It is commonly claimed by persimmon growers that the trees are "self-pruning". That is, the fruit grower has little or no reason to remove branches because some mechanism results in the tree self-regulating in the amount of fruiting branches that leaf-out in the spring.
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On any given year, at least two-thirds of the small, fruiting branches of my persimmon trees are broken by small mammals climbing out on them to harvest the fruit. Or maybe they are grabbing the branch and bending it toward the stem they are clinging to. Who knows?
It makes me wonder how people can grow apples and pears where there are bears and moose.
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It is rumored that moose can break off the trunks of 4" diameter willow trees to consume the twigs. I can only imagine how motivated they would be if the feed-bag was fruit rather than sticks. It also brings up the specter of Yogi and Bullwinkle getting drunk on fermented fruit.
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How do people in Canada, Alaska, Maine and New Hampshire keep animals out of their orchards?
Calculating rates of consumption
Based on recent data, we are still going through two, 42 ounce container of oatmeal a month. They stack two-high in our cupboard and I can inventory the number of months' supply by counting the number of "silos".
We are pretty consistent in our consumption rates of some items. Other items are much less consistent. Once you have a handle on how much you use, repeat the exercise every five years or so.
ERJ, having been on my own for more of less the last year, I have a pretty good handle on what I consume or go through from week to week just based on shopping. Now that The Ravishing Mrs. TB is getting here more full time, my calculations will have to be redone.
ReplyDeleteI made a full year at a glance calendar so we can record longer period consumption items like 30lb bags of dog food, etc.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know about keeping bears and moose out of the orchard. I do know the large farm near me says they expect to lose up to 1/4 of their corn due to bears, deer, and raccoons, so they plant extra. He does send his boys out some nights to shoot raccoons, and porcupines. Can’t do much about deer, except noise makers or drive around the field at night.
ReplyDeleteSouthern NH
While you cannot protect a field crop unless you keep human guards over it, you can protect fruit trees and bushes.
DeleteGoogle making bone sauce for details.
Don't use your wife's pans making it, trust me about that.
Worked for me for almost a decade so far.
Pruning: I wonder what you might think of the second half of this piece from this morning's paper. I suspect she was being rather precious.
ReplyDeletehttps://archive.is/oSQS9
Question: How many grafts are too many?
ReplyDeleteStated differently, How many grafts at one time can a tree take and remain healthy?
In the 27APR 'widow maker' post, you state you put five grafts on a pear seedling.
Like all things, it is subject to debate.
DeleteThe recommendation from NAFEX (North American Fruit Explorers) is to limit trees to two fruiting varieties per stem. Their reasoning is that each scion you bring in from a different source might be infected with virus. Also, every additional variety you graft into a tree increases the odds of introducing Typhoid Mary for Fire Blight or some other nasty disease.
Even though there were five grafts, they encompassed only two varieties sourced from one tree each.
ERJ, thank you for that information. My previous comment was more about the energy required at each graft to make it a success would act to deplete the energy otherwise required for growth of the seedling.
DeleteCentral NH here. Moose are fond of the buds on my apple trees. Not much you can do about it but yell and call them names. Can't chase the away as it's always early spring with snow still on the ground. Be quite a fence to keep them out. Bears do a number on the blueberry bushes. Pull a branch right over and break it so they can eat sitting down. Wash, rinse, repeat.
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DeleteETA: Moose often drag down sap lines too. Coyotes like to chew them.
I’ve planted three apple trees and the moose ate them, they also ate some current bushes right to the ground. I can only grow peas behind an eight foot fence! A friend tried a six foot high tensil electric fence, they now have eight foot wire. I grow my cole crops in the hoop house to keep the moose away. This in Copper Basin Alaska!
ReplyDeleteIt was a cold winter in the same county as ERJ. Deer ate the decorative evergreen bushes right next to the house down to bare branches. The cedar trees at my neighbors and at my folks were stripped to the trunk as high as the deer could reach.
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