Fruit Trees and Pesticide

Special Note: I'm not getting paid anything from anybody. (unfortunately) I write this blog for fun and all recommendations and products mentioned are not financially influenced in any way.  

My pear tree in bloom.

Growing fruit trees is really the dream, isn't it? Who doesn't love fresh fruit? You can buy a tree once and have fresh fruit for decades, what's not to love? Well, it's not that easy. That sweet, juicy fruit is really attractive to lots of critters too, from tiny little gnats to full size deer. They also seem really prone to different diseases. For that reason, I am actually caving in a spraying them with pesticide this year. 

In general, I believe American's spray way too much pesticide. We don't like being inconvenienced by bugs and we have very specific ideas for what our lawns and gardens should look like (golf courses anyone?). These pesticides do have environmental costs and I encourage everyone to read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson to get a better picture of this. 

However, sometimes pesticides can be necessary, not just to get "pretty" fruit but to get any fruit at all. My research led me across this youtube video. MI Gardener is a good YouTube channel in general. I then went to Stauffer's of Kissel Hill and talked to their greenhouse manager. She agreed with their suggestion but suggested a different timeline for York County, PA. 

The product I'm using. 

She said to spray the following 3 times as a minimum:

1. Right before the flowers open. (that's right about now as I'm writing this)

2. After the flowers drop. (don't spray anything on open flowers, you need them to pollinate!)

3. When the leaves have completely grown in. 

You can spray more after that but I want to keep a minimalist approach. The other thing to note about the Orchard Spray is that it is considered an organic spray and is less toxic than other options. If you follow this approach, as with all pesticides, please read the label and follow the instructions carefully. 

Are you growing fruit trees? What has been your approach to pests? I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments below. 

Spring 2021 In The Lilly Garden

 We are SO CLOSE to summer planting season (when you put your tomato plants out, among other things), but before I jump into that, I thought it would be worth while to reflect on the spring so far. It's always good to take a few notes, learn from your mistakes, and celebrate things going well. Here's what I've been up to in the garden this year. 

This is my resident bleeding heart. I'm not aware of any benefit that comes from growing spring blooms except that they make my heart happy. It was also a great spring for hyacinths and tulips here.

This small Lilac bush may not look like much but it is from a larger plant that grew in my daughters great, great grandmother's garden and I am such a sucker for this kind of sentimentality (and it smells good!)

Alas! It's time to say good bye to our ornamental cherry tree. It's beautiful but it makes my daughter miserable every spring with it's pollen. We'll be replacing it with something native and non blooming soon. 

Yesterday I harvested my first salad greens of the year! People don't believe me when I say I start gardening outside at St. Patrick's Day but if you start early with hardy plants (like peas, lettuce and carrots in the picture) then you get food much sooner. 

Apple blossoms! All of my fruit trees bloomed better than last year. Hopefully it's a harbinger of yummy things to come.

This is my big project for this year. I'm installing a permaculture bed by the driveway. Permaculture means it's all perennials that work together and provide a multitude of benefits like food, improved soil and food for pollinators. 

What You Need To Know About Pruning

Hedge Sheers, for formal hedges only!

 Pruning is an art and a science. There are some hard and fast rules but also a subjecting sense of doing what feels right. You can read books and books about pruning and get overwhelmed with information. If you have any woody shrubs or trees on your property, here are some basic rules to get you started. 

First, use sharp, clean tools. I good pair of by-pass hand pruners will go a long way. For larger branches, you may need a lopper. You can easily find these at any hardware store. It's best to sanitize your tools between plants so you don't spread any pathogens from plant to plant. One tool you should use sparingly are hedge sheers. The only woody plants you should ever use them on is formal hedges. They are really hard on plants and the only reason you can use them on formal hedges is because yews and boxwood are hardy enough to handle the abuse. 

Second, you can always prune out the three D's - dead, diseased or damaged. If you see this on your plant any time of year, go ahead and prune them off. 

2 Branch Collars

Third, always leave on the branch collar when you prune a branch off. The branch collar is the swelling of wood at the base of a  branch and it's natures way of keeping pathogens from getting into the larger branch or trunk. (see picture). 

Fourth, buy the appropriate sized plant for the space available. If you purchase a rhododendron that wants to be 15 feet high and plant it under your living room window, you will be fighting with it forever. Trying to keep a plant smaller than it wants to be requires more effort than most people are willing to put in. So, measure your space and buy a plant that won't need to be controlled for size. 

Finally your best bet is to always know the proper ID of your plant and then research it's specific pruning needs. You don't need to know how to prune pine trees if there are no pines on your property. You can just learn how to take care of the plants you have. 

Plants in general are hardier than we give them credit for. Most will over come a pruning mistake or two. So don't be afraid to take care of your plants. Educate yourself and then do it! For further reading...

https://extension.psu.edu/pruning-shrubs-and-trees

https://extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/lackawanna/news/2015/to-prune-or-not-to-prune-it-all-depends-on-flowering

Deer In The Garden

Many people have complained to me recently about the problems deer have caused in their garden. Some are about ready to give up on gardening all together. If you are  in this boat and really frustrated, don't give up just yet. Here is a primer to get you thinking how you can garden with deer around.

1. Fencing
It's expensive and often unattractive but this is the only completely fool proof way to guarantee that the deer are kept out. For smaller vegetable patches, covering with chicken wire fencing on the sides and the top is a very doable solution. However, for orchards or around foundation planting, the cost can be prohibitive. I've also heard of people using electric fencing but if you have pets or young children then that may not be doable either.

2. Sprays
There are many sprays on the market that supposedly repel deer with varying costs, toxic chemicals and efficacy. It's worth considering, but you should really do some research before buying. Also, most sprays will need to be reapplied periodically.

3. Hanging trash
Sounds weird but one running theory is hanging shiny things like aluminum plans from the branches of a tree in the thought that it will scare the deer away. If your orchard trees are out back some where then this might be a good option for you. However, the deer will adjust to anything so I'd recommend you don't put them out till the fruit is coming on in the summer and take it down after harvest. I suppose you could also put shiny objects on sticks to keep deer away from you plants but to me it looks terrible. To each his own.

4. Grow deer resistant plants
So, this approach is a partial admission of defeat. It means giving up on most fruit trees, blueberries and Hostas (and so much more). However, if you're just trying to put out some lovely landscaping around your house, then you CAN select plants the deer will leave alone. Loads of articles have been written on deer resistant plans like these:

Deer Resistant Plants

The Best Deer Resistant Plants for Your Garden

It's also good to note that most herbs are deer and rabbit resistant.

5. Have a Dog
Just this morning a lady told me that they never had problems with deer till after the family dog passed away. If owning a dog isn't for you, I've heard that just the smell of a dog can keep animals away. I've thought about borrowing the neighbors dog to let him mark his territory all over. If any of you have tried this, please comment about it below.

Have you tried any of these methods? How have they worked for you? Please share your story in the comments below.

Love Gardening? Host a Party!

The only thing better than spending time enjoying a hobby you love is sharing that hobby with others. If you love gardening like I do, then why not host a garden party? Perhaps the first thing you think of are ladies in fancy dresses and hats (nothing wrong with that!) but you can have any garden themed party that suits your style. I recently hosted a garden party at my home and here are a few easy take aways from my event. Party planning is not my specialty so if I can do it, so can you!

1. Your gardens don't have to look perfect to host a garden party. We just moved here in July so my garden talk was all about beginnings and how to get started without breaking the bank. Ain't no shame in keeping it real.


2. Keep in mind how much space you have and tailor your list accordingly. We had 15 ladies (sorry guys, that's just how it went) and it felt like a good number for my first time doing it.



3. You have to have food of some kind. Plan out a realistic menu. We had a seasonal garden to table theme which I contributed to with spinach and onion quiche and my friends brought delicious lavender bread, strawberry and spinach salad, and rhubarb upside down cake. Which is another great idea - make your party more like a pot luck.

4. Create an idea sharing platform so the party can be educational as well. I decided to give a "garden talk" covering a wide variety of garden subjects that my friends were interested in. It was informal and open to comments and questions. You might decide to have topics for group discussion or just have everyone share their gardening projects for the year.

5. Have a back up plan in case it rains. The weather was incredibly threatening during my party but thankfully, it stayed clear. However, if I had to, we could have moved the party inside to our finished basement. Garden parties are much better outside but if it rains, you'll need have a back up plan.

Have you ever hosted a garden party? What was it like? Feel free to write about it below!

Planting Fruit Trees: The Basics

You've ordered your fruit trees (if not, you'll want to get on that soon) and are waiting for them to arrive. Or, you're planning on going to a local nursery soon to buy some. If you're getting a bare root plant, and you should, then here is how to plant them when they arrive.

First, what you should have on hand ahead of time: A round pointed shovel, five gallon bucket, half a bag of composted manure per tree, half a bag of bark mulch per tree, and tree guards. All of these items are available at your local garden center although they looked at me pretty funny when I stopped by for manure in January. Oh, well.

Any decent company will include planting instructions with the trees but just in case (or as a suplement) here is how I planted my trees last week.

1. As soon as the trees arrive, remove all packaging and put them in a 5 gallon pail to soak roots for 4-6 hours. Be sure to plant them ASAP, as in, same day if at all possible.

2. I had plotted out my location for the trees ahead of time so while they were soaking, I dug the hole: removing all the grass in a 2 foot radius from where I wanted the tree. I then dug down deep enough to more than allow for the size of the root ball. (you can take a tree out of the water for a few minutes to use it to measure).

3. If any or the roots were damaged in transit, you can prune off the damage with hand pruners. Otherwise, just plant your tree. Pack the dirt in somewhat firmly around the roots and stop about 2/3rds of the way up to add water and help the soil settle around the roots. Also, be sure to not bury the graft line. All fruit trees are grafted unto rootstock and you do not want to bury where they are joined. It's pretty obvious when you get the plant.

4. You do not need to amend the soil around the tree in any way, In fact, it's better for the tree if it is allowed to adjust to the native soil as soon as possible. However, in order to provide some extra nutrients, I spread out half a bag of composted manure (available cheaply at any garden center) over the hole I dug. As it rains, the nutrients will seep down to the roots. Because I highly object to weeding, I also spread wood bark mulch over that.

5. When that's done, be sure to put a tree guard around the base of the tree to protect it (you'll have to remove it after a year or two so it doesn't choke the tree) and give the tree a thorough watering to get it started.

That's it! You're on your way to home grown fruit in a few years. Be sure to keep in watered during dry spells those first few years. Pruning is also important but that's for another post. I highly recommend "Grow A Little Fruit Tree" by Ann Ralph for more information. What kind of fruit trees are you growing?

Necessary Pruning for Beginners Part 2

So, in the previous post we talked about removing suckers from your tree. You are completely capable of doing two other kinds of pruning cuts on your small or ornamental trees. So grab your pruners and read on.

First, if a branch has been broken, damaged or diseased in some way, then it ought to be removed. If it's a large limb requiring a ladder, then you should call in the professionals. However, if you can reach it from the ground, then go ahead and remove the branch from its base, cutting it flush with the trunk so it doesn't leave a stub. You can do this any time of year as you don't want any disease to spread.

Second, you may have a tree in your yard that is hard to mow under because the branches are too low to the ground. How annoying! We had that issue with the ornamental cherry tree that came with our backyard. We love it but were getting whacked in the head all the time. As you can see in before and after pictures, I just went around and cut away all of the smaller branches that where angled downward. I only needed a small chainsaw for one larger branch that just needed to go. The rest where small enough to use pruners. If too-low branches are driving you nuts ever time you have to mow under them, then now is the best time to get out there are clean it up.

Don't be nervous! Trees are tougher than you think. Even if you over prune a bit, the tree will bounce back in time. As I said in the previous post, you don't need to put any kind of a sealant on the cuts as the tree will heal itself. Also, for more info, check out "Grow A Little Fruit Tree" by Ann Ralph.

Necessary Pruning for Beginners Part 1

If you own a yard with a tree in it, then you need to read this post. Pruning can be intimidating but you don't need a special class to do some basic cuts that will improve the health and appearance of your tree. That being said, if you have large trees (over 20 feet tall for our purposes) that need limb removal, please hire professionals. People get hurt all the time from climbing up into trees with chainsaws. 

For those of you with fruit trees, ornamental trees, or trees that are still young, you may have noticed "suckers" -small branches growing from the base of your tree. These branches are not desirable for either the appearance or health of the tree and should be removed. You can do this any time but winter is the traditional time for pruning in northern climates as the tree is dormant.

Start with clean, sharp pruners and cut as close as possible to the trunk of the tree so you don't leave stubs. You don't need to use any kind of sealant as the tree can heal by itself. I recommend you check over all your trees once a year because the larger the suckers get, the larger the scab will be on the tree. You don't want your ornamental trees to resemble the very neglected crab apple in the picture.

Also, if there are other small branches growing from the trunk below the scaffold (the place where the first main branches separate from the trunk) you can also remove them while you're at it.

Don't be nervous! You can totally do this and it will be great for your trees. For more information, particularly on fruit trees, I recommend "Grow A Little Fruit Tree" by Ann Ralph.

3 Solid Reasons to Create Goals for Your Yard and How to Do It

January is, I realize, a very clique time to be setting new goals. However, what else is a gardener to do in January but dream of Spring? Even if you think you have a black thumb, if you have any yard at all, you should do a bit of planning now to help you out later.

Why?

First, having a plan means things will actually get done. Have you been dreaming of a flower garden for years but haven't gotten around to it? Wanting to create a beautiful play area for your kids but they'll probably be grown before it happens? Thought about learning how to grow fruit trees or herbs? If you write it down and have a plan, you'll be much more likely to do it.

Second, it will save you money. Going to a garden center in the Spring without a plan is like going to the grocery store without a list. You're going to spend more than you should have and you still won't have what you need.

Third, it will increase the amount of time you spend outside which is great for your health. Countless studies have shown the benefits of gardening, or any outdoor exercise for that matter. Creating gardening goals will increase the chances that you'll be spending more time outdoors this spring.

How to go about it?

First, get together with everyone in your household and make sure you're all on the same page. You might be planning a vegetable garden right where someone else wants to install horse shoe pits.

Second, write it down. I like doing this in my garden binder (more on that to come) but you just have to write it down where you can find it later.

Third, write out a plan. Don't just write down that you want to learn how to grow fruit trees. When should you plant the trees in your area? Better do a lot of research before then. Create a timeline and be sure to budget what you need for plants and tools.

This year, my two biggest goals are to start a fruit orchard and have it survive the first year. I've already read a whole book on it to get started. I also want to establish a new perennial herb garden since I lost my old one when we moved.

What about you? What are you wanting to do with your yard this year? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

4 Gardening Books for Adults

Last week I shared four gardening books for young children that I love so this week it seems only reasonable to share four gardening books for adults! Winter is truly the best time of year to get in some educational reading on your garden and yard so you'll be ready when Spring comes. Like last week, I'm including links to where you can order these books online but I am not getting any money for it.

1. "Growing Your Own Food" by Monte Burch

Great for beginners, Growing Your Own Food covers everything from getting your garden ready to specifics on vegetables, herbs and fruit trees. If you're new to gardening, this is a great place to start. The pictures and instructions are easy to follow and it gives you enough info to get started without bogging you down with in dept information you can get later on.

Grow Your Own Food on Amazon

2. "Your Backyard Herb Garden" by Miranda Smith

This has been my go to book on herbs for years. After checking it out at the library, I knew I needed a copy for myself. Your Backyard Herb Garden covers everything you need to know to establish a thriving perennial, annual or mixed herb bed. It also covers how to use the herbs culinary, medicinally or otherwise. It's the only book on herbs I've ever felt I needed and is full of useful charts and illustrations.

Your Backyard Herb Garden on Amazon

3. "The Weekend Homesteader" by Anna Hess

I originally saw this at Barnes and Noble and loved it but forgot about it as life got busy. My mom gave it to me for Christmas and it's just fabulous. Designed for part time gardeners (or weekend homesteaders), it has loads of project ideas that cost little and are totally doable for most people. From reading this book, I radically changed the layout of my garden and am looking forward to implementing a lot of its advice in the future.

The Weekend Homesteader from Mother Earth News

4. "Grow A Little Fruit Tree" by Ann Ralph

Mother Earth News ran a story about this book and after a few online gardeners encouraged me to get it, I got a copy. If you are in any way interested in growing fruit trees, then you've gotta read this book first. Ms. Ralph is very thorough and includes lots of details while still being easy to read. Like the other books on this list, Grow a Little Fruit Tree is full of great pictures. Honestly, I think I'd struggle with any gardening book that didn't have good illustrations to communicate what is being taught.

Grow A Little Fruit Tree from Mother Earth News

So, there are four of my favorite gardening books. What are some great gardening books you would recommend? Anything new you're looking forward to reading this winter? Please share in the comment section below.