Labeling Our Fruit Trees



The label is attached to the fencing

We have planted a large variety of fruit trees on the property over a 10 year period.  During this time we have also lost some of the trees, and we have had to transplant others in order to more effectively utilize the land.  I keep a list of each tree, including information on when and where it was planted and what type of fruit tree it is.  However, it is difficult to carry this list with me into the field, so I have been considering how to cheaply but effectively label each tree so that I will know these details onsite.

Aluminum cans gave me the answer.  They are easy to cut into strips, are easy to attach to fencing, are very durable, and are easy to engrave.  With Bill's help and a simple legend, we now have labels for our trees.  The label attached to the fencing of this tree shows that it is a Bruce Plum planted in 2011.





Merry Manurey Christmas



Bill's Gift of 6 Tons of Cow Manure



The soil on most of our property is quite poor and very sandy.  It does drain well which has the advantage of not becoming a quagmire after a rain; however, the soil does not hold moisture long enough to be of much benefit to the trees or crops that we have planted.  We have tried several things to improve the soil:  getting soil samples and following the recommendations for adding lime and the proper mixture of fertilizer, spreading ashes collected from our fire place, discing in last season's vegetation, prescribed burns.  Bill’s latest attempt is the time honored tradition of adding cow manure to the soil.  So he put in a request for 6 tons of cow manure for his Christmas gift.  The farmer who provided it assures him that it does wonders in a garden, as it contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium plus humus which is helpful in retaining moisture in the soil.

After hauling and spreading 6 loads of this rich (in more ways than one) dirt on half of the field with the poorest soil we were surprised to see the following result:



Green vegetation at far end of field where manure was first applied



After a good rain the vegetation at the far field of the field where the manure was first applied is noticeably greener.  Since nitrogen is one ingredient of cow manure this could have a short term impact mostly benefiting the weeds.  A brassica called rape seed has now been distributed throughout the field, and we will observe the effect that the manure has on the development of this seed.

Winter is a Good Time to Tend to the Trees

We have used the cooler weather also to work on our various soft mast trees.  During the summer the ground can be so hard that it is almost impossible to clear out any weeds around the trees.  We just have to put down a deep bed of mulch and hope for the best.   After a few recent rains we found it fairly easy to pull out most of the weeds that can overwhelm the smaller trees. 



Tree Protectors Also Protect Weeds



Since many of the trees that we have planted were initially quite small, we used tree protectors to help them get started in the sandy soil.  Moisture and heat trapped inside the blue tubes create a mini greenhouse effect that can provide a safe environment for small trees to take root.  However, we think that we might have protected the trees for too long.  Trees that have wire baskets around them to protect them from deer and rabbits are developing more quickly. 

The trees that had the tubes around them for more than a year or two seem spindly.  Part of the problem is that weeds also proliferating inside the tubes are taking some of the nutrients away from the trees.  So another winter activity is the replacing of all of the tree protectors after a year or two with wire baskets.

Winter Activities



Two Active Scrapes Found in January



During the winter, when the foliage is minimal and the weather is cool, is a great time to walk through the woods and check for signs of wildlife.  If one is lucky it might also provide an opportunity to find a set of antlers that a buck has shed.  Recently we decided to check out a section of the woods that had been left undisturbed for several years.  Were we surprised to see multiple signs of deer activity in this several acre patch of woods, including several buck rubs and lots of scrapes, all in close proximity to each other.  Buck rubs and scrapes are effective means of communication for deer to use, similar to a bulletin board that we might use to place notes for others to read.  We have found that there is always a limb directly above a scrape.  A buck is not only creating a visual and scent message of its presence with the scrape itself; it is also creating a scent message by rubbing a gland near its forehead on the limb.  Obviously this patch of woods was a popular hangout for deer, possibly because humans had left it undisturbed.





Closeup of the Two Scrapes





Notice from the photo to the left that the scrapes are still very active.  This was a surprise to us, because, by January, all rut activity should be finished.  However, there are multiple theories about the message that scrapes send.  Bucks are not the only ones to create scrapes.  Sometimes does also leave scrapes.  So the messages that are involved could be far more complex than just a sign of rut activity.

Wood Duck Box Has a Tenant



Wood Duck Box

 After seeing a Wood Duck on our stream Bill decided to build several Wood Duck nesting boxes to encourage one of these beautiful ducks to nest on our property.  Often the offspring will return to the same place to nest.

He built the boxes to the exact dimensions recommended and used cedar as suggested.  On the inside, below the entry hole, he used a file to etch steps into the wood.  This allows the chicks to climb up out of the box.  To ensure that predators could not enter the nesting boxes he attached them to a PVC pipe.  Special paint that adheres to plastic pipe was used to blend it into the natural surroundings.

We have diligently cleaned out the boxes and placed fresh cedar shavings into them every winter at about nesting time.   Although we have never seen a Wood Duck inhabit one of the nesting boxes we did find a broken egg shell once that could have been from a Wood Duck chick.



A shy screech owl inhabiting one of our nesting boxes




However, owls have found these nesting boxes to be a perfect habitat.  We were delighted to discover a screech owl and her owlets one season, and now another very shy screech owl has moved into the same nesting box.  Perhaps this could be one of the owlets that has come back home.