Category: Gardening

Hazelnuts – 2024

The hazelnuts are just starting to form — it looks like we’ve got nuts developing on the newer plants on the north side too. As far as propagating plants, I’ve pretty well established that dropping a woody cutting in willow water doesn’t work. Dropping a green cutting in water doesn’t work. Next, I’m going to try a green cutting in soil and air layering. I’ve found a few places online that say air layering worked … even if it looks a little odd having bundles of soil wrapped around the branches of your shrubbery.

Orchard Progress

Leaves are sprouting on almost all of the trees and bushes! There are two blueberries that might need to be replaced. And one honey berry that I am pretty sure has a leaf sprouting.

But the orchard is getting full — 2 pawpaws, 3 pears, 6 apples (although one still needs to be moved), 3 cherries, 2 peaches, and 1 fig. The third peach needs to be planted after the fig is moved. And I should have a second fig ready to plant this spring from a cutting I took last year. Two currants — the two replacements won’t get here until the end of May! Three honey berries, three seaberries (plus one more to plant this year), three gooseberries, seven raspberries, and ten blueberries (well, somewhere between eight and ten … we’ll know in another week or two!)

2024 Orchard: Filling the Orchard

This is the year we fill the orchard! The plants have started arriving, and hopefully we will be able to get them in the ground this weekend (not looking good, so it will probably be next weekend)

I’ve also got plums, northern almonds, and northern pecans to plant in the pasture area. We’re excited to see what pecans and almonds that can survive USDA Growing Zone 6 taste like!