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[ninnymary]

Are you sure that's alfalfa Mary? Looks like a grass blend.

Wow, that's a gigantic apple! I have a rootstock tree up front that makes big ones like that. They're perfect for pies.
What variety is yours?

Heck I don't know what it is! It looked like alfalfa to me cause it' green, haha.

My apple tree had 4 different varieties of apples grafted on to it. Tags eventually fell off and I didn't put back on the way I intended to, branches got pruned. So I have no idea what type the apples are. Of course I do know what 4 it could be. It's hard to guess since it's all green. It sure was heavy. I should have weighted it.

Mary

 

[ninnymary]

Wow!!! Good golly, Miss Mary!!!!! What kind of apple is that and have they produced that large and fine before now or is this a new thing?

This is the first time. They are twice as big as usual. I can limit it down to 4 types of apples because the tree was grafted that way. I'd have to look at the tags. I know one of them is Fuji and another Jonathon Gold. Can't remember the other two.

I think after 3 years the nutrients of the wood chips and horse manure have finally broken down.

Mary

 

[Beekissed]

This is the first time. They are twice as big as usual. I can limit it down to 4 types of apples because the tree was grafted that way. I'd have to look at the tags. I know one of them is Fuji and another Jonathon Gold. Can't remember the other two.

I think after 3 years the nutrients of the wood chips and horse manure have finally broken down.

Mary

That's amazing!!! Truly.

Also water retention, you think? How deeply do you have the wood chips around your trees, Ninny? I know Paul G. uses at least 18 in. around his for good water retention around his trees.

 

[ninnymary]

I really don't have the wood chips very high or deep, maybe 1-2 inches? Wood chips here last a long time due to our mild weather.

I am loving how soft my hay is. It makes me feel like the "farmer wanna be"

I want to be. I've decided to use it only under my fruit trees and in the veggie beds. My perenial/herb bed and my monarch habitat tiny garden will continue to have either mulch or wood chips. I like the look of chips for those areas.

I only have to deep water the garden every Friday. My large pots usually go for 5 days but now that fall is here they go longer. My small pots on the side yard garden have to be watered every 3 days or so.

What is amazing is that every year, every apple is bitten by rats. My neighbor and I have been using methods to eliminate them. It seems to have worked. This year only 1 apple was beaten and I purposely left it hoping whoever it was would continue with that one and not touch the others. To my surprise they stuck with only that one!

Mary

 

[ninnymary]

@Beekissed, what did you do to prepare your garden for winter?

Mary

 

[Beekissed]

@Beekissed, what did you do to prepare your garden for winter?

Mary

Mary, I haven't even gotten that far yet! Been running full steam on getting the last of the firewood into shelter and haven't even gotten the garden cleaned out yet. That's a first for me...usually have that done in Oct, as well as the wood. I'm running late on everything this season.

As soon as the wood is done I'll be doing the garden cleanout and then will wait until the ground freezes to bring in a couple round bales of hay to roll out. After that I can place my square bales for raised beds and start filling those with any spare leaves I can get, which are nonexistent right now...we went from summer to fall in one week, then winter the next week, so no one was able to take care of their leaves....and I really need those leaves.

After that I'll be working on garden gates and fencing, Lord willing. Everything needs revamped and reinforced.

I wish there were about 3 of me right now.....

 

[baymule]

I was looking at some American persimmon trees this afternoon. Their leaves were still green, freeze dried on the tree. Freeze came early for us, trees are confused! LOL

 

[ninnymary]

I was looking at some American persimmon trees this afternoon. Their leaves were still green, freeze dried on the tree. Freeze came early for us, trees are confused! LOL

Do you mean Fuyu persimmons? I LOVE those. I posted on Nextdoor and found 2 sources that gave me some and said lots more on the tree.

Mary

 

[flowerbug]

View attachment 28722 All those wood chips and horse manure added 3 years ago is producing giant apples.

is that a Granny Smith?

 

[digitS']

Fuyu persimmons? ...

Mary

A Diospyros kaki, Fuyu, Asian persimmon.

A Diospyros virginiana, American persimmon.


digitS'