UGH! more rain?

Enough already!

I mean really?  We need rain, of course - but can we keep it under 2 inches per week?  Nice steady rains are preferred - these downpours are rough on the garden!

Water is RUNNING through the bean patch

Washed alot of dirt down in the front patch too

Washed a gully in the corn!

corn gully

Pris

tine apples need support!

I didn't think these apples (or any of the fruit this year) so they are in danger of breaking down the tree!  Pristine are a very early apple - ready in mid-July.   I placed some boards up to support the tree.  I am hoping that the critters don't use the board as a ramp to get at them!

Peach tree status - "June drop" not so bad! (so far)

Normally in June the peach trees will drop a good amount of fruit and leaves - this is known as  "June drop".  This year, so far, the drop has been relatively light.

Big widow-maker came down

I was walking the perimeter and came across a big widow maker near the sheep field.  Glad I wasn't mowing when this thing came down!  I had to go get the tractor to move this thing.

Hay field 

My neighbor got around to making hay this weekend.  He did the part below the locusts this year.  Very nice!  Saves me having to flail mow so much.

Grapes and spraying

I got my new sprayer working and hit the grapes and the orchard trees with sevin and myclobutanil.  I saw some Japanese beetles out so I wanted to be sure my grapes were protected.

More Rain. Tree status

I am doing this update almost a month later!  I have just been that busy at work - ugh.  I still am but I really want to record some of this stuff.

Fruit Trees

Despite the rains, its been a good year so far for the fruit trees.  My trees didnt get hit by the frosts.  It was close though.  There was some frost damage in the lower areas new the forsythia, but the fruit trees seemed ok.

Cherries!

The new planting of sour cherries.  I discovered as I was planting that this area has more clay than I would've liked.  Oh well, as the wheel wills...

The "old" sour cherries have a good crop on them now... 

We will see how they do with the deer and bird presence...

Here is one of the new cherry trees blooming!

The grape vines are even getting ready to bloom!

Lots of peaches setting too - but we all know peaches tend to drop...

Braces that I put on to spread the limbs are holding surprisingly well.

Pears.  Asian pears coming in.

Crab-apple tree - fighting for its life.  I think that when I put these young trees in the "tree sleeves" that caused fungus or disease to bloom.  I am not putting new/replacement crab-apples (or any fruit trees) in those tree-sleeves.

I am not sure if these are crab-apples or regular apples...

Cherry trees all caged up!

Signs of life in these new tree-lings!

Rain...

LOTS of rain this spring.  2-3 inches per week lately.  Here are some random shots are the place.

 

Just a big screen shot of the orchard

Strawberries

Blueberries

The "old" blueberries

 Tomatoes

I managed to (just) get the tomatoes in the ground before the rain!  It was a herculean effort because I also had to put up the fence and put down the black plastic.  I cant remember if I tilled that day too - maybe!

The rain really battered them down.  Some even broke off!

Long distance shot of the garden.  Only tomatoes in there now (the strawberries and blueberries are in the back)

Cottonwood blooming again!

Elderberries

 Locust trees blooming!

I cant believe I never noticed these things blooming before.  Now I can't look anywhere without noticing them!