Gardening for Old Folks (Adaptative)

[chickadoodles]

Are you talking about the lichens growing on them, or the wounds? Are the wounds on the East side of the trees? Do you get ground freeze in the winter? Putting general location in your profile would help here! Trees in cold climates are prone to sun scald in late winter where the sun warms the trees, gets the sap flowing, then sudden return to freezing weather traps the sap in the trunk, splitting the cambium. First wound looks like trauma caused by tree being hit with something.


Lg I live in central Al. And the trees did not go dormant before the first freeze last year.
Dh probably hit the trunk with the mower and weed eater.
Some of the branches are soft and the rest are dying fast.
The bottom of one tree is pretty bad but the upper of the other is cracked very bad. I did not see these cracks a couple weeks ago. So not sure what's happened.


Sharron, there is certainly no reason not to down size as we get older. Sooner or later, I will also have to do so, and when I do, flower beds will be the first to either go, or be repurposed. Perhaps i will down size the veggie garden, and repurpose flower beds to grow edible ornamentals. Have you considered doing deep mulch in both flower and veggie gardens, and even moving your beloved iris into the garden? Ruth Stout often grew iris right in with her potatoes in a deep hay mulch.

 

[lazy gardener]

Hmmm. My diagnosis: your trees are dying!!! I recommend that you cull them. Decapitation is the most painless and quickest method.

 

[chickadoodles]

Hmmm. My diagnosis: your trees are dying!!! I recommend that you cull them. Decapitation is the most painless and quickest method.

Thanks Lg. Will do.

 

[sharron]

Are you talking about the lichens growing on them, or the wounds? Are the wounds on the East side of the trees? Do you get ground freeze in the winter? Putting general location in your profile would help here! Trees in cold climates are prone to sun scald in late winter where the sun warms the trees, gets the sap flowing, then sudden return to freezing weather traps the sap in the trunk, splitting the cambium. First wound looks like trauma caused by tree being hit with something.



Sharron, there is certainly no reason not to down size as we get older. Sooner or later, I will also have to do so, and when I do, flower beds will be the first to either go, or be repurposed. Perhaps i will down size the veggie garden, and repurpose flower beds to grow edible ornamentals. Have you considered doing deep mulch in both flower and veggie gardens, and even moving your beloved iris into the garden? Ruth Stout often grew iris right in with her potatoes in a deep hay mulch.

getting old sure isn't for sissy's thats for sure, i find that as i get older i can't do like even the previous year, i've always had a bad back and now to have to give up playing in the dirt is hurting, husband does the hard work for me, hes a good man, even helps me can so with his help, going to try to keep going as long as i can, guess i was just feeling sorry for myself

 

[sharron]

Thanks Lg. Will do.

thats what i also found out, lichens grow on dying trees

 

[chickadoodles]

thats what i also found out, lichens grow on dying trees

Thank you. I guess I had misunderstood them. Sorry. Someone told me several years ago that something growing on one of my trees was a sign of a healthy tree. I cannot recall what it was.

 

[cavemanrich]

Thank you. I guess I had misunderstood them. Sorry. Someone told me several years ago that something growing on one of my trees was a sign of a healthy tree. I cannot recall what it was.

Fruit,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[chickadoodles]

Fruit,,,,,,,,,,,,

ya that was it!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

getting old sure isn't for sissy's thats for sure, i find that as i get older i can't do like even the previous year, i've always had a bad back and now to have to give up playing in the dirt is hurting, husband does the hard work for me, hes a good man, even helps me can so with his help, going to try to keep going as long as i can, guess i was just feeling sorry for myself

You don't have to totally give up. I have 2 replaced shoulders, a replaced knee, the other one needs doing and a really bad back (all from farming mostly). My raised boxes have been a pleasure to grow in. I recommend growing in raised planters or boxes that come up to your waist. It's so simple once you have them and they are filled. I cannot garden on the ground without assistance anymore. Now I can do all my vegetable gardening, and it's actually fun again.

 

[sharron]

Fruit,,,,,,,,,,,,