Last two plum trees in. First lawn mowing of the season on the farm.

I got a call from the Fulton County Conservation District, Thursday, saying that I need to pick up my last two trees - they were in!

So, on my way up to the farm this weekend, I stopped at the USDA offices in McConnellsburg and got my trees!  It rained heavily at the farm on Friday night but I was able to get the trees planted.  Before I put in the trees though, I needed to relocate the electric fence because the location I wanted to place the trees was outside of the fenced portion.  I dug the holes for the trees by hand since the tiller was on the tractor from last weekend (and switching out the auger is a pain!).  It turned out that hand digging was probably best anyway because the trees were small and they needed more "width" dug, then they needed depth!  I did mix up some rhizome slurry like i did for the other trees I planted this spring but I added too much coagulant so it was too thick to dunk the roots - so I just poured it over the roots after I placed the tree in the hole!  I also used a couple of the slow release fertilizer packets each tree, just like I did for the other trees.  Here are some pics of the new trees:

The two new ones are the closest to the camera.  You can just barely see the electric fence there just to the left of the frontmost tree

From a little further away.

Showing the electric fence a little better.

I really needed to mow the orchard lawn as the grass there was getting pretty tall. I fired up the Huskee riding mower and mowed most of the lawn (not in front of the house though - that sections grass wasn't very big yet).  Then I got into the mud and somehow snapped the mower deck belt.  The Huskee doesn't protect the mower deck like the Husqvarna does so when it hits something immovable the belt evidently takes the brunt of the impact.  Anyway, I didn't have a spare belt so I got the Husqvarna mower out and finished (well - I bent one of those blades too - but I straightened it out and finished the lawn).

I also,assembled the push mower that I bought at walmart last weekend and used it to clean around the left of the house driveway and trim in general (I really got it for the elderberries).  I am thinking that I might clean some trees out of the section of the yard and plant berries there.  Mom has some berries that I could get cuttings of and I could use more berries!  It's at least worth a try!  Anyway, I also removed some of the old barbed wire fence between the big patch and the road.  I cleaned the posts out and removed old posts and rocks and mowed that area.  Eventually, I am thinking I will remove that entire section of barbed wire along the road and put up a wood "slat-type" fence.  Anyway, while mowing around the elderberries I ran the push mower into a bunch of mud and it bent the mower blade so bad that I couldn't finish mowing!  I went and got the battery powered trimmer and trimmed around the elderberries; just around the berries - not the grass in between.   Anyway, I went to TSC and got a new belt for the riding mower and blades for the Huskee and push mower.  Here are some pics of the orchard after mowing:

I had to get this picture of Smokey.  He was attacked by a sticker bush over there.  I got vengeance for him though; I tore that fence out and mowed that whole area!  No more stickers!

It as too wet to plow/till this patch - I really wish I could have.  It's supposed to rain all week and I really need to get the tomatoes and other transplants in ASAP!

Oh, and the peach trees are starting to bloom:

The cherry trees will be coming soon.  I hope that there is no frost!  Would be interesting to see a peach or some cherries this year!