Hope everyone has been well!

[WTNUT]

I have not been lurking, posting or even had time to think about my fruit trees much this year. I have been busier than I have been in decades, but hope you and yours are doing well! Since I am in the fruit tree section I will update you on mine. The good news is I have been pretty diligent for the previous 5-7 years when it comes to tree care. This year I was not able to get a single free day to prune anything. I did not spray oil or copper. I had significant damage from locust and coons in 2016 and feared the worst for 2017. The good news is we had the best spring I can recall for fruit trees and I have the best fruit I have had. I did get to spray insecticide and a fungicide in the first half of May and have been spraying regularly since. The coons are still a bit of a problem but overall a very good year for my orchards.


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[Merle Hawggard]

Good to hear the orchard is doing great. We're going to get a few more apples this year if the squirrels don't find them first.

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[bueller]

Life gets busy and there isn't time to do everything.

 

[greyphase]

Welcome back, hope to see more of you and your orchard.

 

[H20fwler]

Agree, welcome back looking forward to your pics.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

That's good news, WTNUT. Keep up the good work !! The pay-off is starting to happen for you.

 

[chummer]

Wondered what happened to you. Welcome back

 

[Native Hunter]

Good to hear from you WT. Glad to see you back.

 

[WTNUT]

Here are some summer trees. I sprayed today and took a few pics. I was not picky as to which I photographed so don't get too excited.


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[Appleman]

Installing metal stove pipe about 2 feet above ground should alleviate raccoon and porcupine problems. Night time video revealed these nightly marauders were robbing our tree plots of a lot of fruit. After piping was installed we now enjoy a lot of apples still hanging into the December muzzleloader season.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Appleman when is coon season? Lol

 

[buckvelvet]

Appleman when is coon season? Lol

Coons are stupid easy to trap...

 

[WTNUT]

Appleman,

As always you are a wealth of experience. I can certainly do that on my larger trees. As for the smaller ones that are still protected with fence enclosures I suspect the coons climb the fence and then on to the limbs. And, Appleman you have a lot going on there with those trees. Looks like stakes for laterals or something. More pics?


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[SURGICAL GRADE]

View attachment 13615 Installing metal stove pipe about 2 feet above ground should alleviate raccoon and porcupine problems. Night time video revealed these nightly marauders were robbing our tree plots of a lot of fruit. After piping was installed we now enjoy a lot of apples still hanging into the December muzzleloader season.

That's interesting. I suppose a baffle-type guard like what is used on wood duck houses would work as well

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Coons are stupid easy to trap...

Seems would be easier than putting up those contraptions lol. Night vision goggles work too

 

[Neahawg]

A Duke dog proof trap with a little cat food in the trap and a large white marshmallow blocking the top has worked well for me.

 

[buckvelvet]

Seems would be easier than putting up those contraptions lol. Night vision goggles work too

What was your tree girdled by? Stove pipe covering.....'dumbfounded look'


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[Bowsnbucks]

Appleman - I like the stove pipe idea. Not just for coons, but I can only imagine what a bear would do once it heard the screeching, high-pitched sound it's claws made when trying to climb the tree !! I bet it would run away, as they don't like loud noise surprises. It might help save some trees. I've seen them run like hell from a flapping tarp blowing in the wind. Great idea, Appleman !!

 

[WTNUT]

A Duke dog proof trap with a little cat food in the trap and a large white marshmallow blocking the top has worked well for me.

I like trapping too and they are easy, but that is not an option if season is out or your live a significant distance from the farm. In our state, you can leave a coon or any animal trapped in a trap for an extended period of time. We had muskrats in the pond, had to identify the colony trap and I had to make sure someone checked the darn thing at least once a day when I got a nuisance permit. But, there was no option there they were damaging the damn.


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[Neahawg]

Yeah if you live to far to check them that would suck we have to be able to check them once every 24 hrs