The ones of my apple trees that survived after planting for several years have finally begun growing good!
It has been the ones that seemed not to grow much, but stayed healthy that survived to do so.
The ones that grew lots the first year got wiped out by grasshoppers late in the year same as the ones that were sickly.
I guess the ones that stayed green but grew little must have spent their energy putting down roots!
My poplar trees down in the gravel pit are sure forming a nice little jungle!
One of my Aspen trees planted last year has begun growing good too, as well as My willow and poplar trees in the wind break.
Trimming down young trees after planting to encourage root formation is good!
If dormant I prune heavily when planting, otherwise I prune them a bit lighter.
Mcintosh buds popped today! Just waiting on Granny's now heheh
Where do you live Drew that you get apple blooms this late in the season?,,,or is it the variety's?
My Thieves Poplar tree has grown about a foot in just the last 3 or so days! :D
oh I do not mean blossoms, just waiting on fruit spurs! But yes, most of my apples are late season, they are the best keepers! I am in Mass just south of Boston.
They have been hard on the apple trees again! :(
My poplar trees/willow/aspen that did good this year have been some real troopers against the grasshoppers though! :)
I hope to take cuttings of my Thieves Poplar Tree this fall after it goes dormant, I plan to put them in the area where I tried to put my bog garden this year, it definitely didn't stay wet enough for that!
There is a strain of BT that will take care of grasshoppers.
Bacillus thuringiensis. it is a naturally occouring form of bacteria with several strains that target only specific pests. I am not sure which strain is for grasshoppers. But I am pretty sure it must be eaten by the pest in the larval stage.
But grasshoppers hatch out of eggs in a non larval stage I believe, Hopefully this will be something new to try! :)
I have had somewhat good luck with Nausema Locastea (sp), which may be to work similar to that, only with a fungus.
oddly I can not find the information I saw before anywhere... I do not think I made it up... >.>
I poured some of the rainwater from the collection buckets on the apple trees and other trees doing poorly, the rain water helps them so much more than the water from my well!,,,Not that the water from my well is poor water to put on plants, it's rich in minerals and has no chlorine, but you just can't beat rain water! :D
Yep, rain water is best. Unfortunatly we have been getting rain for 4 days now... 5inches so far... my whole property is on a gradual slope, sooooo much run-off... I shouldn't be worried about the young trees but I am! ^^;;
The slope making run-off should help,,,unless it's putting more water on them, in stead of draining it off.
I know what to do to help trees get more rain water, and conserve rain water,,,,plant trees so they are left with the soil around them is below the rest of the soil so the rain doesn't escape by run-off, and put down organic mulch covered with stone mulch,,,,but too much rain is harder to take care of, it would be practically impossible to make good drainage for entire trees, perhaps having planted the tree with the soil around the tree above the rest of the ground so it would shed the water might help, but for existing trees maybe putting in a water retaining wall of dirt on the upper side of the tree to divert the water away from the tree would help, though it would just wash away if you did it while it rains, a stone wall of landscape bricks, the kind you can curve around while having them fit tightly would help the extra water be diverted while helping a decent amount to soak in by slowing it down.
Yea, the trees have a 6' circle of topsoil cut out around them which sits about 2 inches lower than the grassline, mulched with salt marsh hay. It was just way way too much rain heheh. I would not have worried at all but these trees inparticular were planted only a couple months ago... ah well, time will tell.
