Pretty crazy, huh? While we have our challenges, the weather in this part of Arizona is near ideal for fruit trees. Much like Central California where Dave Wilson fruit trees are grown.
Thank you for that Astra. We don't take for granted how blessed we are to have each other. Having your spouse be your life partner and best friend doesn't always happen. It can work without that, but I wouldn't have it any other way!
Lori and I were just talking about this over the weekend. We enjoy each season with the trees (well, maybe not July and August!) and this is another one of those cool, unique times of year. It's a chance to spend some time detailing and shaping the growth and production of the tree. Good luck with those cuttings!
I remember the free range cattle resting on your wood chip piles for warmth and wondered if you piled them around the trees it would keep them warm for the winter.
Great question Chet. They do have a tendency to normalize the soil under the woodchips. Cooler in the summer and slightly warmer in the winter. It's one of the reasons we pull the woodchips away from the trunk during the Winter, so we can ensure we're capturing as much chill as we can on the trees and tree crown.
@@chetnash5991 I'm not sure if there's a limit on the top end, but we have found that a minimum of 6-8 inches is needed to mitigate the issues with excessive heat and evaporation. We're usually in the 8-12" range around most our fruit trees and that seems to do the trick. 3-4 inches usually breaks down too quickly for our needs. We're already going back and topping off rings from a year ago from breaking down and those had a good 6-8" to start.
You must be reading our minds! We have a few apples that simply did not want to put branching where we need it. The pear trees are also basically growing straight up, so we'll have to use spreaders. I was thinking either a 1x1 or 2x2 notched at the end. I believe we used 1x1 on a few of the Fall apples on the old farm and it seemed to work out ok.
I'm just about to start pruning my trees 😊. When you prune your grapevines you should put some of the cuttings in your raised bed as well. I did last year and I'm just waiting for them to go fully dormant before I transplant them.
Michaela!!!! First off, how are you doing? Haven't heard from you in a while. This year we decided to get pruning done a bit early, so we could put these out when everyone else was getting their pruning done. I'm glad to hear those grapevine cuttings did well for you. We may do that in the future, but this year we're sharing these with Reid at RSI Growers so he can graft them onto some solid root stocks for folks here in AZ.
It totally seems that way! I (Lori) for years would cringe when we did pruning, but I have learned to trust Duane when it comes to it. He has been pruning young trees for a long time and I now know that it is a good thing for the tree. It also helps us control the size of the trees as well. Be sure to check out updates of them this spring/summer!
I just got a young almond tree that's about 175cm tall, with two close, almost vertical branches starting at 140cm. Would it be better to prune it way back to something like 75-100cm high so it can start creating a scaffold like you have?
The best time to get that main trunk cut back is at planting time. You didn't mention whether or not it was bare root, but I'm assuming given the time of year it was. If so, that's especially true of pruning that way back now. I would lean more towards the 100cm height. We're usually somewhere between 100cm and 120cm for our trunks and almonds do well with those low trunks.
Do you offer pruning classes at the farm? We could learn how to prune and you could have free labor🤣. Seriously I am interested in a hands on pruning class.
Hey Kerry. We considered that, but didn't have the time to get that scheduled this year. Thanks for asking though as it sounds like there may be a few folks out there like you who would like some hands on training.
Great question Astra and it depends. There are 2 major drawbacks for that area that you'll want to consider. The first is the lack of access to electricity. While it's possible to live off grid and homestead, it comes with immense challenges. In order to do most of what we're doing here you really need grid power to drive water if nothing else. The other issue is access. As it stands today, the only way in is through Patton Rd and you have to pass through the Hassayampa River basin in order to get to Whispering Ranch. Whenever we have heavy rains that river runs and you are either stuck at home or can't reach home. They're working on fixing this, but they haven't done so as of yet. Now, the major upside is the land is still very inexpensive as compared to the rest of the area. That's primarily because of these drawbacks.
The only way we've found to do that effectively is net the tree. Sometimes the squirrels will still get through though. In the past few months we've brought a few barn cats onto the property in the hopes they'll bring that population down for us. Some farmers in Texas suggested it and they have essentially no varmints left on their 5 acre farm.
I just cutted 70-80cm above the ground my young almonde tree(to shape in open center),I think I made a mistake cause it seems really low. Do you think this is still ok to have done this cut this low? I hope it's not gonna result in a weak trunk cause too short.. Any advice?
Great question and we're working towards having some type of livestock guardian dog. Up until a couple months ago we had fairly open fencing that would not keep a dog on the property. With our current fencing it's definitely something we're considering.
It's absolutely amazing how much growth you are getting out of your trees in just a year or two!!!
Pretty crazy, huh? While we have our challenges, the weather in this part of Arizona is near ideal for fruit trees. Much like Central California where Dave Wilson fruit trees are grown.
Wow! What a wake-up gift.
Nothing like a little pick-me-up to get the week going!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm
God is so good so-as-to make his creatures with the abilities to render, appreciate and even create beauty.
I love how much you guys love each other, this is why your channel works and you're very blessed!
Thank you for that Astra. We don't take for granted how blessed we are to have each other. Having your spouse be your life partner and best friend doesn't always happen. It can work without that, but I wouldn't have it any other way!
We are in the middle of pruning our trees and getting ready to chip up and propagate some cuttings. Great video, as always and thank you for sharing.
Lori and I were just talking about this over the weekend. We enjoy each season with the trees (well, maybe not July and August!) and this is another one of those cool, unique times of year. It's a chance to spend some time detailing and shaping the growth and production of the tree. Good luck with those cuttings!
Labor of love, farms are.
You sure got that right Jesse. Most days are enjoyable, but some not so much. Today in particular was a tough one for Lori with the turkey processing.
So glad I found y’all! I just planted a bare root almond, “prince” Looking forward to lots of growth!
Hey there Kimberly. Glad you found us and are enjoying the content. Good luck with that new almond tree!!
Very beautiful farm you have over there . Thanks for the video .
Glad you enjoyed this one Iman. 2 years in and we're still trying to get things in place!
I remember the free range cattle resting on your wood chip piles for warmth and wondered if you piled them around the trees it would keep them warm for the winter.
Great question Chet. They do have a tendency to normalize the soil under the woodchips. Cooler in the summer and slightly warmer in the winter. It's one of the reasons we pull the woodchips away from the trunk during the Winter, so we can ensure we're capturing as much chill as we can on the trees and tree crown.
I was wondering if there was an over/under between too much crushing roots and too little to be effective
@@chetnash5991 I'm not sure if there's a limit on the top end, but we have found that a minimum of 6-8 inches is needed to mitigate the issues with excessive heat and evaporation. We're usually in the 8-12" range around most our fruit trees and that seems to do the trick. 3-4 inches usually breaks down too quickly for our needs. We're already going back and topping off rings from a year ago from breaking down and those had a good 6-8" to start.
I have yard Bonsai. Have you considered wiring the branches to get the desired shape ? I have even notched a 2x4 and used as a spreader.
You must be reading our minds! We have a few apples that simply did not want to put branching where we need it. The pear trees are also basically growing straight up, so we'll have to use spreaders. I was thinking either a 1x1 or 2x2 notched at the end. I believe we used 1x1 on a few of the Fall apples on the old farm and it seemed to work out ok.
Great info for the almond tree prune. Thanks for sharing 🙏
Ah yes, we haven't given an update on these trees recently, but they are doing really well. Hoping for a solid harvest from these here soon!
Great job Sir and really impressive how you both love each other and help in farming
Have a long happy life beautiful couple❤
Love from 🇵🇰 ❤ 🇺🇲
Thank you for the encouraging comment and well wishes!
I'm just about to start pruning my trees 😊. When you prune your grapevines you should put some of the cuttings in your raised bed as well. I did last year and I'm just waiting for them to go fully dormant before I transplant them.
Michaela!!!! First off, how are you doing? Haven't heard from you in a while. This year we decided to get pruning done a bit early, so we could put these out when everyone else was getting their pruning done. I'm glad to hear those grapevine cuttings did well for you. We may do that in the future, but this year we're sharing these with Reid at RSI Growers so he can graft them onto some solid root stocks for folks here in AZ.
Awesome tips thanks for sharing
Glad you found this one useful Mary!
Not that I have any idea about pruning but I feel like after you do your pruning it's like "look at my stump!"
It totally seems that way! I (Lori) for years would cringe when we did pruning, but I have learned to trust Duane when it comes to it. He has been pruning young trees for a long time and I now know that it is a good thing for the tree. It also helps us control the size of the trees as well. Be sure to check out updates of them this spring/summer!
Excellent another video. How pruning to remove weak, dead, or diseased limbs? Lot to learn. My comments box in RUclips disable . Now I fixed it
Hey there Abid. We don't find many dead or diseased limbs, but you're right. Those need to come off as well.
I just got a young almond tree that's about 175cm tall, with two close, almost vertical branches starting at 140cm. Would it be better to prune it way back to something like 75-100cm high so it can start creating a scaffold like you have?
The best time to get that main trunk cut back is at planting time. You didn't mention whether or not it was bare root, but I'm assuming given the time of year it was. If so, that's especially true of pruning that way back now. I would lean more towards the 100cm height. We're usually somewhere between 100cm and 120cm for our trunks and almonds do well with those low trunks.
love you and your wife is so sweat . love love
Thanks Iman. We love you too!!
Do you offer pruning classes at the farm? We could learn how to prune and you could have free labor🤣. Seriously I am interested in a hands on pruning class.
Hey Kerry. We considered that, but didn't have the time to get that scheduled this year. Thanks for asking though as it sounds like there may be a few folks out there like you who would like some hands on training.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm maybe next year. Thank you.
Duane, do you think I could have a farm like this in Whispering Ranch? Or is that a bad area for this?
Great question Astra and it depends. There are 2 major drawbacks for that area that you'll want to consider. The first is the lack of access to electricity. While it's possible to live off grid and homestead, it comes with immense challenges. In order to do most of what we're doing here you really need grid power to drive water if nothing else. The other issue is access. As it stands today, the only way in is through Patton Rd and you have to pass through the Hassayampa River basin in order to get to Whispering Ranch. Whenever we have heavy rains that river runs and you are either stuck at home or can't reach home. They're working on fixing this, but they haven't done so as of yet. Now, the major upside is the land is still very inexpensive as compared to the rest of the area. That's primarily because of these drawbacks.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Amazing info, I am so glad I asked the right person! Thank you as always!!!
@@CringePanda you go it!
How do you control the squirrels, I have 6 almond trees and the squirrels took everything off the tree?
The only way we've found to do that effectively is net the tree. Sometimes the squirrels will still get through though. In the past few months we've brought a few barn cats onto the property in the hopes they'll bring that population down for us. Some farmers in Texas suggested it and they have essentially no varmints left on their 5 acre farm.
Pigs are getting so big
Oh man, Eric they are bruisers! This is the most we've had at one time and they definitely act more like a herd. They're friendly, but crazy!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm yeah I can see them taking you out if youre not lookin
I just cutted 70-80cm above the ground my young almonde tree(to shape in open center),I think I made a mistake cause it seems really low.
Do you think this is still ok to have done this cut this low?
I hope it's not gonna result in a weak trunk cause too short..
Any advice?
We typically have our trunks between 75 and 90 cm. Typically closer to 90, but still very close to yours. You should be just fine!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thanks for responding
Hi. Why you guys dont have a dog. Love your presentation
Great question and we're working towards having some type of livestock guardian dog. Up until a couple months ago we had fairly open fencing that would not keep a dog on the property. With our current fencing it's definitely something we're considering.