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Do we dare open up this Pandora's Box of orcharding technique? You betcha!
Re: To prune or not to prune? - 2 months ago
Ethan -- what did you end up doing? I'm always struggling with pruning decisions but Pat's advice seems right on. Also worth mentioning is that pruning cuts on larger branches often don't heal over well and leave exposed raw wood surfaces. In my area those spots usually/eventually get colonized by some fungal rot. So, if the branch has to go, better to do it when it's smby Josh Klatt - Orchard Systems
Re: Topworking plan-Good or bad idea? - 2 months ago
Top working every other sounds like a great idea for all the reasons you mentioned -- and continue to stay wary of the commercial/conventional advice. As someone trying to get more mature trees going , it hurts me to think about cutting one down ! Also, don't write off the stuff on slope -- sometimes slope can be a blessing (excess water from heavy rain won't drown them and frost is lby Josh Klatt - Orchard Systems
Re: Subsoiler / ripper - 3 months ago
Mike -- thanks for that suggestion -- I looked at this but thought I needed something heavier-duty. But at a fraction of what I was considering spending, I think I'll give it a shot.by Josh Klatt - Sensible Equipment
Subsoiler / ripper - 3 months ago
Any suggestions or experience with any subsoilers ? I'm looking for a subsoiler / ripper with a 3 point hitch for my 2 wheel drive 49hp cat. 1 tractor (Ford 3610 diesel). I'm looking at this one from Bush Hog (about $1300): Or this one from Rankin (about $800): I figure deeper is better, but there is probably a limit to how deep I can go in our heavy clay?by Josh Klatt - Sensible Equipment
Re: tree alignment - 10 months ago
For my Inter-row spacing (I'm talking about space between rows -- am I using the right prefix ??): FIrst I found the steepest sloped section of the block. Here I set the spacing between rows (up and down the slope) at what I felt would be a comfortable minimum-- enough to get my tractor through easily without bumping branches and then added some space onto that. I tried to imagine what thby Josh Klatt - Orchard Systems
Re: Fungal fighter for Spruce tree - 11 months ago
Thanks Steve-- I've got a couple mountains of mulch around, so I'll mulch it this week. Also maybe I can send a sample to a lab to I.D. on the fungus (if that's what it is)-- any ideas where I can get that done ?by Josh Klatt - Landscape Trees
Re: tree alignment - 11 months ago
Jacob -- have you started planting yet ? My site ranges from hilly to very hilly and the rows are all on contour-- each tree in the same row sits at at the same elevation. Find the steepest slope and set your minimum inter-row spacing at that point. As the slope decreases along the row, that inter-row spacing increases and the space between the rows opens up. These open areas can be used forby Josh Klatt - Orchard Systems
Re: Grafting and fireblight - 1 year ago
Wow- no fireblight ever !?! Is it because the main language in your orchard is french ? I was in Normandy a couple years ago and everyone there said fireblight doesn't affect them.by Josh Klatt - Bacterial Opportunists
Fungal fighter for Spruce tree - 1 year ago
I've got a big, old (blue?) spruce tree that is suffering from what I think is a fungal pathogen, Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii. It's being defoliated from the bottom up. Any suggestions on how to bring my tree back from the brink ? I've never sprayed a fungicide before and am hesitant to start now, but I'd love to save this tree.by Josh Klatt - Landscape Trees
Mysterious pathogenic apple killer ! - 1 year ago
What are they talking about here in the 2nd paragraph ? "Indeed, this is already happening in America, where a mysterious pathogen is killing apple trees..." No mention of the killer (perhaps because it's that mysterious) but the author is certain that genetic tinkering is the answer to all of our c02 driven woes...by Josh Klatt - Just Talk
Orchard visit - 4 years ago
Had a sad visit to a local orchard the other day. It’s a brand new cider orchard, all planted within just the last year. There were freshly cut carcasses of big 100+y.o. hardwood trees lying around next to huuuuge stumps that they yanked out of the ground to plant apple trees. I love apple trees ! but why would you dig up such an old, cool tree just to plant another harrison on 106 ? Emotioby Josh Klatt - Just Talk
Re: laying out curved rows - 5 years ago
I'm setting up an orchard this spring encompassing a hill top - enclosing 8 or 10 acres when it's all said and done. I'll be irrigating in the early years and want to keep the rows as level as possible to get consistent watering among all trees rounding the hill down a given row. I'm using an optical auto level (Leica NA334) to keep rows level and got a surveyor's ropeby Josh Klatt - Orchard Systems
What's this ? - 5 years ago
Black infection especially at old pruning sites on 4 calville blanc on antonovka. Thanks !by Josh Klatt - Just Talk
Re: cost per acre - 5 years ago
I haven't spent a dime on chemicals -- yet. I've got about 60 trees of fruit bearing age and another 1500 in the nursery. I'm only using fruit for the juice so I don't care about cosmetic damage. I'm also willing to sacrifice some amount of fruit (10-20%?) in exchange for putting in less effort & money. The only damage I've seen is a little bit of fireblightby Josh Klatt - Good Fruit Marketing
Re: Suggestions on rabbitt damage - 5 years ago
I've had young trees get pretty beat up due to vole damage-- Unless they were 75% or more girdled, they seemed to pull through ok. Instead of painting, try wrapping with parafin grafting tape like this stuff from A.M.Leonard: I've not tried it for anything but grafting since I've managed to get my vole problem under control, but it's a great seal for healing graft unionsby Josh Klatt - Mammalian Tales
Re: Grafting Basics 101 - 5 years ago
I've got nearly 1500 grafts under my belt in the last 3 seasons, and this year I've got two things figured out and wanted to share. 1. A way to sharpen my knife properly has changed my life ! I've wasted tons of time rubbing knives and tools from my kitchen to my orchard on all manner of sharpening stones and blocks and rods over the last 20 years and never really had success.by Josh Klatt - Grafting
Re: technical black hole - 6 years ago
Well said Paul. I'm in for $100/year. I recently set my preferences to get an email everytime anyone posts anything on this forum-- it's the only subscribed email that I always read and well worth the loot.by Josh Klatt - Just Talk
Re: Orchard fencing - 6 years ago
My orchard area expanded since I first posted this almost 2 years ago. This spring we're fencing in about 15 acres and were able to track down black locust for posts -- 10 ' long for $12 / each. A bit pricier than some other wood options, but I expect them to hold up for the next 30+ years. We're spacing them about 12' apart. What have you guys done for gates ? Of courby Josh Klatt - Mammalian Tales
Re: Deer Damage - does it get better? - 8 years ago
Great info on the fence Todd - can you share manufacturer / supplier for the fencing and posts ? Your price sounds better than what I've been able to work out - even when cutting my own posts.... and speaking of posts: Is there any organic / holistic lumber treatment that will extend the life of the wooden posts we put in the ground ? David - Definitely going to try the fishing line onby Josh Klatt - Mammalian Tales
Re: Trying to save a girdled tree - 8 years ago
I had about 15 trees fully girdled this winter and made my first efforts bridge grafting with dormant scion cut a month before from the same trees. I thought about planting fresh rootstock adjacent and grafting in, but was afraid the roots would not be developed enough to support the tree--- I never considered cutting the trees back a lot (duh). I'd like to attach pics, but it's askinby Josh Klatt - Mammalian Tales
Re: Tool sanitizing/sterilizing - 8 years ago
That makes sense... My biggest fear was to transmit something viral that couldn't be remedied later down the line, but that seems to be an unwarranted concern. Thanks for the detailed response !by Josh Klatt - Pruning
Re: Deer Damage - does it get better? - 8 years ago
John - we're in SE Ohio and the deer are unstoppable. I'm convinced that there is no method that works except for a physical barrier keeping them from getting to your trees; don't waste your money on sprays, predator pee, etc. We're putting up 7' fencing to keep them out of the dwarf/semi orchard. The trees in the standard orchard have gotten above browsing height, soby Josh Klatt - Mammalian Tales
Tool sanitizing/sterilizing - 8 years ago
This is relevant in other parts of the forum as well but posting here cuz Rashaan's mention of it in his post on perennial canker on apple, but please feel free to recategorize the post, Michael. What are the best practices for insuring that we don't pass disease (viral, bacterial, fungal) from one tree to the next ? While grafting a few weeks ago, I wiped my knives and clippers witby Josh Klatt - Pruning
Re: reviving old trees - 8 years ago
Our oldest, biggest apple tree died this past year. It was an old seedling set out by itself on a steep hill. I still won't cut it down and talked my father (who can be quick with a saw) into leaving the carcass standing as wildlife habitat. Cheers to you Paul for your efforts in renewing these old-timers !by Josh Klatt - Pruning
leaving trees unpruned - 8 years ago
Our approach to raising healthy fruit often defers to the natural order of things. e.g. Developing a 'forest edge ecology' is informed by the natural environment that trees evolved in. We (the trees and us) share at least one common goal: desirable tasty fruit that beg to be consumed. What's the reason behind the way an apple tree wants to grow ? Is there any redeeming qualityby Josh Klatt - Pruning
Orchard fencing - 8 years ago
We're setting up new orchard this year (approx. 3 acres) and have learned that the best way to prevent deer damage is erecting a physical barrier between the deer and the trees. Our options are to: * encircle each tree with its own fence (approx. 10' x 5' metal mesh) or * to enclose the entire area with a 7'+ fence. Of course, we want to do this in an economical waby Josh Klatt - Mammalian Tales
Vole damage - 8 years ago
We've got a real problem with voles. A few years ago, when I had just planted my first trees, they girdled many of my trees. When I saw what was going on, I circled each tree with a few feet of mesh metal hardware cloth. It seemed to do the trick. Despite having plenty of voles around, none of my trees were girdled - until this year... Under cover of snow, they girdled many trees (15-25by Josh Klatt - Mammalian Tales
deer buck rub - 8 years ago
Conventional wisdom says to eliminate lower branches on trees - the fruit are more susceptible to fungal infections that low to the ground and easier for deer to pick off (our lab mix strips off any asian pears within his reach) .... But this fall/winter I noticed a possible upside to leaving the lower branches: when bucks decide to rub the bark off the tree, the branches seem to jam them up.by Josh Klatt - Mammalian Tales