I hung molasses traps for CMs in my Apple trees.
TNHunter
I mentioned somewhere that the 3’ snowfall in late Feb gave rabbits a high platform from which they could reach over 2-3’ chickenwire fencing and eat through 7’ plastic fencing, thereby gaining access to an orchard of dwarf apple trees. They then totally girdled most of the trees. Probably they got some help from deer.
When I saw the damage, I quickly saved ample scion wood wherever it could be salvaged. Over the past three days, I’ve been trying to use that scion wood to repair the damage. For most of the trees, that means (1) cutting the trunk horizontally just below the rabbit damage, then (2) bark-grafting scions to the stump.
It’s a ton of work (and a 2-3 year setback) that could have been avoided with higher metal fences and/or better diligence. I just never imagined that the rabbits could find a way over the chickenwire.
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I deal with this in my yard, it’s a lot of work trying to save the trees! How many do you have to bark graft?
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I’ve got 24 dwarf trees in the affected orchard. I had already planned to replace three. An additional three suffered relatively minor damage so I left them alone. One suffered ~50% girdling but I left it too, hoping for recovery. So that’s 17 that were severely damaged. Of these, four were small trees with so much damage that there were no salvageable scions. One more had salvageable scions but also enough surviving 1-year old growth that I didn’t feel the need to repair it. So that implies 12 that I coppiced and bark-grafted.
@jrd51 i lost 17 trees for the same reason this year as well. Darn rabbits!
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got rhubarb coming up through the last 6in. of snow over the bed. after todays rain, its go time.
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Signs of life! Gotta love this time of year. =)
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Today, I squashed a stink bug with my bare hands. It was climbing up a pear tree and I picked it off and before I knew what I was doing I’d squashed it.
It was gross, but I felt accomplished.
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did a lot in my own yard and also hung out with my neighbor behind us, she’s elderly and has a lovely little garden space. me, her and her dog walked and looked at her things. she has a rhubarb as tall as my waist already! she promised me some when she harvests it!!!
i told her to let me know if she needs help pruning out things or, snow shoveled in winter. plus she was trying to fit all these branches in a city bin, so i told her not to bother just use my branch compost to pile up her stuff, it is open to her for yard waste disposal any time
her little dog is extremely cute, as a bonus
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I’m so proud of you hahaha, I could never do that but I wish I could
Is yours made with bicycle rims? Seems most youtube diy’ers are using those?
Yep! That is what I did. Look at youtube. I already had some screens from harware cloth, but it is pretty tiring to have to lean over and sift over a cart or tub. It also seems to take more time. I also have had issues with the hardware cloth coming loose from the staples.
So far I am liking this a lot.
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Made willow water.
Checked on some of my plum grafts.
Obilinaja, NY9 and Toka on Myrobalan.
Checked on a neglected rose that i pruned back a few weeks ago… it has just produced a bunch of nice shoots. Very pleased.
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well.. too early to graft . too cold to spray. i guess ill start pruning today. sitting at 32 and sunny. ill wait till’ noon.
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I actually divided the iris last weekend, I’ve been saying I’m going to for 2 years. Now they are bagged up and someone on marketplace will be over this evening to give them a new spot to grow. 10 bags, whew. 
Otherwise I walked around and observed the bumble bees on the honeyberry and sadly have to go to work.
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I FOUND MORELS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!!
In. My. Yard!!!
So excited to get to try them for the first time! Yessssssss!
The first picture is when I noticed a mushroom right at the base of my transplanted euro prune plum. ‘Is that a Morel?’
A couple more angles because I was going to show y’all here…
Two steps away, I see this…
I am in slight disbelief and quickly do the check! Someone was already doing QC.
I always heard once you see one, then you just keep finding them! It send to be true! There were many more small ones but I left them and hope to see more next year.
So, just sauté for the first try? With a dab of butter…
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how does it feel to be gods favorite?
I love them with butter and cook them ALL the way through. My favorite way to eat them is on top of a bagel with cream cheese 
people like them breaded and fried too
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I’ve had my ups and downs, but this here is some sort of high for sure!!
Awesome! Just make sure that first mushroom under the italian plum tree isnt a false morel. Always be on the lookout. The color is right for morel, but its shaped similar to a false morel, just be 100% sure.
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keep giving them some woodchips every spring and they will likely flush for a long time. they like alkaline soil so a little lime might help.
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