Working at the Farm - Took a few I-Phone Pics

[Native Hunter]

You don't think you will find any places to put just a few trees between now and next spring? Will you have anything to top work after we finish this year? Do you think we will be close to ready in the next couple weeks? I know that cold spell put a hold on it for me anyways.

Daniel, we will assess the open spots left for trees after I get the last 11 set this year. My guess is that for the next few years, 4 or 5 trees a year might be possible. Also, I have just a few shrubs that are not really important, and I might replace some of them with trees.

I doubt that 100% of the topworking will be successful this year, so that leaves the door open for more next year. There seems to come a time when maintaining and taking better care of the existing is more important than expanding.

The crabapples that we are topworking could be done right now because they are leafed out already. The apple trees are still very dormant. My guess is that about 2 more weeks will be just right for us to do the topworking.

I'm still looking forward to our field day. We are going to have a lot of fun. I'm anxious to show you some of the work I've already done this spring.

 

[Fish]

That's a bummer Fish. How many did you have?

Only 5 in the garden. I had 3 in grow pots in the barn and they were fine of course. They also ate a few sawtooths in the garden. You know youve been had when the little trees are leaning over.

And im with everybody else. You will plant at least one tree somewhere every year as long as you are physically able.

 

[Native Hunter]

Only 5 in the garden. I had 3 in grow pots in the barn and they were fine of course. They also ate a few sawtooths in the garden. You know youve been had when the little trees are leaning over.

And im with everybody else. You will plant at least one tree somewhere every year as long as you are physically able.

10-4 on the leaning....

I have to agree on at least one tree, and maybe as many as 5, but not like in the past!!

 

[Chestnut Valley Farms]

Grats on the new acreage Steve! Been on forum Haidas for awhile. Family an work keeps me busy these days.
Enjoyed the heck out of catching up on your progress! I set some apple an pear trees this week an made me think of you brother
Glad to see your doing well
Jordan

^^^woodland pear plot

Start of new OL home place apple orchard. 5 to start. Lots of room for expansion on this sunny bench! Pear orchard in the distance

 

[Triple C]

NH...Just spent the last 30 minutes catching up on your thread. Congrats on the new land addition. Love the creek! Keep us posted on how well the Fixation clover does for you. I planted it 2 years ago and didn't have much luck with it lasting. Pigs really rooted up the plot after planting so that may have contributed to poor performance. I've got a 5 lb bag of it left and will plant it again this fall.

interesting thing about reaching the max on tree planting...THE LLC brought me 10 bare root chestnuts this past Saturday when he came down to graft horse apple and yates to B II8 rootstock. I told him one would think it would be easy to find places to plant more trees on 287 acres but I swear, I think I'd have to cut trees to find a place to plant em. Gonna pot em this year and have a year to think about where to plant them.

Great thread! Always enjoy catching up.

 

[Native Hunter]

Grats on the new acreage Steve! Been on forum Haidas for awhile. Family an work keeps me busy these days.
Enjoyed the heck out of catching up on your progress! I set some apple an pear trees this week an made me think of you brother
Glad to see your doing well
Jordan
View attachment 6459
^^^woodland pear plot
View attachment 6460
Start of new OL home place apple orchard. 5 to start. Lots of room for expansion on this sunny bench! Pear orchard in the distance

So good to hear from you Jordan. I had noticed that you hadn't been on the forums much and figured you were busy. I love the setting for the orchards that you chose. I can just imagine those trees 10 years from now and deer running everywhere.

With that army of great young hunters you have growing, you are going to need lots of fruit trees and deer both. I like the way you are planning for the future.

Keep up the good work!!

 

[Native Hunter]

NH...Just spent the last 30 minutes catching up on your thread. Congrats on the new land addition. Love the creek! Keep us posted on how well the Fixation clover does for you. I planted it 2 years ago and didn't have much luck with it lasting. Pigs really rooted up the plot after planting so that may have contributed to poor performance. I've got a 5 lb bag of it left and will plant it again this fall.

interesting thing about reaching the max on tree planting...THE LLC brought me 10 bare root chestnuts this past Saturday when he came down to graft horse apple and yates to B II8 rootstock. I told him one would think it would be easy to find places to plant more trees on 287 acres but I swear, I think I'd have to cut trees to find a place to plant em. Gonna pot em this year and have a year to think about where to plant them.

Great thread! Always enjoy catching up.

TC, I thought of you today. I was working at a place in Tennessee, and saw a big sign at a place called "Triple C Farms." I thought you had maybe expanded your borders...

I think if you have a year to think about those trees that you will come up with a plan. It's great that you and LLC get to do habitat stuff together. That makes it a lot more fun. Keep up the good work and stay in touch!!

 

[Triple C]

TC, I thought of you today. I was working at a place in Tennessee, and saw a big sign at a place called "Triple C Farms." I thought you had maybe expanded your borders...

I think if you have a year to think about those trees that you will come up with a plan. It's great that you and LLC get to do habitat stuff together. That makes it a lot more fun. Keep up the good work and stay in touch!!

Thought I had an original in Triple C Farm. Prolly a few hundred out there. I'll come up with a plan on the trees. Dropped em off at Brooks house on way home Sunday and left him a message to pot em and grow this year. I need to find more time to catch up on so many great threads on here.

 

[Native Hunter]

Thought I had an original in Triple C Farm. Prolly a few hundred out there. I'll come up with a plan on the trees. Dropped em off at Brooks house on way home Sunday and left him a message to pot em and grow this year. I need to find more time to catch up on so many great threads on here.

TC, I know the feeling about wanting to catch up. So many great threads on here and not enough time to keep up. Sounds like your trees are in good hands until next year.

 

[Weasel]

Love the stone spring NH. Congrats on the milestone of completing your tree goals, you worked extremely hard to get there.

Thought I had an original in Triple C Farm. Prolly a few hundred out there.

I took a back road somewhere from my place to get to a spot across the border back into Pennsylvania. I drove past a Double A Horse Farm. At least it was in a different state, LOL. Probably thousands of those but oh well.

 

[Native Hunter]

Love the stone spring NH. Congrats on the milestone of completing your tree goals, you worked extremely hard to get there.

Thanks Weasel. The tree planting has been a labor of love, and as you know - when a guy is managing property, there will always be some kind of labor needed, and if you don't love it, it won't get done!!!!!

 

[Native Hunter]

This year is shaping up to be a great apple year. We don't have any freezing forecasted and we are in full bloom or almost there depending on the trees.











Even the runts are wanting to make apples:



All trees are not good trees:







These got set today.



A few random pics:







That's it. 5 more trees and I'm looking for a new hobby.... lol.....

 

[Merle Hawggard]

Beautiful pics NH! The tree in your shed being the exception of course.

Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk

 

[lakngolf]

Ouch!!

 

[Native Hunter]

Beautiful pics NH! The tree in your shed being the exception of course.

Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk

Yep, glad I wasn't standing under it.

I was able to get it off with my chainsaw and get the tarp on before it rained. I have an uncle who does carpentry work and he is coming to help me with the roof sometime next week.

Otherwise all is well - oh, except for the fact that they have me scheduled to be working in Florida the day before turkey season opens. I ain't none to happy about that........

 

[Native Hunter]

Ouch!!

Lak, I had to get the big saw out on that one...LOL.

 

[Weasel]

See, you made the tree gods angry by saying nonsense like you're not planting any more trees LOL

Great pics otherwise!

 

[dogghr]

Looks great Native. Hate that about the tree on your shed. Your apples well ahead of mine, my pears are just blooming. On the smaller apple that is blooming, do you cut off the fruit that forms when they are that young? I usually do thinking that it best to give growth to tree before it puts effort into fruit. What thinks ye??

 

[Triple C]

Sorry about the shed Native. Least it only took out a corner of your building and not you or anyone else. Love the clover / chicory plot!

 

[Native Hunter]

Looks great Native. Hate that about the tree on your shed. Your apples well ahead of mine, my pears are just blooming. On the smaller apple that is blooming, do you cut off the fruit that forms when they are that young? I usually do thinking that it best to give growth to tree before it puts effort into fruit. What thinks ye??

dogghr, yes, I agree with you on not letting them try to make fruit that young. I know it's tempting, but it's not a good thing to do. In fact, I think it's better to pinch the flowers off. For one thing, the flower is one of the primary spots that an apple tree gets fireblight (shoot blight). That could be hard on a young tree.

On that roof I'm going to patch the hole, screw down treated 1 x 4s right on top of the shingles and put down a metal roof. Should be good to go then.