Fruit trees – All-In Gardening

It’s crazy how life seems to get in the way of what we’re working toward.

Disclaimer: Links within this post are either to my own products, or products I endorse. I may receive a small commission should you make a purchase through an affiliate link, at no extra cost to you. My blog is supported through commissions and sales of my products. Plus, if you like what you read you can show your support by pinning this post, sharing on social media, or buy me a coffee. Thank you for your continued support.

My last post was in September 2023. Has that much time really gone by?

Fast forward and I’ll give you a brief update of life between then and now. New grandbaby, looking after grandbabies while my daughter works toward becoming an RMT, spending a LOT of time designing crochet patterns, having a cabin built, and a very hot and dry summer.

Gardening Oopses

I was quite excited about my greenhouse last spring but it wasn’t as big of a success as it had been in 2023. Even with fans running the veggies didn’t do well, and I ended up with a spider mite infestation. It was quite frustrating to say the least.

I planted potatoes in my new garden spot that had been worked up in 2023 and was so excited about them. The joke was on me because in my haste to plant I didn’t take the location into consideration, and out of 28 hills I don’t think I had enough to fill a 5-gallon bucket. Note to self: do not plant anything next to a weeping birch (or any big tree for that matter) that’s going to require a lot of water. Any water that the potatoes got was sucked up by the tree. Lesson learned.

This year that spot will most likely become a mini wildflower meadow. I need something to attract the pollinators anyway, so it’ll be pretty and practical. I’m looking forward to seeing more flowers than weeds. The flowers won’t care much about the rocks either (and that spot has a lot of them).

I had another spot worked up in October that is out in the open, away from any trees that will take every drop of rain/watering it gets. I’m also happy about the fact there are a lot less rocks than the first patch that was cultivated. I’m sure my potatoes will do much better, and I’m happy to be able to plant peas, beans, corn, sunflowers, etc.

Garden Wins

The rhubarb I started from seed in 2023 did very well. I’m excited for spring because I’ll be able to harvest more than a few stalks. Now that I know how easy it is to grow rhubarb from seed I’ll be adding at least a dozen plants to my trial run of bedding plant sales this year.

I should also get a few asparagus spears this spring. I know I won’t be able to harvest much but even just a few spears for the taste will make me happy. I’m looking forward to when I can get enough to steam for a family meal.

My cherry tree bloomed but I don’t think the bees found it in time because I didn’t get any cherries. The fact that it bloomed was a win for me.

My straw bale gardens did a little better as well. I think they became more conditioned over the winter and I was able to fill one with strawberries and the other with herbs. I’m hopeful the strawberries and some of the herbs survived the winter. Both beds were buried under a lot of snow so I have my fingers crossed.

What I Have Started So Far This Year

I was able to overwinter two citronella plants in my living room and last weekend I took over 20 cuttings from them. I put the cuttings in potting soil and put the tray in a bit plastic bag. They’re all still nice and green so I think I have been successful in getting at least some of them to take root.

I’m attempting garlic in a grow bag. It’s going to be an interesting experiment.

I was also able to get a few Cape Gooseberry and Goji Berry seeds to germinate. (In 2023 I successfully germinated about 10 Goji Berry trees, and of the 10 I believe 7 or 8 made it through the winter. I should get some berries this year.) I’ll be adding a couple to my mini orchard and the rest will be added to my plant sale.

I planted saskatoons, grapes, crabapples, cotoneasters, strawberries (Alpine), and blueberries the same time I planted the gooseberries and Goji Berries but haven’t seen any life yet. It has been a month so my thinking is the seeds should have been given a chilling period. I did put the remainder of the seeds in my freezer so I’ll give them another couple of weeks and try again with a few of each to see if it makes a difference.

I’m also waiting for a couple of banana seeds and a number of passion fruit seeds to germinate. The packages said they can take 1 – 6 months to germinate, which makes me wish I had put them in soil before Christmas. It’ll be fun to have a banana tree again, and with any luck it’ll grow several feet high. I have the space for one now but I may have to invest in a grow light for tall plants as my living room faces north.

Peppers and tomatoes have been put in my aerogardens and will be moved to containers when they are a few inches high. My spare bedroom and office face south so both of those rooms will be full of plants by the time it warms up outside.

Gardening Community

I recently started the Cold-Climate Gardening community on Skool. As of writing I have 5 free memberships still available. (The regular price is $7/month.) Membership gives you access to an increasing number of resources, classes, and other perks. You’ll be able to connect with other gardeners (indoor & outdoor) to share your wins and ask questions. I will be posting in the community regularly and encourage you to join me there.

I started the community so there can be conversations about all types of gardening, and in real time. It’s more interactive than commenting on a blog post and can lead to lifelong friendships. And with the increase in the price of not-so-fresh fruit and vegetables, it’s good to be able to eat produce within minutes of harvesting in a lot of cases.

Wrapping It Up

I have droned on long enough for the moment so I’ll close for now. I’m happy to be back in the game and am excited to share more of my wins with you. You’ll also learn about my oopses (which I’m sure there’ll be a few) and the lessons learned from them (potatoes for instance).

Until next time, happy gardening!

We are finally getting some rain!

I was beginning to lose hope we would get any moisture at all. Last night as I sat out by my fire I watched the clouds filled with rain go around me. It seemed to be raining everywhere but here. It didn’t even smell like rain, which was disheartening in itself.

This morning started out warm and sunny, so I thought for sure the forecast was out to lunch. I took the big dog for a walk across the field because we both needed to get out for a little while. It was warm and sunny while we were out, but started to cloud over shortly after we got back. I still didn’t have any faith we were going to get rain.

I was honestly surprised when the heavier clouds rolled in and the rain began. Our fields are so dry. This will help the fields, pastures, and the gardens. It’ll delay some seeding for a few days, but it will be worth it in the end.

Spring Cleanup

Yesterday afternoon I cleaned out one of the raised beds I didn’t get to before the snow fell, and was surprised to find onion bulbs as firm as they had been during the summer. I planted about 12 little multiplier bulbs last spring, and used the green onion all summer. I even pulled a few and used them.

As I was cleaning the bed, I started uprooting the bulbs…and to my surprise I ended up with 30 of them. As excited as I was, my thought then was “What am I supposed to do with them?”. I’ll be moving in a couple months, so I couldn’t very well just leave them there to grow; especially since I’m disassembling the raised bed so I can take it with me.

The next thing I cleaned out was the self-watering planter I made last summer. It had been filled with herbs, and it worked wonderfully for them. All that’s left in it is the clump of chives, which I decided not to uproot. I decided the onion bulbs could go in with the chives, at least until I figure out where else to put them.

I raked up piles of woodchips and grass, with the hopes of having a bit of a bonfire in the evening. The wind picked up and that was not to be; at least not where my main fire pit is. (I did have a small one in my little screened firebox on the other side of the house though.) Now those said piles are getting a good soaking in the rain, so they won’t burn very well. They may just become mulch in my new yard instead.

Click on the image to be taken to the signup page.

Relocating Trees

I’ve had quite a bit of experience over the years with houseplants, herbs, vegetables, and even soft fruits. My challenge this year, however, is going to be relocating my apple trees. I have to admit, I’m a little worried.

My kids bought them for me two years ago for my birthday, and I planted them: one on the north side of my house, and one on the south. At that point in time I hadn’t even considered moving; I was too distraught with Ross’s passing.

Now here I am, two years later; and trying to figure out the best way to move them so I don’t lose them. Like I said, my experience with moving trees is minimal. I do suppose this will be a learning experience for me.

From what I can tell from my research, the best time to dig them up is before they bud out. I was going to do that this afternoon, but the rain came before I could start. And to be honest, I really have no desire to dig up trees in the pouring rain.

Since my move won’t be until early July, my best option will be to put them in a container. Since the trunks are just a little bigger than an inch, the root ball will have to be no smaller than 18″. My research also tells me if they are in a container, they can be transplanted at any time. (Bare root trees would have to be done when the roots are dormant.)

Something else I learned is the trees should be marked so they face the same direction when planted in their new spot. In all honesty, it’s not something I would have even considered if I had just been “winging it”. It pays to do your research; whether you’re writing an essay or moving trees.

Giving the trees a good soaking before digging them up is essential, so I think Mother Nature has to be thanked for that. Keeping the container watered to avoid stress to the roots is also beneficial. Giving them plenty of room to spread out even while in the container will help lessen the shock when they’re put in the ground again. At least that’s my thought; and hope.

Once they’re placed in the new spot, they’ll have to be staked and watered regularly. Right now both trees are around the 8′ tall mark (give or take) so should be relatively easy to transport in an enclosed trailer. I really don’t want to risk them getting damaged by the wind in the back of the truck, especially since over half of the trip will be at highway speed.

All I can hope for is my trees survive the move. Have you moved trees before?

Tag: Fruit trees

What Happened to 2024?