Growing trees is a long term deal. That the apple tree planted today needs to be cared for and looked after before it produces fruit for us. Fig trees, while they usually bear fruit sooner than most fruits, require this same care. Here in the Northeast we are right on the outer edge of most […]
Fig Tree Basics
Figs often get a bad wrap. It must be a combination of fig newtons (yuck) and the fact that most people have never tasted a fresh fig. Trust me fig newtons don’t hold a candle to a tree ripened fig! Fig trees will grow in the southern half of the country without much winter care, […]
Why aren’t my fruit trees producing fruit? And how to fix it!
So you planted a few fruit trees and for some reason you still haven’t gotten any fruit, what gives? Fruit trees have many benefits and uses: enhancing the beauty of the landscape, bird habit, pollen sources for bees, above all and probably why you planted them in the first place is the potential fruit yield. […]
Fall is Chestnut Season
The Chestnut in America: History and Future A hundred years ago American Chestnuts were the titan of the eastern forest. Trees so big nothing short of the Redwood compares. Trees that made grown men look like toddlers standing in front of. Each fall Chestnuts would cover the forest floor making it difficult to walk without […]
Fall Abundance: Hickory Nuts
Fall in the Northeast is a time of abundance. Unquestionably my favorite season, fall provides a bounty unlike no other. A phrase I’ve heard from a well known naturalist brings fall in the Northeast into perspective, “Beware of Falling Food”. This couldn’t be more true than when we talk about going out and harvesting nuts, […]
Asparagus: Planting, Harvest, and Maintenance
Asparagus is one of those polarizing vegetables, people seem to love it or hate. I am in the ‘love it’ camp and you should be too! Continue reading for a step by step guide to successful asparagus planting. Done correctly your asparagus beds will reap bountiful spring harvests for decades. Remove Competition Asparagus is perennial […]
Birds in the Orchard
Having birds in your orchard or in your farm fields often leaves farmers and homesteaders uneasy. Gardeners become enraged when they see birds invading their garden they worked so hard on. I used to share the same disdain for birds but over the years my tune has changed. I’ve actually done a complete 180, now […]
Do You Need To Stake Your Fruit Trees?
When people first started asking me about how to stake their fruit trees, my first question back to them was ‘why do you think you need to stake your trees’? I ask to make them think. It’s true, not all fruit trees need to be supported by stakes. Let’s explore the ins and outs of […]