I've managed to put some muck around the base of my trees this week. Some people don't like to do this too much as it can encourage leafy growth at the expense of fruit, but while the trees are young and establishing I think it's a good thing. I might add a final mulch of wood chip on top to help keep the weeds at bay around the base of the tree.
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| Half a barrow of muck a tree |
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| How the bridge graft I did in 3013 looks now |
I also looked at the bridge graft I did a couple of years ago when I had a tree ringed barked by rabbits. The tree is still growing well and both of my "bridges" are alive and looking healthy, they've gotten thicker and grown with the tree and the wounds have callused over nicely. Hopefully as the tree grows it will engulf this and in a few years time you won't be able to tell.
Does anyone else mulch their fruit trees with well rotted muck? Do you think it makes any difference?
I will have to get some around mine I will take your advice as you are very successful with fruit trees :-)
ReplyDeleteWell I can grow trees but I haven't seen much fruit off these ones yet!
DeleteWhoa Kev! You a Time Traveller lol?! The best typo this week - 3013!
ReplyDeleteI posted your seeds yesterday, 1st class, using the envelope you sent my seeds in as, the stamp hadn't been franked! How's that for recycling?! Enjoy!
In the distant future I'm still gardening....
DeleteI know a packet I sent to america had two stamps on that hadn't been franked as well! Made it very cheap to send!
Kev, that graft looks great! Although I don't comment often, I read your blog every day and I love seeing what you get up to with your wee girls underfoot! You're doing an amazing job - it's fantastic to see you embrace your home manager role (not to mention being home with your lovely girls).
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see your garden in full flush this year - you've done so much over the last few years...
Thanks for your comment, it means a lot! I feel a bit lost if I haven't got my girls with me to be honest!
DeleteI'm looking forward to seeing the garden all growing as well, just hope I keep on top of it! So easy to let it slip.
Hey Kev, How about a wire mesh cage or even some 4 inch PVC tubing split in half and bound around the base of the trees to keep the mice and rabbits from barking the trees? Might have to change it every few years as the tree grows but they might stand a better chance.
ReplyDeleteThese have tree guards on but in 2012 we had lots of snow and the rabbits could reach over it! I've put extra guards on them now so they should be alright.
DeleteYes Kev. I also feed my fruit trees. We feed the veg wit muck, so why not the fruit?
ReplyDeleteYep, that makes sense! I think alot of people forget to do it though.
DeleteWe here are big fans of muck, especially the well rotted cow manure, horse manure, chicken manure kind. The older and more rotted (mixed with straw and old hay) the better. We don't use many wood chips through around our fruit trees, too high in carbon we have discovered.
ReplyDeleteThis si two year old horse much but it has quite a bit of straw in it. It should work well as a mulch. As for the wood chip I thought that about it taking goodness out of the soil to rot down but long term I think it adds to the soil and it's probably much better than the weeds growing under the tree which is what will probably happen otherwise.
DeleteIs "muck" regular compost or just animal "poop." Donna's comment would seem to indicate it's not regular compost. I don't really get the connection between stuff you put on trees and the thing English say "just mucking about." If that expression is vulgar delete this comment.
ReplyDeleteIn this case it's broken down horse poo. I guess the phrase came from mucking out animals and then you'd mess around at the same time to make the job more interesting.
DeleteI generally just use wood chips for my mulch around the trees although a bit of compost is always a good thing too.
ReplyDeleteThe bridge looks really good. I need to learn to do that with all the rabbits we have around here.
The bridge grafting would be a good skill to have in your arsenal, if it meant you could save a productive tree and gain fruit from it that year.
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