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If you want to talk about something that doesn't fit into a particular orchard category, then this is the place! Within the bounds of propriety, of course, given our abiding interest with the fruits of nature and the benefits of kindness, anything reasonable goes. What's on your mind?
Re: Dormant (bench) chip budding - 10 months ago
Tom and Todd, thank you for your insight - I think I am going to just do a little trial to see if I notice any difference between the two styles. I may end up continuing to do whip and tongue grafts for the most part but just want to change it up a little for fun. Thanks for all of the insight! John Knisleyby John Knisley - Grafting
Dormant (bench) chip budding - 10 months ago
Hello everyone, as my grafting classes for this spring have now all been canceled (because of our current pandemic) I have a lot of rootstock I now want to graft and put into the nursery beds this spring. For years I have been doing whip and tongue grafting in the dormant season or t-budding in the summer and have had good success. This year I want to experiment with something a little differenby John Knisley - Grafting
Re: Using Cedar Wood Posts in Orchard - 1 year ago
Brandt, We have had red cedar posts in the orchard for the past 8 years and have not had any cedar apple rust (this could be based on the fact that we cut the red cedar down to make the posts..... I would agree with Gloria, you may want to char the ends to slow the rotting down. Thanks, John Kby John Knisley - Just Talk
Re: encouraging conversation - 2 years ago
Michael, I will answer this question based on my own opinion on why some of us do not respond to questions. Keep in mind, I know nothing about growing blueberries and my response has nothing to do with blueberries. First off, I consider myself a beginning grower, having only been growing organic apples for the last 6 years. In addition I am "fairly" young, and the combination ofby John Knisley - Making It Better
Re: Propogating/Using beneficial Fungus - For Canada Thistle - 4 years ago
Update - I had not done a great job on collecting the thistle rust this year - in fact I was having a hard time finding the rust (not the thistle) on our farm. I will be conducting the research in 2017 for sure - even if I have to see out the rust somewhere. Stay tuned... John Knisley Madelia, MN Zone 4bby John Knisley - Just Talk
Using Whey for Orchard Health and Disease Management - 4 years ago
Hello everyone - Happy New Year! This winter I am working on focusing much more on orchard and tree health in my apple orchard. I have been fortunate enough over the last year to have a consistent weekly supply of whey from a local cheese producer here in Minnesota. To date, we have been using the whey only as extra pig feed for our small pig herd - which is great and all but we would like toby John Knisley - Spray Nuance
Re: Propogating/Using beneficial Fungus - For Canada Thistle - 4 years ago
This is perfect Michael - just knowing how fungal spores work in this way is awesome. I am already noticing some rust on the thistle and I will just add some of the material to a backpack sprayer with water. I will let you know the results and timing. Thanks again for hosting this great forum! John Kby John Knisley - Just Talk
Propogating/Using beneficial Fungus - For Canada Thistle - 4 years ago
Hello there, my wife and I run an organic vegetable farm and orchard in Minnesota. One of the issues we face is trying to control Canada Thistle (ironically from Europe) in our native prairie field border and some places in the garden. Over the past few years, as the land has less and less residual chemical from when it was being farmed conventionally and now, as the land repairs itself we haveby John Knisley - Just Talk
Re: Cold Climate Cultivar Study - 4 years ago
Todd, I am in Zone 4b here in windy south-central MN and am very interested in reading your report on cold hardy cultivars and their organic management. We are in the beginnings of building a new orchard on our farm site as well as into our 5th season restoring/managing an existing orchard. I was looking at your website to find this information but was unable to find the report? I found the suby John Knisley - Apples
Re: Getting Good Growth of Young Trees - 5 years ago
Great insight Todd, thank you. To answer a couple of questions: Yes we do have the trees in a nursery bed, basically a tilled garden bed and have straw mulch to keep the soil from drying out too quickly and to keep away as much of the grass/weed competition as we can. It is drip-irrigated. We have NOT been using a mycorrhizal root dip prior to planting, but after M.P.'s presentation in Iby John Knisley - Grafting
Getting Good Growth of Young Trees - 5 years ago
Hello, I have been grafting for about three years now and have had a decent take from the trees I have grafted, with some trees now 3 years old. Where I am having trouble is getting the trees to grow a little taller or faster, they just seem to remain small. I understand you must be very careful with any amendments just after putting out newly grafted trees, but can I get some advice on when weby John Knisley - Grafting
mating disruption - 6 years ago
I have been revitalizing an orchard over the last 3 years and feel I have a good handle on the pests except Codling Moth. I currently use no sprays but rely using biological control, orchard cleanliness and graze pigs through it at key times of the year. The PC numbers and AM numbers have dropped dramatially - 3 yrs ago 1 saleable:3 non-salable to last year a 3 saleble: 1 non-saleable. I am geby John Knisley - Bug by Bug