The Canada plum is awakening.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/canada-plum_May16-2021.jpg)
Planted 3 black currants today, they have blooms.
Mixed in some manure with the loam and cedar mulch on top.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/black-currant-row-May2021.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/black-currant-blooms.jpg)
Yeah, fresh fruit season is almost here. 8)
Grapes are just about in bloom here, photo in a few days. :)
Is that tree a domesticated strain of Canada Plum or is it a wild variety? Why do you have the trees planted so close together? Are they sweet or sour when tree-ripened? Are the tree guards there to protect them from rabbits? Lots of nice blossoms. The blossoms look a lot like my Pluot which is part plum and apricot.
Here is the tree this spring. It only produced about a dozen fruit last year but I am counting on a lot more this year if the amount of blossoms means anything.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10129/IMG_5428.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1621719622)
I planted them close as they aren't much for a tree where I find them in the wild. Although, I did find some the size of dwarf apple on an abandoned homestead. They usually grow wild in a dense thicket. These are wild plums, yes. Protection against mice and voles in winter. The rabbits here are hares that don't venture far from the trees. But they can certainly do a number on a sapling if given the chance. ;D The fruit is sweet when ripe on the tree.
@bitternut (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=129) What kind of plum do you have there? It sure is loaded. Last spring the frost killed the blooms here. This spring 1/4" hale gave them a good beating for 10 minutes. ;D
That is a Flavo Grenade Pluot that I purchased in 2017 from Adams County Nursery in Pennsylvania. There are several different combinations of plums and apricots that are genetically mixed to produce several different varieties of fruit. Zaiger is one of the companies that has developed several combinations. Dave Wilson nursery in Ca has quite a few varieties.
My tree produced fruit for the first time last summer. What a wonderful treat they are. They were tree-ripened, sweet, crunchy, and freestone. They kept for an extended time in the fridge.
I planted a Santa Rosa Plum next to it which is recommended as a pollinator. Last spring I planted a grafted four variety plumcot which had a few blossoms on each variety. They just had petal fall in the last few days. Might get a few fruit samples this season if I get lucky.
There used to be a block of Stanley Prunes a few years ago on my lot that were abandoned for a few years and there were quite a few root sprouts that grew into small trees with very large thorns and yellow plums that were round and about the size of a golf ball. I tried to eat them and found it impossible. Even with leaving them hang on the tree till they dropped off they were way too sour. :o I have no idea what variety that rootstock was. Just assumed that it was some kind of wild variety.
How do you keep the moose away from your plum trees? I had to install a solar electric fence to keep the deer away. Glad I don't have that moose problem. :D
If this season is fruitful I will have to try sending you a few samples in the mail. I think you will be hooked once you have tried one.
Moose don't bother them here, be more apt to be coons. We only have 3 deer here at the best of times and they keep away. They don't even bother the garden. These plums will eventually develop thorns. I use them plums for jelly and juice. Often put some in high bush cranberry juice when making cranberry jelly to. These ripen to an orange red skin with golden flesh. Size of your thumb and egg shaped.
A lot of them varieties I never heard tell off. Mostly what you will see here is Stanley, but I have seen an old homestead plum near one of the towns with a large yellow plum that is very good. No idea the variety, the owners don't know either. Goes back to late 1800's or very early 1900's I suspect.
Are your plums black knot resistant? Stanley isn't, and I don't think these wild ones are, but I have no knot on them yet. The cure for that is WD-40. The pin cherry around here don't have it, but the black cherry do. And pin cherry is not resistant, unless these have a slight genetic difference.
Quote from: SwampDonkey on May 23, 2021, 08:45:12 AMAre your plums black knot resistant? Stanley isn't,
Yes, they are all advertised as such. Just how resistant remains to be seen though. I have two NY9 prune trees which are supposed to be more disease resistant than the regular Stanley variety. This year will be the first crop. They are dwarf and it took a couple of seasons to find the trees available to buy. The Stanley type are my favorite variety.
Set out a couple new Canadian red rhubarb root balls this afternoon, just arrived by mail. We have all kinds of ground moisture here this spring for starting trees, shrubs.....and rhubarb. ;D
Technically a veg, but used as fruit. I make juice. It's awesome. :)
We always had a large rhubarb patch at home. Never had juice, just sauce and pies. My mother was a great cook. Some people seemed to favor strawberry rhubarb pie but me I always preferred plain rhubarb pies.
How does one make just juice?
@bitternut (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=129) A little further down the topics is this page. ;)
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=111062.0
The grapes did get a little burnt for sure from frost. I think watering them this morning kept them from becoming a total loss. ;D :D
Photos later, but the blackberries are white with blossoms now. The grapes have recovered from the late frost and lots of green, not sure yet on how much fruit. Will have to get an update on the plum, I know I saw some fruit set a week ago. smiley_thumbsup
Checked the plums this morning, wasn't any fruit set after all except maybe a couple. Frost and hail did a number on them. :-\
Here are the black elders this year, just beginning to flower.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/black-elder-june-2021.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623600735)
Here is one from a cutting this spring, I have one other that took, 4 cuttings where planted. So 50/50 success. Pretty cool to get a plant from a little stick. ;)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/black-elder-sucker-june-202.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623600835)
Blackberries in bloom.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/blackberry-june-2021.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623600947)
A couple fruit set on the new black currents. Probably frost hit them to.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/blackcurrent-june2021.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623601027)
Raspberries this year, setting lots of fruit and a lot of new canes this year.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/raspberry-june-2021.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623601120)
Grapes. A little set back from the late frost, but coming to life. ;)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/grape-vines-2021.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623601558)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/grape-bloom-june-2021-1.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623601559)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/grape-bloom-june-2021-2.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623601559)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/grape-bloom-june-2021-3.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623601559)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/grape-bloom-june-2021-4.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1623601559)
How high should you let your grapes climb? I'm letting mine go chest high and training the leaders to grow lateral. ;) Happy gardening. :)
Quote from: SwampDonkey on June 13, 2021, 03:56:17 PM
How high should you let your grapes climb? I'm letting mine go chest high and training the leaders to grow lateral. ;) Happy gardening. :)
I planted an acre of table grapes last year, so I'm still learning. Normally the fruit line is 2-3 ft of the ground. Every year the vine grows up from the fruit line, and the plant is prunned every winter/spring. A new method is to set the fruit line at 5ft and let the plant grow down. The higher the fruit line the easier it is to pick. Some people are recommending higher and claim it's safer from spring frost, but you don't get the snow insulation in the winter. Also, a vine yard experienced alot of mold on their crop with a high fruit line, so verdict is still out whether its a better method. I'll be setting the fruit line at 30". For a few plants I would risk and go to 5ft.:)
I've been letting mine go 5 feet and train them laterally. I have fruit as low as 2 feet. I think the key is to keep it pruned more open below to keep the plants dry or dry off quick. But I'm just learning to, and experimenting. Just when you got it the way you want, the animals will change the whole experiment. :D
An acre is a lot of grapes. :) I've had these over 30 years and moved them a couple years ago.
Yes, I planted 1 acre, and pending how it's goes this summer may plan more next year. So far so good. :) Not many grape growers in the Maritimes for table grapes. For what it's worth I was told that every vine should be limited to 2.5 to 3lbs per harvest, so about 10 to 15 grapple.
I have an electric fence for now, but may need to go for a high fence. The deer need a bigger challenge, and high jump seems to be a good sport for them. :D
Quote from: Dom on June 20, 2021, 09:14:43 AM
Yes, I planted 1 acre, and pending how it's goes this summer may plan more next year. So far so good. :) Not many grape growers in the Maritimes for table grapes. For what it's worth I was told that every vine should be limited to 2.5 to 3lbs per harvest, so about 10 to 15 grapple.
I have an electric fence for now, but may need to go for a high fence. The deer need a bigger challenge, and high jump seems to be a good sport for them. :D
Take out the deer come hunting season get yer foods worth back, full circle, you know they will be healthy at least ! :D
Dom, do you plan to sell at the market? Moncton maybe?
I just grow mine for my own use, I juice them.
The Deer are smart, they stick around the homes during hunting season. :D
SwampDonkey, yes plan is to sell roadside and local markets. There's alot of traffic in the area from the orchard and other farms. :)
Other idea will be create jelly to add shelf life. I imagine you have Concorde vines?
How do you like the plums? Grows ok? I'm looking for other crops.
Yes, mine are Concord. Lots of blooms even after a killing frost. I watered the vines that morning of the frost before sunrise which saved them from complete loss. They seem to be quite winter hardy, I only loose a little on the tips as the vines just keep growing until they can't. So that end would not be hardened off. :)
The plums are growing like weeds. The fruit this year is pretty much none because of frost and 1/4" hail just after they bloomed. Life of a farmer. :D
I was giving the sawmill a "look over" this morning before tomorrow's sawing job. It stays parked in Marty's back yard so naturally I needed to check his Blueberries.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0191.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1624296326)
Yes the bushes are loaded quite nicely..... :)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_0192.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1624296326)
Soooo I picked a hat full for my breakfast cereal for the next few mornings. food6
Good stuff MM, I like'm on cereal and also in pancake batter. But also muffins with a nice morning coffee. ;)
Although, I have not ate muffins of any kind for quite awhile. I usually use natural peanut butter between two halves of bread with a coffee on weekends before the breakfast. But I have a blueberry muffin recipe I always made in years past. I usually buy my blueberries frozen, a lot cheaper, as I don't grow any. Dad used to and I tended those for a few years down in Grafton after he passed away.
Been picking raspberries this weekend. I see the birds are to. I don't feel they are overly productive this year, but I pick a standard berry box every time I go down. I don't have a huge patch, 3 rows, 20 feet long each or so. :)
Grapes, all kinds of them this year as well as black elders. Lots of green blackberries, be another month for those. ;D
Our raspberries are pretty much wiped out due to the heat, I had some fresh cherries which were plump and juicy but little or no flavor. :( Peaches and apricots are not doing well either and the jury is out on apples. Vineyards are the rage here but they must be suffering too.
My wild blueberrys are ready to pick in some areas already! Had some good Pickens today!
Picked close to fifteen lbs of blueberries from our neighbors. Lets us pick them every year. She has 10 bushes. Our pear trees are loaded. Made the mistake of planting full sized trees. Ripped some 2x4s in half and made some tees to prop up branches already had one branch break
Haven't seen much for blueberries here yet. Where I was working in black spruce last week, the ground is covered in bushes, never saw a berry.
This land is infested with blueberry. Everywhere. Have blueberry u picks just down the road. All the guy did to make them was clear the trees and keep the bush down the blueberry took over in under 10 yr
In my area here there are no wild blueberry bushes, I have to go in the outback where they grow on glacial sand and black spruce ground. Up here in the potato belt, nary a blueberry except little gardens where you usually have to add something to the soil to make it more sour. I've picked 5 gallon pales full in the past, sit on a stump and fill a bucket. The bigger ones was always in a little shade. ;)
Blackberries
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/blackberry_Jul16-21.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1626462416)
Grapes
https://youtu.be/6jV7q0k9uAI (https://youtu.be/6jV7q0k9uAI)
Grapes everywhere.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/grapes-july30-2021.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1627680006)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/grapes-Jul30-2021.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1627680005)
blackberries ripening
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/blackberry-july30-2021.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1627680004)
Our blackberries came and went pretty fast this year. Shadey grown berries were much better than full sun.
Last year was bumper crop for blueberries and raspberries. This year pretty weak. Must be the cycle of things.
Raspberry run yesterday. :)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13635/20210801_105446.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1627908844)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13635/20210801_163943.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1627908859)
Gosh dang it! Now I'm craving some fresh rhasberries! I'm blueberry locked here! Nothing else but miles and miles of blueberry!
Its pineapple season bere. Getting 3-5 a day.
Its a race between us, possums, coons, citrus rats and armadillos.
I'm eating 1.5 or 2 a day.
It's a buffet for everyone!
Holly cats Bill, I only eat one a week. :o
Right now I'm eating Ontario peaches and just finished the last of the raspberries here today in my lunch bucket out in the bush.
Apples are in season here now to, yellow transparent.
I love pineapple but enoughs enough.
Tonight I'll grill some, tomorrow it will be over cottage cheese for breakfast and then throughout the day nibbling on it for snacks.
Just picked this one. It wasn't yellow this morning.
Looks like I only have about 15 more to go.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/14445/Resized_20210802_111226.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1627942637)
The black elderberry syrup got condensed a little too much so it turned to jelly when cooled. ;D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/elderberry-syrup-jelly.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1629619868)
Takes a lot of elderberries to make much of anything. In this case, enough for some taste. :D
I did this from fresh berries, but a better approach is to freeze the berries and thaw to release the juices, then strain the liquid. That way no seed and stem in the cooking juice. And they do have tiny stems you can never get completely off all the berries in this lifetime. ;)
Steam juicer is the way to go just put berries in top and steam from bottom goes thru berries and releases juice. No seeds stems or skin pretty slick. We did 53 pounds (just berries no stems) 2 years ago made wine and jelly
Six 750 ml bottles of grape-elder-raspberry juice were made this morning. And a tall tumbler left over for tonight's tomato-salami-cheese sandwich on sour dough bread. 8)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/grape-elder-rasp-juice-Sept.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1631379209)
Winter can come any time now. ;D