Porcupines do eat apples. They prefer some varieties over others. In my orchard, they really went after water sprouts in late summer/early autumn, on apples and Asian pears.by Ed Anthes - Mammalian Tales
I like the idea of wooden ladders, and have used them, but I like the utility of aluminum ladders--don't have to carry them back to the barn every night to keep them dry.by Ed Anthes - Sensible Equipment
I have them in my orchard, too. I've seen them both empty, with a small hole like a predator got in, and full, with the same inhabitants you pictured. I don't know what they are. Any recommendations for books or sites for photos of egg cases?by Ed Anthes - Bug by Bug
I've been using the same straight handle wooden snath for about 30 years (knock on wood) for a variety of mowing: close work near the trees, bigger areas of mixed grasses and forbs, fence row clearing. It's not my only mowing tool, but in some situations, it's the best. I usually make my first clearing in Spring of the ground under the drip line with the the scythe, near the end oby Ed Anthes - Sensible Equipment
As one who has been reacting strongly to poison ivy over the years, and to a Caribbean carrier of the urushiol oil, I can say you do not want to aerosolize the urushiol! I don't know of a safe way to use your poison oak.by Ed Anthes - Understory Management
Odd. Especially since the USDA Hardiness map uses the years 1976-2005. USDA Hardiness Mapby Ed Anthes - Hardiness Considerations
Please note that the temperatures listed by Paul are NOT "minimum temperatures", but rather "average minimum temperatures". So Claude in Zone 4 could well experience a -40 every fifty years. I've measured -26 here in my balmy Zone 5b, with avg minimum temp of -10 to -15 F.by Ed Anthes - Hardiness Considerations