Post season scouting/ spring planting prep

[joe snag]

drove in today to the plot,,snowed hard allday,,Ice and snow in the road yet,but next week lyme will go down,,and plot food..
snowing very hard right now--yukkkkkkkkkkkk

[Hollywood]

Just got back from my place- no snow stuck down low but an inch or so about 100 yards up. Too cold for anything I put down to germinate yet- probably next week.

[joe snag]

What size lyme should I get,,granular or pellets,,
more snow today....

[Hollywood]

What size lyme should I get,,granular or pellets,,
more snow today....

Either will work- pellets last longer, help the fertiler be more effective. Sometimes it takes quite a bit, sometimes none is needed... did you do a soil sample?

[joe snag]

Either will work- pellets last longer, help the fertiler be more effective. Sometimes it takes quite a bit, sometimes none is needed... did you do a soil sample?

I did last year but never applied any,i'll get another sample this week,,up here theres an acid problem,Lakes get it bad from the rain.

[Green Mountian Hunter]

Got my Chestnut trees yesterday Tom 

[Hollywood]

Got my Chestnut trees yesterday Tom 

Cool! Where'd you get them from? What kind?  Just got back from digging the holes & setting the conduit for support for the apple trees. Trees were supposed to be here by yesterday- got a message at 4 pm yesterday that it's Monday now. Oh well... have to take a little time off   

[Green Mountian Hunter]

Cool! Where'd you get them from? What kind?  Just got back from digging the holes & setting the conduit for support for the apple trees. Trees were supposed to be here by yesterday- got a message at 4 pm yesterday that it's Monday now. Oh well... have to take a little time off   

I got mine from Gurneys , They are the Chinese Superior ; Called them and said to planet them as soon as you can dig and work the ground
but with the new 4" of the white stuff     So hope it melts buy Monday will try to put them in while they are still dormant . So tomorrow got to
go to the shop and get the wire mesh . Can't wait to see how they will do in this area  You think it is to early ?  , How about those square tubes do I put them around them now or in the fall 

[Hollywood]

I haven't used the grow tubes but I think they are used year round. I'm sure being dormant they can go in now. I'm waiting to do mine because they are all leafed out. I bought 1/2 conduit and cut them to 5' to put in for support- you will probably want to add something to support them- they are kind of flimsy until they get bigger. Good luck!

[Hollywood]

Got 40 holes & poles prepped in the big orchard yesterday and made a place for 8 more apple trees in the new little clearing earlier today. Still looking for the right spot for the last two. Also started whittling away at the thick scrub about 80 yards uphill from this clearing where the next plot is going. Fixed a few places in the road to help get the water off sooner and pulled a beautiful dry old hickory tree down front to cut up for a good friend. 60' of no limbs and dry as a bone- primo firewood!

Here's the new little plot- all prepped for trees...



And the main orchard area- before holes & posts...

[chuckrudy]

Nice

[Deposit]

Looking good Hollywood. I had a soil test done this year...I need NO lime! My PH is perfect, and here I have been stocking up for this years planting, I have 1200 pounds stored in the garage LOL

[Hollywood]

Looking good Hollywood. I had a soil test done this year...I need NO lime! My PH is perfect, and here I have been stocking up for this years planting, I have 1200 pounds stored in the garage LOL

All dressed up and no place to go!  There's something you don't see on Craigslist everyday... but I bet it would sell on there.

[Green Mountian Hunter]

                 Does that look sweat ; That is going to make one heck of a HONEY HOLE  right there 

[Hollywood]

Had a bit of a delay with the apple trees. They're in, but I bought them through a group of commercial growers. They are palletized & shrink wrapped and in a cool pole barn waiting for the growers grounds to dry up a bit more. Might be another week or two. Figured I better get started on getting the chestnut trees in because I won't be able to do it all at once. The forecast looks decent for at least the next two weeks (no freezing temps) so... in they go. After getting some in this evening, I'm glad I got started. I can do 3- maybe 4 an hour by the time you locate the right spot and go through all the steps. Adds up to about 45-50 hours of planting time for 150 trees.

 Here's one of the first out of the nest-