This week end we went up to start winterizing the orchard.



We rototill around each tree, rake the soil back. Then fasten tree guards around each tree so the burrowing under the snow critters like voles, moles and mice will not strip and eat sweet bark of the fruit trees. I use tie wire but you do this on 80 some trees your fingers and hands are stating to get a little marked up and sore. Come spring we remove them as we have had some galling. The metal tree guard work very well for us.



Ellen she comes along and fertilizes the trees with a local brewed liquid that is concentrated. We mix it one cup to one gallon and one gallon per inch at four foot. We do this twice a year. It does seem to work. We get very little wild growth from the shoots in the spring rather the limbs seem to be bulking very well and growth is very lush. Then she waters it in.



Finished tree. We will come back in a month and tie limbs to prevent damage from snow and winter winds.




This year our Snow Sweets were in the ground three years! So we left a few blossoms, next year we will leave a few more.



Honey Crisps and Galas next year will have a few apples. As will the nectarines and peaches.