Looking back on December '23.
Orchard | Chicken | Salad Garden Updates. And a photo roll :)
Orchard Update
In December of 2022 we planted 27 trees on little over a quarter acre at the farm. As it currently stands, 20 have made it this far. Considering we had multiple single digit temperature days following the planting and the fact that I improperly planted the mulberries, I’m pleased with the 20 that made it.
Here is what I learned:
Grass and weeds will grow up the tree tubes and compete with the tree. Have to watch for that in early spring.
Mulberries should be planted deep enough so that the graft is below ground.
Mulching is critical for moisture control and weed control.
Tree tubes are great! Protected the trees from deer and other critters.
Here is a round-up of what I planted and what survived:
I planted 5 mulberries and only 1 survived (Actually more survived. See below*)
I planted 6 apples and all six are growing and doing well
I planted 4 pears and 3 are still alive
We planted 1 persimmon, 2 peaches, 2 plums, and a male and female melon tree that will be grown as one tree. All survived
I planted 1 crab apple. It's doing well
I planted 2 sumacs and only one made it
I planted 2 figs and only one survived
What Happened with the Mulberries?
“Well, what had happened was” - The scion died off and the rootstock is what I saw growing throughout the year. Let me explain:
Grafting
Grafting is a technique that, according to the NC State Extension, ”can be traced back 4,000 years to ancient China and Mesopotamia.” The technique involves combining two plants of similar variety so that they grow together and become one. There are always two parts involved when grafting. The lower part that has it’s roots in the ground is called the rootstock. The upper part that is grafted onto the rootstock is called the scion.
There are two primary reasons why someone would want to graft one plant onto another.
The first reason is to propagate (or breed) a specific plant whose characteristics you want to preserve or even clone. Some cultivars (varieties) of plants grown from seed, do not reproduce the same characteristics as their parent plant. Apple trees are this way. So let’s say that you have an apple tree in your yard that you love. It’s fruit is really sweet, it’s crisp, and it stays fresh on your counter for weeks. You decide you want more apple trees just like this one. So you harvest some seeds from the apples and you plant them in your yard. When these seedlings mature into trees and bear fruit, you will almost certainly be disappointed to find that its fruit does not have the same characteristics as your favorite and the one you wanted more of. This is where grafting enters the picture. With grafting, you can cut a small limb (the scion) off of the favorite apple tree and ‘graft’ it to another apple tree that will be used for the root system.
The second reason is similar to the first. The scion, or upper part of the grafted plant, is always selected for its fruits or flowers. If you are selecting for specific characteristics in the scion, it makes sense to select for specific characteristics in the rootstock, or lower part of the grafted plant. In this case, you would select a rootstock that has a combination of disease resistance, rapid root development, and drought resistance. In this way, growers can get the best characteristics of both the above ground parts and the below ground parts of the plant.
So, what happened with the mulberries?
The mulberries we bought were the ‘Illinois Everbearing’ variety and the “Wellington” variety. These varieties are known for their juicy, sweet fruit. The plants we bought were grafted onto a variety known for its very hardy and drought tolerant characteristics - the Russian mulberry.
Well when I was checking throughout the year, I saw excellent growth in the mulberries. They grew 4+ feet each. During my November check, I pulled the tree sleeves up a good bit to clean around the base, replenish mulch, and examine the growth more closely. What I noticed was the excellent growth was coming from the rootstock and the scion (upper part) had actually died off. I was really disappointed. I didn’t read the planting instructions where it said to plant the graft union below the ground. This was my mistake. I contacted the nursery where I bought the mulberries and I was asked if I planted them correctly, with the graft below the ground. This surprised me because this is an unusual practice; one usually plants with the graft union above the ground. I was informed that mulberries and medlars are different and should have their union planted below the ground.
After brushing myself off, I decided I’m going to let the Russians live. For now. Russian mulberries, also called White mulberries, do indeed fruit but aren’t that tasty. However, I may attempt to graft onto them in the future. Grafting is a valuable skill I want to learn. If you know how to graft, you can basically plant an orchard for no cost by starting trees from seeds and then grafting the varieties you want onto them. This would take extra time for sure. However, a little here and little there really adds up when you start stacking years. And it helps to remember that these trees will bear fruit that will be eaten by multiple generations.
Garden Update
The fall planted salad greens are still coming along nicely. The area in the first planting that was stunted is finally starting to catch up. I think the added blood meal (nitrogen) amendment is paying off. The second planting of greens are doing well, too. They still aren’t quite yet to cutting height. Garlic and onions are also doing great. They are bedded down with leaf mulch and an extra layer of straw. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the parsley. It was planted last spring and cut back to the ground in september. The idea was to get rid of it but it came back stronger and is still doing well.
Frozen Greens
There have been multiple nights that the garden was left uncovered and temperatures dropped into the mid-twenties. The greens were frozen and droopy in the morning only to be perky and prime for picking in the afternoon. The moral of the story here is that growing year-round is possible as long as you pick plants that are hardy enough to handle your climate and weather. I prefer to keep my plants covered during the colder nights when it dips into the 20s; even the ones that can handle the cold. I think they grow better and it lowers the risk of it getting too cold and really stunting them or even killing them. However, inevitably I forget to cover them or it gets colder than anticipated. In these cases, having the right plants for your fall/winter garden is critical.
Chicken Update
Our little flock of 3 city chickens is still puttering along. (We lost one. Not sure why. RIP chicken.) Here recently I have started fermenting the chicken feed. This is new to me but it seems to be a popular thing on social media. I was convinced to try it after reading about it in Farming Magazine. It’s really simple. You soak your chicken feed for a day or two in water, let it get bubbly and ferment a bit, then feed your chickens. Fermentation happens when microbes turn sugars into other substances. It’s a form of digestion that occurs prior to being ingested. I’ve only started this recently, but so far the chickens are in favor. The feed I am fermenting is a layer pellet. When soaked, it swells and after a day begins to bubble as the microbes eat and do their work. If nothing else, I figure the soaking makes the food more digestible for the birds. I’ll keep you updated should I notice any positive or negative effects.
December Photo Roll
I enjoyed reading about grafting. I just finished the novel “Go as a River” by Shelley Read and it revolves around her family’s peach orchard in Colorado. The trees were planted and grafted by her grandfather and the orchard continues through the generations.
You grafted some lemon trees for a class at AU and brought one home. We kept it in its pot for a while but eventually gave it away. 😞