Funny how different trees on the same rootstock can react so differently to drought. I have a Green Pear of Yair which grew a bit but is now looking quite sorry for itself, a Judge Amphlett which is looking healthy but hardly grew, and a Moorcroft and Hendre Huffcap which have both grown a lot and look great. It's a shame there aren't more resources about the orchard properties of each variety. I'm trying to build up a database myself, but for most of my varieties I only have a single specimen whose performance can be impacted by luck or freak events, and even for my varieties where I have a block of 30 or so trees, their yearly performance is only representative of my soil and my micro-climate. If only the National Fruit Collection gathered data on more growing related properties than just blossom time.
I’ve been surprised by how well my December planted maiden apple trees have coped with the drought. They’ve never looked particularly water deficient though perhaps they’ve not put on much growth and some of the tips have withered. This, following one of the longest, coldest winters for many years has made it a difficult year.
Hi Stephen, I am looking at identifying some late blossoming apple varieties as I would like to help out the bees. At the moment all my apple/pear trees seem to flower about the same time.
Stephen, Can you advise, we live in Downend, Bristol, Our garden is in a frost pocket, my pears (Concorde and a couple of others) haven't fruited yet, they were bought as grafted trees, approx 8 foot above the graft. They are planted in two different areas of our garden, one at the lower level, in a raised bed because the winter ground can be waterlogged; although with the summer drought, I have been watering with grey water, the upper area is free draining, and because of the drought I have also been watering with grey water. Both trees have had leaves with single spots of raised rust spots. Is there anything that can be done to manage this? other than to pick off the affected leaves. What would this indicate to you? Would this suggest that the drought has impacted upon them, would they all benefit from being at the lower level, but in raised hugelkulture beds, or all at the raised level above the frost pocket line, but in the free'er draining area, which has been more affected by the "drought". Anyadvice will be gladly taken, as I suppose that they are still young enough to be moved if necessary; They were planted 18 months ago.
Rust mites spray with a miticide a regular insecticide will not work as well but malation gives knock down spray before the mite becomes evident. Hot weather encourages rapid mite growth
Nice stuff, but why the glyphosate? My philosophy is instead of wasting energy and time suppressing weeds, or pulling weeds, I ether mulch heavy, or, ideally, plant groundcovers that are beneficial to tree (perhaps yield another food for people) as well as do the weed suppression for me. I am sure you are aware of mulching and groudcovers. So yeah, why the glysophates? Thanks for video. Always a pleasure.
Glyphosate can affect the soil biome negatively. Total biomass can be the same, but diversity can decline. A high diversity makes it harder for opportunistic 'pests' to get the upper hand. A good layer of woodchips supresses grass for quite a while. If you companion plant species that have less root competition with the trees this defence can last for decades, long enough for the trees to create so much shade that they can fend for them selfes. A fairly thick layer is needed, maybe as much as a foot so that the 'good' saprophytes has a chance to establish properly. Woodchips does not steal much nitrogen and phosphorus if they are not tilled in. It requires quite a bit of labor, to do but I believe you regain that investment pretty quickly.
Frode Haugsgjerd We tried those things, they aren’t realistic on an orchard scale, maybe for a couple of trees in your back yard. These Perry pears on very strong root stock should eventually reach a size where they can out compete grass, but it doesn’t happen with dwarf trees. We learned this the hard way, as I describe in my kindle e-book about the orchard.
Keep the grass away from the tree trunk with herbicides mice nest in mulch grass etc and chew the bark like little beaver. Or u can hoe around ur trees.
at 3:59, 50 pounds was money, not weight. £50 bought about 300 grams of mixed Cotswold wild flower seeds.
Great to see an update on the orchard
Funny how different trees on the same rootstock can react so differently to drought. I have a Green Pear of Yair which grew a bit but is now looking quite sorry for itself, a Judge Amphlett which is looking healthy but hardly grew, and a Moorcroft and Hendre Huffcap which have both grown a lot and look great.
It's a shame there aren't more resources about the orchard properties of each variety. I'm trying to build up a database myself, but for most of my varieties I only have a single specimen whose performance can be impacted by luck or freak events, and even for my varieties where I have a block of 30 or so trees, their yearly performance is only representative of my soil and my micro-climate. If only the National Fruit Collection gathered data on more growing related properties than just blossom time.
I’ve been surprised by how well my December planted maiden apple trees have coped with the drought. They’ve never looked particularly water deficient though perhaps they’ve not put on much growth and some of the tips have withered. This, following one of the longest, coldest winters for many years has made it a difficult year.
Good to see you again and catch up on the orchard. Thank you.
Hi Stephen, I am looking at identifying some late blossoming apple varieties as I would like to help out the bees. At the moment all my apple/pear trees seem to flower about the same time.
Stephen, Can you advise, we live in Downend, Bristol, Our garden is in a frost pocket, my pears (Concorde and a couple of others) haven't fruited yet, they were bought as grafted trees, approx 8 foot above the graft. They are planted in two different areas of our garden, one at the lower level, in a raised bed because the winter ground can be waterlogged; although with the summer drought, I have been watering with grey water, the upper area is free draining, and because of the drought I have also been watering with grey water. Both trees have had leaves with single spots of raised rust spots. Is there anything that can be done to manage this? other than to pick off the affected leaves. What would this indicate to you? Would this suggest that the drought has impacted upon them, would they all benefit from being at the lower level, but in raised hugelkulture beds, or all at the raised level above the frost pocket line, but in the free'er draining area, which has been more affected by the "drought". Anyadvice will be gladly taken, as I suppose that they are still young enough to be moved if necessary; They were planted 18 months ago.
Rust mites spray with a miticide a regular insecticide will not work as well but malation gives knock down spray before the mite becomes evident. Hot weather encourages rapid mite growth
Nice stuff, but why the glyphosate? My philosophy is instead of wasting energy and time suppressing weeds, or pulling weeds, I ether mulch heavy, or, ideally, plant groundcovers that are beneficial to tree (perhaps yield another food for people) as well as do the weed suppression for me.
I am sure you are aware of mulching and groudcovers. So yeah, why the glysophates?
Thanks for video. Always a pleasure.
In canada we have mice living in the mulch and grass
How do u get rid of the mice and rats. Poison them I have but that is inhumane hehe
U guys could never grow an orchard on a moderate scale
Fire blight in ur pear trees
Make a pond?
Glyphosate can affect the soil biome negatively. Total biomass can be the same, but diversity can decline. A high diversity makes it harder for opportunistic 'pests' to get the upper hand.
A good layer of woodchips supresses grass for quite a while. If you companion plant species that have less root competition with the trees this defence can last for decades, long enough for the trees to create so much shade that they can fend for them selfes. A fairly thick layer is needed, maybe as much as a foot so that the 'good' saprophytes has a chance to establish properly. Woodchips does not steal much nitrogen and phosphorus if they are not tilled in.
It requires quite a bit of labor, to do but I believe you regain that investment pretty quickly.
Frode Haugsgjerd We tried those things, they aren’t realistic on an orchard scale, maybe for a couple of trees in your back yard. These Perry pears on very strong root stock should eventually reach a size where they can out compete grass, but it doesn’t happen with dwarf trees. We learned this the hard way, as I describe in my kindle e-book about the orchard.
Keep the grass away from the tree trunk with herbicides mice nest in mulch grass etc and chew the bark like little beaver. Or u can hoe around ur trees.
Rats mice and rabbits hide in grass around trees ready to eat bark while u sleep