The sky was brilliant blue.
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Tree-Whacking in the Orchard
On the second day of my attack of flu, I needed fresh air, so I sat in the pasture as Adam began trimming the big fruit tree in the orchard. We think it's an apple tree, but we don't know about any of these fruit trees for sure.
He can only remove 1/3 of the tree's mass each year, so he chose some large branches he knew needed to go, cut them, and yanked them out of the tree with a rope, as you see. The tree was also filled with grapevine, so this tugging was quite vigorous. He was victorious in the end!
I was a bit nervous with him up on a ladder, but he did a good job. No broken anything ... except for the tree, of course.
He started a burn barrel and we put some smaller branches in there, but mostly it was for occasional warmth. It was a chilly morning.
So much of what's in the top of this tree (below) is grapevine. Today (Friday) Adam spent the morning climbing the tree and ripping the vine out. It looks much sparser now.
He also pruned this little fruit tree in the yard.
This is a late winter project we've been looking forward to, an indication that spring is coming. We think all these trees are either apples or pears. I can't wait to find out how delicious the fruit is.
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A warm fire is always nice on a cold winter day. I look forward to seeing and hearing about these fruit trees and what they will be bearing for you, and of course, what all you will do with them.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week ~ FlowerLady
Sorry you've been feeling ill. Sunshine is good medicine, I think.
ReplyDeleteWhat good trimming work Adam is doing. I hope it helps your trees to be productive this year.
You probably know this but if you soak the grape vine in barrels of water, you can fashion them into wreaths...thinking farmers' market. ladders are the bane of my existence; was on one yesterday, twice, and didn't much like it. Thank God for His safety.
ReplyDeleteTree lopping means reducing the size or changing the shape of a tree. The branches and limbs can be removed, the trunk can be shortened, and the shape of the tree can be altered in the process. The entire tree, including the stump can also be removed. His explanation
ReplyDeleteOrganic gardening is on of those things which sound like a little hobby for senior citizens. As far back as I can remember, society would look at organic gardening as something which only hippies or so called tree huggers participated in. Light deprivation greenhouse
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