"Top of the Hill"
- Thread starter Chummer
- Start date
Chummer
Active Member
Thanks. It is all part of the challenge and the fun. You only know what you know, and don't know what you don't know. Something like that.
Chummer
Active Member
Waste of a weekend! Showed up with 400 shrubs and trees to plant. Found half the woods covered with 1-2' of snow and the trails unpassable. 1/2 mile down the road no snow! In worse news 15 out of 17 apple trees I planted last year were snapped in half. Not sure what happened this winter but on two properties I suffered a major loss off trees, they should bounce back but loosing a year of growth sucks. Planted 10 Dolgo seedlings and called it quits because the rest of the area I wanted to plant was snow covered. I have another 40 apples coming so this is going to back me way up. I will also have to deal with black flies going forward. Curse this obsession if mine.
Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
Meanwhile within sight of the Hill a week ago the deer were enjoying the beginning of greenup (Triticale).
And today at noon The same field has greened up substantially (pic. of same field of Triticale-different angle). The fertilizer recently spread did speed things up for sure.
Anne and I took a walk along the lake and this is what it was like there.
Thanks for tipping us off on the snow Chummer; we were thinking of taking a walk on the Hill after lunch but turned left out of the driveway instead. What were we thinking?!!!! Of course there would likely still be snow on The Hill. It is amazing what a difference five miles can make. We turned the wood furnace off last week and today saw only one truck on the road with a snowplow still mounted; It must have been one of The Hill people. Our plow is coming off tomorrow; I don't dare go out with it on the truck while everyone is wearing T shirts and shorts and there are no black flies.
Triple C, don't feel too sorry for us northern guys, its mostly just the ones on The Hill that still have snow to deal with. All kidding aside The Hill is a little challenging environmentally at times but it is also a very, very special world. While I'll stay near the micro climate of Lake Ontario I can understand the draw that The Hill has with its big, really big woods.
I'm sorry to hear about the apple tree breakage Chummer. Hopefully with their now established root system they will bounce back very quickly.
And today at noon The same field has greened up substantially (pic. of same field of Triticale-different angle). The fertilizer recently spread did speed things up for sure.
Anne and I took a walk along the lake and this is what it was like there.
Thanks for tipping us off on the snow Chummer; we were thinking of taking a walk on the Hill after lunch but turned left out of the driveway instead. What were we thinking?!!!! Of course there would likely still be snow on The Hill. It is amazing what a difference five miles can make. We turned the wood furnace off last week and today saw only one truck on the road with a snowplow still mounted; It must have been one of The Hill people. Our plow is coming off tomorrow; I don't dare go out with it on the truck while everyone is wearing T shirts and shorts and there are no black flies.
Triple C, don't feel too sorry for us northern guys, its mostly just the ones on The Hill that still have snow to deal with. All kidding aside The Hill is a little challenging environmentally at times but it is also a very, very special world. While I'll stay near the micro climate of Lake Ontario I can understand the draw that The Hill has with its big, really big woods.
I'm sorry to hear about the apple tree breakage Chummer. Hopefully with their now established root system they will bounce back very quickly.
Chummer
Active Member
I will keep firing away. I see trees with apples so I know it can be done. I will keep tweeking the strategy until I get it. On a good note all the rootstock you helped me plant are doing great. Some of the tubes were collapsed but I straightened them out. They should take off this year. My new plan is to let them grow and then graft them over at about 6'. Hopefully that will put them out of reach of the snow pack. With all the deer migrating I think I can go to smaller cages as well. 4 months of no deer really takes off the browsing pressure. If you and Annie ever want to take a walk on the hill feel free to use my trails. We will have to get together in a few weeks for a property tour. Before I go crazy with the chainsaw I want to run a few things by you.
Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
Thank you Chummer for the trail offer. I'd be sure to check with you first. Maybe you could deputize Annie; she scares the heck out of them poachers. One time she made a guy hand over all of his ammo before she sent him on his way with an empty gun. I told her no more of that scaring armed people stuff; the next one might not act like a scared little lamb. Just let me know when you want to do a walk and I'll be up for it.
Its good to hear that some of your apples made it through okay. You'll figure out a way to grow those apples consistently;that's a given. In the meantime releasing every wild apple tree is pretty easy. Any chance there are some unnoticed apples on the new property where you added the piece to it?
Chummer
Active Member
It seems the only apples are on the dirt road. I wish I could release them, there are some nice ones there. I think my property is way to mature for apples to still be around, they were probably swallowed up years ago. I will have to swear Annie in, I saw old footprints in the snow where they stepped right over my cable and posted signs.
Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
Ninety-eight percent of the apples probably have been swallowed up by the mature trees but there has to be one or more that is still hanging on. maybe on a north slope or the edge of a swamp or drainage, wet seep, or old over grown logging road there could still be some.
Chummer
Active Member
The plan was 400 trees, got 85 or so done. Nice when you can mulch your trees with snow.
Panoramic view of my main plot. It is slowly turning into an orchard.
This is a new orchard or thicket I started. 29 Dolgo seedlings to start. Digging here was not fun. There are a lot of briars starting. This was cut two years ago. I may just let them fill in. I tried planting a tree at every stump in case I want to turn it to a plot later. The soil is so rocky probably not worth it. I still have silky dogwood and nine bark to fill in where ever I can dig a hole.
Very pleased with these Dolgo seedlings from Chief River. They had a nice tap root. It made it bearable to plant with a planting bar because a shovel was not an option. If they live I will add some more next year.
Cummins order arrives this week so back at it next weekend.
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Panoramic view of my main plot. It is slowly turning into an orchard.
This is a new orchard or thicket I started. 29 Dolgo seedlings to start. Digging here was not fun. There are a lot of briars starting. This was cut two years ago. I may just let them fill in. I tried planting a tree at every stump in case I want to turn it to a plot later. The soil is so rocky probably not worth it. I still have silky dogwood and nine bark to fill in where ever I can dig a hole.
Very pleased with these Dolgo seedlings from Chief River. They had a nice tap root. It made it bearable to plant with a planting bar because a shovel was not an option. If they live I will add some more next year.
Cummins order arrives this week so back at it next weekend.
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dogghr
Well-Known Member
Those rocks just look like a lot of hard work for planting. My soil not so rocky on top but you don't know you wasted your time till you hit bedrock 6 inches down and have to move to another spot.. At least I have no snow. Bet your place will be more amazing in a few years with those plantings. Good luck.
farmhunter
Well-Known Member
really enjoyed reading through it all - I'm not surprised your snow is just now melting - I always complain about how much we get - and how long it takes to melt - looks like you have us bea - probably ever year!
We had coyotes in the 1980s on our farm in CNY - not like now, but some. Id say for us they peaked 10 years ago. A couple years ago - we lost a lot of them due to a mange. I find bit of the same - when coyotes kill a deer - they will eat almost every bit of it in 1-2 days. They might scavenge on a winter kill or one lost by a hunter - but its a whole different scene when they take one down.
We had coyotes in the 1980s on our farm in CNY - not like now, but some. Id say for us they peaked 10 years ago. A couple years ago - we lost a lot of them due to a mange. I find bit of the same - when coyotes kill a deer - they will eat almost every bit of it in 1-2 days. They might scavenge on a winter kill or one lost by a hunter - but its a whole different scene when they take one down.
Chummer
Active Member
I spent the day planting at camp. I am about out of room here so this will be the last year of heavy planting. I will be fine tuning going forward.
This is my best growing tree, a third leaf Trailman. I plan on shooting a few deer from the stand that hangs behind it.
This is in front of the stand, a small clover strip with the Trailman, 1 Liberty, 1 Enterprise, and 4 Dolgo added today. Behind the stand is another clover plot with 9 various apple trees.
2 of the nine are Frostbite apples and they have held up well for me. They are on their fourth leaf.
This was a pleasant surprise. My zone is border line for this Golden Hornet. It has started to wake up. I am very hopeful it survives for its very late bloom time.
This is my new plan. No more buying apple trees and hoping they make it. I used the chisel plow around the outside of my clover plot and planted rootstock. I will wait a few years and graft trees I know can survive my winters. By waiting a few years I will be able to graft above the snow line.
Finally, the black flies were so bad I jumped on my tractor and plowed my 1/2 acre turnip plot. I will try an old disc I bought next week and plant some WW I have left over till July when the turnips go in. Next weekend I will get to include some turkey hunting in the plans. I still have a boat load of shrubs and spruce to find spots for.
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This is my best growing tree, a third leaf Trailman. I plan on shooting a few deer from the stand that hangs behind it.
This is in front of the stand, a small clover strip with the Trailman, 1 Liberty, 1 Enterprise, and 4 Dolgo added today. Behind the stand is another clover plot with 9 various apple trees.
2 of the nine are Frostbite apples and they have held up well for me. They are on their fourth leaf.
This was a pleasant surprise. My zone is border line for this Golden Hornet. It has started to wake up. I am very hopeful it survives for its very late bloom time.
This is my new plan. No more buying apple trees and hoping they make it. I used the chisel plow around the outside of my clover plot and planted rootstock. I will wait a few years and graft trees I know can survive my winters. By waiting a few years I will be able to graft above the snow line.
Finally, the black flies were so bad I jumped on my tractor and plowed my 1/2 acre turnip plot. I will try an old disc I bought next week and plant some WW I have left over till July when the turnips go in. Next weekend I will get to include some turkey hunting in the plans. I still have a boat load of shrubs and spruce to find spots for.
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Chummer
Active Member
It happened fast, there was still snow last weekend! Apple trees are loaded with blossoms, seems a little early. They are still a couple weeks from opening. I know there is probably a 0% chance we are done with frost. Hopefully we are done with temps in the 20's. I was not expecting the black flies, I hate them things. It was nice to see green!
Buckly
Well-Known Member
Green up down this way is at least 2 weeks early. I don't remember a time when it's been this green this early. Hopefully frost is not an issue with your trees. I'm not seeing anything in the forecast for frost in the next 2 weeks which should take us past usual frost dates but, I'm sure it could be colder up there. However there are no black flies out here as of yet and that is also unusual.
Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
"quote"--Dave,
Don't under estimate those pears. I had a great stand at my buddies years ago. It was a few yards from a single pear tree in a thicket of wild apples. Deer would walk right over the apples to get to that pear. Only problem was they were gone by the second week of bow season."end quote"
I'm with you on the pears Jeremy. Looking at it from our perspective the deer do love pears but as you said they are often gone by the second week of bow or early muzzle loader at the latest. Even if we do not hunt over the pears though, they do draw deer to the property, set up our property as their normal place to be and may keep them alive longer living out those two seasons in our more or less safe zone.
And from the perspective of the deer, it is a tasty morsel available at the right time to help add fat to their bodies in preparation for the stress of the rut and the long winter. So really the pears are a no-brainer super tree that deserves more attention from us than at least I have been giving them.
I know your area has some pears. Have you found any on your properties? I'm thinking one or two could have been mixed in with the apple trees we marked that day.
Don't under estimate those pears. I had a great stand at my buddies years ago. It was a few yards from a single pear tree in a thicket of wild apples. Deer would walk right over the apples to get to that pear. Only problem was they were gone by the second week of bow season."end quote"
I'm with you on the pears Jeremy. Looking at it from our perspective the deer do love pears but as you said they are often gone by the second week of bow or early muzzle loader at the latest. Even if we do not hunt over the pears though, they do draw deer to the property, set up our property as their normal place to be and may keep them alive longer living out those two seasons in our more or less safe zone.
And from the perspective of the deer, it is a tasty morsel available at the right time to help add fat to their bodies in preparation for the stress of the rut and the long winter. So really the pears are a no-brainer super tree that deserves more attention from us than at least I have been giving them.
I know your area has some pears. Have you found any on your properties? I'm thinking one or two could have been mixed in with the apple trees we marked that day.
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Chummer
Active Member
I think I may have one old pear but it has neve had fruit. I have planted many pears but they are a struggle at best.
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