tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009967346802541581.post1185160623223045657..comments2023-11-05T01:38:03.385-08:00Comments on New To Farm Life: Tree Trouble (What the Hell is Wrong With These Plums?)Aimeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06358194304460170717noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009967346802541581.post-70262612483972810782013-08-11T06:56:47.903-07:002013-08-11T06:56:47.903-07:00I put up a few pictures of my own orcharding blues...I put up <a href="http://anubisbard.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">a few pictures </a>of my own orcharding blues just for commiseration’s sake. Oy.Andy Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03820201752437230985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009967346802541581.post-32510428308043399502013-08-11T04:52:26.460-07:002013-08-11T04:52:26.460-07:00Oh Aime, I hear ya.
I thought that if I could gar...Oh Aime, I hear ya.<br /><br />I thought that if I could garden, I could just as easily have fruit trees. It turns out that's like saying that since I can drive a car - hang gliding will be a snap. The only fruit tree here above 9 feet high is a volunteer mulberry, but these trees are already a cruel education in casual orchardry. Brown rot withered the peaches (well that at least got me to prune), Japanese beetles made lace of the cherry leaves, the deer pruned the plums and not kindly, raccoons vandalized the mulberry, the black raspberries are making life miserable for the sickly Jonathan apple and the only really vigorous tree, a Macoun apple has decided to call it an early autumn this year for some reason. <br /><br />My models for fruit trees were the feral, ancient trees you'd find in the woods or pastures of Pennsylvania - producing apples or pears through decades of neglect. Or my grandfather's cherry tree, which produced gallons of cherries (mostly for the birds to decorate the property with lavender poop, but still) the thing was productive and all he ever did that I saw was shake his head at the mess. Sure, I'd seen my father fail at peaches a few times and I certainly knew that part of venison's popularity was one part delicious taste, and one part vengeance of gardeners and orchardists.<br /><br />I've resisted the warfare model of gardening in favor of being an ally to my plants. I do what I can to help them - little sprouts that they are. I kind of thought trees would be a little more self-sufficient. Who knew they'd be so needy?Andy Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03820201752437230985noreply@blogger.com