Enjoy your SoCal gardening. I’m an ex-plant to the East Coast and it is tough out here. The only up side is we don’t have fires and we do have water 
1 Like
Where in the East Coast? I used to live and work In Massachusetts back in the early 80s, but I never gardened there. However the inspiration of my gardening hobby came from some gardening show there, back then I was living in apartment though. I go back to Maine frequently, once a year.
I lived in a Maine for a few years - a good but short gardening season. Have a lobster roll for me on your next trip there, or stop at the UMO farm stand for their blueberry ice cream. Now I’m south of the Mason-Dixon line in Virginia. Six months of the year is sweltering, and the array of organisms who want their piece of flesh is legion. Did Japanese Beetles get to CA yet?
1 Like
We don’t have Japanese beetles, we have June bugs.
But they are here for at least a month, they are all over my figs.
My fight with Japanese beetles usually starts around July 4th and is over by now. Not so this year. I’m enjoying my knock off into soap party that @PomGranny suggested.
As others have noted, this prolonged weather of 90+ temps has brought rot to trees not previously affected. Seeing damaged fruit on Arkansas black for the first time.
1 Like
@Rosdonald Our Japanese beetles are gone, now . . . finally. Just wanted to remind you to ‘bring’ your chickens along when you go after the beetles. 
The chickens love to follow you and catch ‘what falls’! 
It has been incredibly hot - even for August. And humid. So . . . We are seeing what I can only describe as rot damage on apples. It doesn’t ruin the entire apple - if I pick the ones with damage and cut off the nasty parts. Little King Davids that have that problem are pretty darn good. Some are coming off easily and seeds are brown.
One method that helps me enjoy and overlook the frustrations involved in this ‘obsessive hobby’ - is grafting. I think we agree, Regina . . . that we both enjoy pruning and grafting more than any other part of caring for fruit trees. ?
We have one Keepsake apple graft that is looking promising. Only one apple ripening there . . . Our first Keepsake. Goldrush tree is full of beauties - and I don’t see any rot there. Pink Lady apples look quite awful - again - this summer! I see more grafts in its future! It already has Priscilla, Esophus Spitz, Wealthy ( not looking too good, unfortunately 
) Winesap and Granny Smith . . . (gonna be a craaaaazy Frankenapple when it’s all over!) I am waiting to see what the existing grafts’ apples are like - and plan to take scions from those - and add or replace on the same tree.
2022 going down as another bummer year, not much to cheer about at about 20% yield. My tree’s are are back healthy looking, ready for a huge 2023.
Am I crazy predicting for 2023? Not really, I do it every year. Tree’s are in good position to carry fruits after a year of no fruits or just a so so year. Always looking for good surprises. Got to go fishing, perfect morning. See you later Ali….tor!
1 Like
Frustration comes from a mismatch of expectations and reality.
The act of growing a fruit tree to production is an achievement in itself. Getting a single fruit to try is an achievement. Getting that fruit to be better than what’s available in the grocery is another.
Trying to grow multiple species of fruits, each with their own unique requirements, pests/disease issues, etc. and then trying to get a consistent crop out of them is frankly asking for a lot.
I could grow one or two species of fruit and get a consistent and quality crop out of them by giving them my full attention. But I’m greedy so I have over a dozen species and because each one only gets 5-10% of my attention I only get 5-10% of additional consistency and quality each year.
5 Likes
If you succeed in this, then you can apply for an Orchard Manager job 
.
2 Likes
Is it a sad commentary on just how mundane our lives have become, or is it the fruition of a lifetime of nurturing children and chickens and cats and dogs and such?
1 Like
Well, I’ve never heard anyone say they really like spraying the trees…That’s something I actually checked with Alan a few years ago to see what it would cost and he told me he had too much on his hands already 
I actually like grafting, but have always found it somewhat difficult to make myself prune. I wanted to keep all the wood. Except when cutting scionwood- that is OK pruning, as you are harvesting something from the tree.
Same with thinning- spend time getting rid of fruit??? The horror.
Actually I’ve gotten a bit better about both pruning and thinning (by continually seeing the negative results of not). I think I know where I got that mindset from though- if I mention what I’m doing or show my mom pictures of thinned fruit or a pruned tree she does have a horror/sadness reaction.
3 Likes
Today I was at a site with a nice crop of Earnie’s Choice peaches, a variety that failed to set fruit in my orchard this year. I picked a nice one from the tree and put it in my truck. A couple hours later it was warm, and I ate it. A PERFECT PEACH!
Life is good.
7 Likes
Same here, but I’m getting there. I think you just have to clear out enough stuff that you can see what’s happening and what you’re doing. That’s what motivates me.
I’m a real hoarder - hate to discard anything because I know I’m going to need it as soon as I let it go. I remember my Mom saying “Better hang on to that - you never know when it might come in handy”. So there you are. It’s Mom’s fault.
2 Likes
I’m also in VA, and the local pests will take everything. The June beetles were steadily stripping the entire fig tree, despite it being 8 feet tall with 6 major upright branches. They weren’t a problem last year.
I have to start drowning them, and spray for grubs.
1 Like
I’m the same about keeping everything. My neighbor recently replaced the livestock fence that runs between us. It’s a great fence, but to make room he dig up some trees and bushes nearby. This left about half a foot or more drop into the fence line where we used to run our mower. Now there’s a drop where the wheels of the zero turn can fall into.
In another part of the yard I had a similar but deeper drop. I filled the base with large limbs, leaves, and grass over time. It’s just about filled in and is pretty solid.
I’m going to try that again in this new area. Only healthy pruned branches, filled by grass, leaves, etc. Hopefully it will help me out in two ways.
2 Likes
I have heard those " Ernie’s Choice" was a great peach. Glad you confirmed that.
If there is a bit of a shade you may want to look into wood chips and mushrooms. Oysters will work with just about any chips, but if you have mostly hardwoods chips you can do winecaps. Heck next year if you put a new layer of chips they may flush again.
1 Like
It is a Loring type with pretty flowers and deep orange flesh. This was the first year it didn’t produce fruit in my orchard when other peaches did, including some Lorings in my nursery, apparently a victim of the late March deep freeze we had. Loring is always said to be cold sensitive but in my slightly upstate location is hasn’t seemed so. John Boy, a sport of Loring has also been reliable. I tasted a John Boy from a tree a few feet away from the EC and EC was slightly better. But peaches on the same tree vary quite a bit and I only test the fruit on trees I manage, I don’t take bagfuls home.
1 Like
Not sad. A little kooky, perhaps . . . and not your average mainstream American pastime.
A very healthy ‘hobby’ - for sure!
Come January/February we are itchin’ to get out and do something with the fruit trees.
Even if it involves frostbite. Grafting is very creative (I think) - and the better I become at pruning and thinning - the more it seems like ‘sculpture’.
I’ll take our interests, any day - over sitting inside, watching the boob tube!
2 Likes
Good ideas and something I hadn’t thought of. The area with the deeper hole is shaded by four huge tulip poplar trees. Thanks for the ideas.