Treenut's Forest Notes for 2022
2022 Farm Notes:
- Check apple grafts.
- Clear brush over and around new plantings (release) in windbreak.
- Plant Oak, Apple, and Spruce from personal nursery to fill gaps in bottom, orchard, and windbreak.
- Prune up White Pine and REd Pine in forest west of yard.
- Prune up Walnut in 5-Mile forest.
- Hang reconditioned bat houses to give more room to 'returning' bats.
May 2022: Find and Release last year's planting:
Left: Spruce transplant with some welcome neighbors
This spruce is located along the south edge of the windbreak. It's main competition is grass.
The green flag means it was planted in the spring of 2021.
The painted stick means the original transplant failed and a new transplant put in during the summer of 2021.
The 6 Morel mushrooms mean I am very lucky and will soon have a delicious meal.
(i.e. I will soon 'release' these mushrooms into a frying pan -- yum )
Marker Meanings: Green Flag; Spring 2021 transplant, Wooden Stake; re-plant from 'rescue spruce' in summer 2021
Below: Spruce transplant with some UN-welcome neighbors
There is a healthy and vigorous understory of black raspberry which has moved in to this area of the forest. I am attempting to control it at least enough to let these young transplants survive
[Click on pictures to enlarge]
June 2022: Check Apple grafts:
Left: Winesap graft on mature tree is blooming
This was exciting to see Winesap apple blossums on the first year after grafting. Will the graft be strong enough to support the weight of apples?
We'll have to wait for the answer because deer ate the young apples off of this twig. I guess we need to graft higher on the tree next time.
Below: Winesap graft on seedling rootstock.
These grafts will not produce blossums until the tree is old enough. In this case, the rootstock that is hosting the graft.
A graft obeys the addage; 'When in Rome....'
[Click on pictures to enlarge]
July 2022: Replacing failed transplants :
Below: Replacing failed transplants in windbreak area.
I only have a few 'rescue' spruce in my nursery but a bunch of apple seedlings and a few oak. So I decided to replace failed transplants with apple and oak.
- I have a ton of apple seedlings that need to go somewhere.
- Oak seems to do well on that hillside and I have White Oak which likes well drained soil.
Of course, I must fence in each Oak that I put out. This not only protects from browse it also marks the tree. I am not fencing the apple even though I know that deer like to eat apple. I just don't have enough cages.
[Click on pictures to enlarge]
October 2022: Continue pruning up Walnut trees :
Pruning Walnuts (third round)
This is the third pass at pruning up the walnut trees. The first pass I was on foot with a chainsaw and pruning up as high as I could reach. The second pass I would stand on the fenders of the tractor and prune as high as I could reach. This fall I bought a power pole prunner and began the third pass as high as that will reach.
[Click on pictures to enlarge]
