What is going on today 2017?

[subdood_ky_z6b]

Got my five raspberry plants from Indiana Berry today. The roots on them look awesome, I have no doubt they’ll take off whenever I get them in the ground. That’s compared to the three rasps I got from Tractor Supply, which still haven’t sprouted after being in the ground for a month.

Here are some pics of the new babies:

From left, Double Gold, Prelude, AAC Eden, Killarney, and Caroline. Kinda hard to see with the plastic bags and the wet paper shreddings, but they do have nice roots.

Close-up of Prelude

Close-up of Caroline

It’s funny that the most I paid for each of these was about $4, the TS rasps were $5. It was a spur of the moment thing to pick them up at TS, can’t say I expected much. But these are very good for the price, wish I would’ve ordered more. Maybe next year.

[Matt_in_Maryland]

Fruitlets are getting bigger…

Blushingstar white peach

Red Gravenstein apple

Peach (can’t remember which)

[scottfsmith]

Thin that Blushingstar now, this is the time to get it down in numbers. I have been looking at a lot of limbs like that over the last few weeks. Trees that greatly overset like your Blushingstar always take me several thinning passes, somehow I can only take off so many in one pass. I used to just get small peaches on those trees, but once I started taking multiple passes on them the size and quality really went up.

[Drew51]

Everything is setting fruit or is in flower. Now if the weather would get better.
I love the Danish new elderberry cultivars Samyl, and Samdal, others are out there too. I heard some have some trouble with these Euros, but not me. I prune them like summer bearing raspberries and remove fruiting canes every year, well remove to new growth that has not fruited. So it stays small, but is a total producer. This is the 2nd year of full production (3rd leaf). here is Samyl today. All flowers are on canes that grew last year.

[Matt_in_Maryland]

I did one pass a couple weeks ago and have been agonizing over thinning more. I really should pull more, and your message may have given me the necessary motivation.

[ltilton]

Need to give the Gala another hit of Sevin, today that it’s not supposed to rain

[scottfsmith]

I did one pass a couple weeks ago and have been agonizing over thinning more.

It took me five years to get beyond that point … just keep chipping away at it, the pain is much less that way I still don’t thin to the recommended 6" or more, but I’m probably doing 4" or so. I also rely on size a lot, small interior fruits all go even if there is nothing nearby, and I’ll keep the really big ones even if paired up. A few varieties I have really improved my opinion of after thinning better. They were all super-heavy setters and I was not getting nearly enough off.

[mamuang]

“I still don’t thin to the recommended 6” or more, but I’m probably doing 4" or so. I also rely on size a lot, small interior fruits all go even if there is nothing nearby,"

Glad you mentioned that. I do not always follow the distance rule, either. Try to keep bigger ones or ones in a better location (lot of leaves, get more sun).

This year, some grafts like Ernie’s Choice, Madison, White Lady produce fruitlets but many are on branches that are rather skinny. So sad when I have to thin those new varieties (to me) all off

[puggylover75]

Thin Matt…thin!!!

[MisterGuy]

The Squash Vine Borers have been out and laying, so every day has been starting and ending with an egg hunt. The first day I went out I found a ton, but now I’m finding much less. I hope that means I’m staying ahead of them, but I’m concerned it means I’m just missing a bunch on stems and hidden away! I’ve been mulching a load of free wood chips down my apple rows and into my garden area, and I’m really excited to get it finished to see how it looks.

We’ve had relatively cooler gloomy days with lots of rain, and I’m thinking I didn’t put nearly enough holes into my snack baggies. Next year I’m thinking about going with the fruit sox and surround, or possibly just organza bags. It’s too humid here for the sandwich bags I think.

My Danube cherries are getting really bright and pretty. I’m not sure what color they are supposed to be ripe. I tried one a day ago and it was dang tart with almost no sweetness. I’m really happy the bird netting is letting me keep them!

[puggylover75]

Yep…this is happening right now! Eva’s Pride deliciousness…

[Matt_in_Maryland]

!!! WOW !!! That peach looks amazing !!!

[Matt_in_Maryland]

paired up

Scott,

You say you occassionally leave doubles alone. Have you found increased incidence of Split Pit or any other deficiencies on doubles or triples? Or can they come through with the same high quality as a lone fruit?

[brownmola]

I was so hoping to grab an Eva’s Pride a few weeks ago when I was replacing a tree. Ended up getting the nectaplum because they were all out of Eva’s but this is on my buy list as soon as I have more room.

[mamuang]

Danube, before I removed the tree, the fruit color was darker red when picked. You can let them hang for a long time but need to net them so birds won’t take them.

[scottfsmith]

I go more by size than spacing - if a fruitlet has grown quickly up to now I assume it will keep growing well whether its all alone or has bunch by it. I never leave triples though, they can grow into each other. I never noticed any problems with the fruits.

For you I would start out removing all doubles, its a good way to get thinned better. Once you have more experience you can leave a few if they are both unusually large. Very few doubles are worth saving.

[Susu]

Doubles are a bad thing?? Hmm… I got lot of doubles. Any idea why?
I’m very bad at thinning. Don’t have the heart to trash a perfect looking fruit!

[scottfsmith]

They are not a bad thing per se, but they are a sign you didn’t thin enough. Some varieties produce more of them. (Note I am not talking about doubled fruits, two fruits connected at the base - usually all of those are removed). Clayton and Early Crawford are two trees that overset with lots of very close fruits. If I don’t thin enough they produce very small peaches.

[lordkiwi]

Lonicera (honey suckle) Fragrantissima

Lonicera fragrantissima

http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/lofr.html

[Klondike_Mike]

Haven’t seen or heard the hummingbirds yet this year, but knew they should be returning any time so I boiled up a batch of sugar water and left it in the kitchen to cool. Later while I was helping my wife in the garden I heard their distinctive chirping so I went and got the now cooled sugar water, filled their feeder and hung it up. For the next couple hours I was working on stripping the deck. Later, I went down to the orchard to take my pre tennis nap. When I got down there the hummingbird went up to my wife and zigzagged back and forth in front of her chirping away, then he came over to me and flew 5 close circles around my head and then sat on the fence right next to me. I asked him how his winter was, where he went and told him I was glad he was back as there are lots of aphids and other bugs for him to eat out of the garden. (Don’t worry about me, I know he couldn’t understand me)

I would really like to know what was going on in his brain to motivate that behavior. Was he saying , “Hi, I’m back! Nice to see you!”? Usually they only interact with me if they need food. I did a little research on them and found they have the largest brain compared to body size of any bird. A fantastic memory- they can remember every flower in their territory and how long it will take to refill with nectar after they feed on it. And they can remember every flower and feeder on their migration route. The type I have (ruby throated) can live up to 9 years. Amazing critters!