed them back two years in a row.

 

[SD51555]

We pile 4" of crushed limestone on top of our landscape fabric to a diameter of 40" roughly. It more or less fills the cage from side to side. For the last 3 years - no rodent problems. Alum. window screen around all trunks 32" tall. Very open around all apple trees - I don't think the little boogers like to stick their necks out for the hawks & owls, foxes and yotes.

I switched to pea rock last year and have been very happy with it. Still keeps the sun off the soil and holds the weeds down. I really only use enough to bridge the gap between the opening in the weed mats and the tube. I'd make one bag (40lbs?) cover three trees. I've also had fantastic rain in '13 and '14, so I can't say with absolute certainty it works all the time.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I think stone of some type or another works because if a vole or mouse tries to tunnel under it, the stone caves in on them & closes the tunnel. Or traps them to some degree. The stuff we use is very sharp & jagged - it can't be nice digging for the rodents !! We get it right from a quarry, 2 tons at a time.

 

[sandbur]

I think stone of some type or another works because if a vole or mouse tries to tunnel under it, the stone caves in on them & closes the tunnel. Or traps them to some degree. The stuff we use is very sharp & jagged - it can't be nice digging for the rodents !! We get it right from a quarry, 2 tons at a time.

I wish someone would find something for gophers that tunnel in about 18 inches under the surface. Sharp rock on the surface makes no difference.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

For the trees around my house I have pretty sandy soil with an organic matter level around 1%. Every fall when the leaves fall in my yard I chop them up with my lawn mower and spread thick layers of them around my apple trees. Since I have to get rid of the thick layers of leaves in my yard anyway, I figure I might as well try to help my fruit trees at the same time. The thick pile of leaves breaks down every year and after only 2 years I have a solid 4" of thick black topsoil/mulch on top of my otherwise sandy soil.

 

[Catscratch]

Here is what I have for a fabric. I hadn't paid to close attention to it before, but it does say "Lumite" on it.
I went ahead and used it to plant some chestnuts yesterday. If this is the stuff you guys are talking about then I'll put it around the crabs and pears I've planted.

 

[Rally1148]

Here is what I have for a fabric. I hadn't paid to close attention to it before, but it does say "Lumite" on it.
I went ahead and used it to plant some chestnuts yesterday. If this is the stuff you guys are talking about then I'll put it around the crabs and pears I've planted.

That's the stuff!

 

[Catscratch]

Cool, thanks!