If I have it on hand I use cardboard then mulch! Works really well.
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Took picture of my Meiwa kumquat tree in ground zone6 with only fruit.
Rhubarb and flying dragon Meiwa fruit
Close up
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Today I sprayed my apples, post petal drop. All except the Dabinette, which needs another few days. Fruit set looks really good. If I can ripen 1/3 of what’s there, I’ll be swimming in cider.
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It was raining off and on. So I talked my wife into going to their family home place on the banks of the Satilla River so I could find some decent scion on their old Sand Pear trees.
Ended up with 3 good sized sticks that still have good buds. One of them a softwood stick as well.
Wish we would have thought to bring something to measure them. These were big trees in the 1950’s when the oldest person alive recalls them.
Sadly they do not get care much anymore and they are falling into biennial bearing. They need some serious thinning. It has been 30 years since anyone tended them.
There are pictures of a pickup truck bed full of wash tubs of pears from these 2 trees.
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Finally got my cucumbers planted today. Hoping for a strong season this year, nothing beats fresh cucumbers straight from the garden in summer.
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neighbor was filling their pool and it was pouring water through the fence so i was digging and baling out until they answered the door
then i stuck some figs, more cardboard break down. begged on facrbook for free wood chips because
1. chip drop now says my wires are too low (they came 3x no problem and there are no new wires?!?)
- i can’t pick up, my right shoulder won’t shovel or load and i only have a tiny hatchback
- i have some branches but no chipper
- I’m broke. flat bottom broke. no parking money broke, etc it’s bad
- i have pine needles galore but it’s an area where I’m always walking and they are FULL of extremely sharp pine cone bits and i can’t go through that hell again
- i need something to put on top of this cardboard that won’t blow away, straw isn’t it and even if it was in back in the same position begging for delivery without money
anyway that’s been my day
edit to add the figs. wish them luck
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So far I have been mowing down all the stuff that has gotten a bit too friendly with the sky around my bushes. But the neighbor just sent me a picture of his garlic scapes asking for a refresher on what to do so I expect I’ll be harvesting the first of my own garlic scapes in a few minutes.
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Trying to find the biggest pieces of cardboard you can find. I tried to get the grocery store pallet covers they’re 48“ x 48“ if you can’t find them just use the biggest cardboard you can find take a razor knife and cut the cardboard away from the base of the tree in a small circle put the straw close to the tree Then throw pieces of bricks or big rocks on the cardboard You could also throw a shovel full old dirt on it to hold it downhold it down if Water is not an issue put a lot of water on the cardboard it’ll lay down after a couple of days
Finished thinning. Took a few photos of damage. I cut some open and saw no sign of bugs or larvae inside.
Also a picture of a tiny Pacific tree frog just for fun.
.
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planted out cucumber and zinnia and bush beans ahead of this nice drizzle that blew in.
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Organized all my fig trees alphabetically and put them into rows. whew.
Also planted out some okra seeds after harvesting my bolted radish
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Finally installed bird netting over the berry garden. Wife it out of town so it look me most of the day
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2nd spraying of apples, post-petal drop. Checked progress of grafts on apples, pears, persimmons and pawpaws. If I can muster the energy, I’ll move some wood chips to mulch the apples.
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LOL – is the usual labor in the fields good for the marriage? 
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lol yea. Keeps me busy and over time she’s enjoyed helping me when I’ll let her, which has strengthened our marriage. I’m am quite stubborn and particular. So sometimes it’s better I do things myself. But then again when she sees another box of trees arrive in the mail or a new deer cage go up there is exasperated expression on her face and the old “Tim dont you think we have enough trees now”. Oh well
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I’ve definitely been told that I have enough trees. But there’s no way I could get my wife to help me outside. For that, I have to call my sons or son-in-law. Or my daughter or local daughter-in-law.
My grandsons (12 and 8), who live in CA, are coming to visit at the end of the week. I could begin to break them in. I’m pretty sure I could get them to hello me put tomatoes and peppers in the ground. Or plant seeds of green beans.
Edit 06/05/26: Grandsons are here. I expect to get them planting tomatoes later today.
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moved my 2 citrus and a pomegranite outside on the deck . scooped out half the soil of the citrus and replaced with fresh soil. the pom. has root issues so i sprayed off all the soil off the roots. , trimmed off the dead ones and repotted in fresh soil amended with 1/4 sand. suprised the it wasnt in worse shape. the bottom soil in that pot was like hard clay. took 20min. with the hose to rinse it all out of the root ball. it should take off real good now that it has some air down there. the lower leaves were yellowing then browning and falling off for the last 3 weeks. i tried diluted peroxide and it helped some but it really needed fresh loose soil.
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Non-gardening spouses consider helping as torture. And ticks? Horrors! Just realize it is your “thing” and enjoy the solitude. When they do help, butter them up a lot and help pick the ticks off them.
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smashed thousands of aphids smh
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