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We understand that allopathic spray medicines of whatever persuasion make up for specific biological and nutritional deficiencies in the orchard. Ergo, investing in soil health, foliar health, diverse biology, and plant allies makes all the sense in the world for growing healthy fruit. Here's where we prove it.
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Results 1 — 30 of 36Re: To prune or not to prune? - 1 year ago
Thanks Karen, that's helpful. I've been pruning this week and wishing I'd pruned on your schedule. I planted in 2014 on feathered mm111 and am only seeing a trickle of fruit. I think some strategic cuts every year would have helped keep shape, control growth better and apparently switch the tree into fruit production faster. Now that I'm pruning, I'm having to make some tby Ethan Gouge - Orchard Systems
Re: To prune or not to prune? - 1 year ago
I think I'll take out large laterals that have gone vertical and are acting as a second central leader. I'm betting that since a late freeze got my crop last year the trees will be ready to put out apples despite a little pruning.by Ethan Gouge - Orchard Systems
To prune or not to prune? - 1 year ago
My MM111 trees were put into the ground feathered in 2014. Now nearing the end of their 7th growing season in my ground they are approaching mature size. Other than year 1 crow's foot training I have done no pruning in hopes of the earliest possible first harvest. In some cases this has allowed crowded or near vertical branches and bushy looking trees. Am I taking this 'limit pruning foby Ethan Gouge - Orchard Systems
Ahimsa availability? - 3 years ago
Getting ready to stock up on Neem for the season and website neemsource.com (Ahimsa) isn't working. Is this a temporary problem with the website or are they not selling anymore? There isn't anyone else close on price.by Ethan Gouge - Just Talk
Re: Cedar Apple Rust 2018 - 3 years ago
I am dealing with a 'red zone' CAR infection basically orchard wide. I'm at 3200 ft in North Eastern Tennessee with cedar trees growing in an adjacent poorly grazed pasture. I think the the 1100' should be 1100 meters (3500 ft) per the forestry service website. I'm following, hoping glean some control knowledge!by Ethan Gouge - Fungal Pathogens
Re: EQIP mulching a good idea? - 4 years ago
Gentlemen, Thank you for the feedback. Michael, I'd forgotten that section on more complete weed control in the early years in your book, probably because I knew it was impossible on my initial planting of 350 trees. My gravel circles have been established, but could stand renewing. Paul, I've got a 72" sickle mower coming for my BCS that should be perfect for the cut before theby Ethan Gouge - Ecosystem Connections
EQIP mulching a good idea? - 4 years ago
I have the option to enter into an EQIP contract with the USDA NRCS to mulch my 450 MM111 trees. The contract would pay me $490 per acre. However, the specification are 100% coverage of the root zone at 4-10 inches. Is this too much mulching? my 4 year old trees are holding their own in thick field sod, but I also have 100 2 year old trees that could use some help competing with the sod. I'vby Ethan Gouge - Ecosystem Connections
M-111 expected teenage yield - 4 years ago
I'm trying to get an idea of what my harvest might look like next year for marketing purposes. My M-111 trees were planted in the spring of 2014. The trees were between 1/2 - 1" caliper then and have done well, with exceptions of course. This year probably about half the trees had fruit. Kinnard's Choice was the only variety to bear last year. Gala's had as many as a dozen appby Ethan Gouge - Healthy Harvest
Re: Fall mowing - 4 years ago
Makes sense. I'm hoping to add your newest book to my winter reading list. My thinking was trying to fit a scything style mow in pre harvest and then coming back in with a mulching mow in late fall for vole habitat and scab abatement. Snow rarely sticks around for more than a few days here and there always seems to be a second flush of green grass in early fall when temps cool and we get a lby Ethan Gouge - Understory Management
Fall mowing - 4 years ago
I haven't heard anything mentioned about a fall mowing similar to the one advocated for in the spring where you lay the grass down for a mulching effect. Assuming winter voles aren't a problem, why not scythe or sickle mow again in the fall? The material should last long enough the help mulch in the spring, help create/keep the fungal dominated understory, and create some underground spby Ethan Gouge - Understory Management
Re: Grandevo - 4 years ago
Reporting back on the early summer berry harvest. The way I sprayed, I saw no noticeable reduction in SWD population. However, I did wait until pressure was high before spraying. I should have done two initial sprays two days apart to knock down the numbers initially. Take away: Grandevo isn't a miracle worker. Because of it's relatively low cost, next year I will probably spray every 6by Ethan Gouge - Spray Nuance
Re: Grandevo - 5 years ago
Ordering now, will report. Rookie question: the application rate is 1-3 lbs per acre. But it's saying that assumes 100 gallons of liquid? 100 gallons of liquid per acre on berries seems very excessive. How am I understanding this wrong. If if scale down the 1-3 lbs per 100 gallons of water to volume that gets the canes in an acre just to the point of runoff, I will be putting less Grandevo oby Ethan Gouge - Spray Nuance
Best spray strategy for SWD and cane borers? - 5 years ago
I'm thinking about a neem spray to keep SWD and cane borers off my berries in conjunction with better cultural practices (timely harvest and cane removal)I lost 1/3 of the crop to SWD last year and borers have killed 1/2 my canes that should be bearing this year. I know ingestion is required for neem to work generationally that might help with SWD larva, but there is a repellant aspect as weby Ethan Gouge - Brambles
Neem considerations post harvest - 5 years ago
In an attempt to keep Spotted Wing Drosophila and cane borers at bay this year, my current plan is to continue holistic sprays, or at least Neem though the summer harvest of raspberries. According to Cornell , the official published reentry time for Trilogy Neem is 4 hours, and there is a Pre-harvest Interval of 'up to a day'.Having sprayed Neem for a few years now and inadvertently cauby Ethan Gouge - Brambles
Re: Tow-Behind Sprayer (half acre) - 5 years ago
I'm running a 50 gallon tank on a tow behind trailer using a 12V 7gpm diaphram pump. A battery powered pump like this can build quite a bit of pressure, but for spraying the volume needed to coat a m111 to run-off, it has a hard time keeping the pressure up. We are closing in on 500 trees and I'm looking to upgrade to an engine powered system. I wouldn't recommend the battery routeby Ethan Gouge - Sensible Equipment
Re: Power pruner options - 5 years ago
Tried the sawzaw this year for larger (2' +) diameter cuts standing up in trees where I didn't want to handle a chain saw. It worked fine, I can cut with a hand saw about as fast, but of course with much more effort. Shaking was an issue when cutting at an angle where the branch pinches the blade but not other-wise if cutting at the branch intersection. This should be an option if you&#by Ethan Gouge - Sensible Equipment
Re: biochar - 5 years ago
Upon a little more research, it seems the problem mainly lies in the alkaline bend wood ash can quickly give soils.by Ethan Gouge - Understory Management
Re: biochar - 5 years ago
Second on Chris' post above. Why sift the ashes? I was under impression I could get some minerals, liming power, potassium and calcium out of it by spreading a quart or so under the trees? At what volume does beneficial go to harmful?by Ethan Gouge - Understory Management
Re: SWD implications for new berry patch - 5 years ago
My 2 ac of red, purple and black raspberries were planted in the spring of 2014. 2015 I used the Neem, fish, microbe holistic spray and saw no SWD damage. In 2016 I got cocky and didn't spray. Given, it was a hot season and I had trouble keeping up with the accelerated ripening rate of the berries, but I lost the last 1/3 of the crop to SWD. Guess who's spraying this year?by Ethan Gouge - Brambles
Re: Tractor sizing - 5 years ago
Why the high horsepower on your spray tractor? If you were to stock your tractor shed now with what is currently available (new and used), how many would you have and what would they be? Assume farm revenue must pay for the tractors.by Ethan Gouge - Sensible Equipment
Re: Flail Mower - 5 years ago
So hammers are more fragile than blades? I wouldn't have guessed that. How would you rate the durability verses a bushing?by Ethan Gouge - Sensible Equipment
Re: Flail Mower - 5 years ago
Interesting Michael, I do love my BCS and have collected quite an array of implements over the last few years. I do wonder (and maybe you can tell me) how the 26" flail handles thick field growth (as in opened the orchard back up with a pre harvest mowing). What is the engine HP on your model? Is it the BCS brand flail or Berta? I've read the Berta has a removable baffle that is useby Ethan Gouge - Sensible Equipment
Re: Flail Mower - 5 years ago
Thanks Michael, I'm trying real hard not to screw this tractor decision up. I didn't realize you still use your BCS to mow. If you don't mind me asking, how much acreage are you mowing with it? Do you mow with your 4 wheel tractor at all? I could mow 30% faster with the purchase of a BCS 34" flail mower (mowing with the 26" brush mower now) and put off the 4 wheel tracby Ethan Gouge - Sensible Equipment
Flail Mower - 5 years ago
Are the orchard benefits (reduced vole habitat with a finer cut, chopping leaves for scab abatement, chopping prunings in place) worth running a flail mower over a more general purpose brush hog?by Ethan Gouge - Sensible Equipment
Re: Tractor sizing - 5 years ago
Good info, Lets dig into the mower question some more. This might warrant a separate thread. I get that bush hogs are all purpose and heavy duty. I also think a sickle mower would be a good option early in the season for laying long grass down for a mulching effect. Flail mowers are have a internal drum that spin many (20-50?) small y shaped blades. It seems this would be a great tool for geneby Ethan Gouge - Sensible Equipment
Re: Tractor sizing - 5 years ago
Great info, thanks. I hadn't figured maintenance to be that costly. You've got me thinking twice about a backhoe, I've got a good excavator guy who has dug my tree holes and otherwise it would just be for creek maintenance. What Kubota model? Were there any maneuverability considerations on your farm to factor in tractor size and turn radius? What type of transmission does it have?by Ethan Gouge - Sensible Equipment
Tractor sizing - 5 years ago
My farm (and value of my time) has grown to where I have outgrown my BCS two wheel tractor and am looking for a full 4 wheel farm tractor. I'm hoping the forum can give me some advice on horsepower, size and specs of a tractor for orchard tasks. Given my terrain 4x4 is a must, and in following haphazard mulching and composing, a front loader will be required. Farm specs: 3 acres raspberry/ bby Ethan Gouge - Sensible Equipment
Re: Digging holes - 6 years ago
If you run into a lot of rock, an exavator is about your only option. You couldn't buy enough shear pins for the auger. A smallish excavator can easily work a 2 ft bucket with 1-2 scoops per hole and will run less than $100/hr with an operator. I estimate a good operator can dig 40- 50 holes per hour and now I'm using my time elsewhere on the farm, not digging or supervising labor.by Ethan Gouge - Starting an Orchard
Wild Apples for Cider - 6 years ago
The basic question is: If one comes across a wild apple that tastes bland could it definitively be said that this apple wouldn't make much of a contribution to cider? I've heard it said that most good cider apples are 'spitters' which I take to mean there is an overabundance or an imbalance of flavor; i.e. too much sugar, tannins, or acid. I would then assume that if a wild apby Ethan Gouge - Cider Apples
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