Spring 2006 In general, the planting of trees appears to be the most successful activity of 2006. This includes the planting of the 5 trees that comprise the current orchard:

• hardired nectarine
• september wonder fuji apple
• intrepid peach
• gala apple
• unknown semi-drawf apple of unknown age, rescued from a construction site

They are all planted in a 50-50 mixture of sand and garden dirt from home depot. Although they are all sticks at the moment, with the largest diameter (gala apple) barely an inch, they have 2 ft diameter planting holes. There is much written about not making container plants out of your trees by amending the hole and thus having roots not spread out into the surrounding areas... on the other hand, it did not seem reasonable to have the trees planted in straight sand.

Since the sand leaches nutrients with its extreamly rappid draining, all are fed with a 50% solution of miracle grow every other week. Not organic, by any means, but we will be moving in that direction.

Summer 2006 Trees were watered every 4 or 5 days during the brunt of the summer heat (temps around 105*F), and fed twice a month with half strength miracle grow. I don't know about other people, but I know gardeners believe in miracles - the little sticks I planted in the spring grew to look like little trees by the end of summer.

Fall 2006 As of November 4th, a ring one shovel deep and one shovel wide has been dug around the Nectarine - ditch to be amended and daffodils, crocus, and reticulated or dutch irises (depending on what kinds I have more of) will be planted there in. The purpose being two fold - (1) to have pretty things to look at in the Spring and (2) to have a ring of fertile soil for the roots of the tree to reach out to.   Con't.

KMom246@yahoo.com

The Orchard - Early Spring 2006
You might note there are more than 4 bare root trees there - the pecans did not survive my neglect.

Intrepid Peach - Summer 2006
She lives, she lives!

Intrepid Peach - Late Summer 2006
Wow - she is even starting to look like a tree!
  Con't.