Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Frankiegirl]

I got to meet the band Styx today and got to open for them!

WOW!!! MR. Robato…come sail away…babe!! I love that band!

 

[Sally PB]

I got to meet the band Styx today and got to open for them!

OMG!!! How cool is that!!!!

 

[1muttsfan]

Styxx's Paradise Theater. One of the best albums EVER.

I got a Crimson Crisp apple tree 2 years ago and can't wait until it bears fruit - usually it takes at least 3 years to get tree fruits. Orange Pippen Orchard (online) has many different fruit trees, and many of them have rootstock selections for different soil conditions.

 

[Folly's place]

Apples do pretty well, with protection for the trunks for several years. There are some good disease resistant varieties, maybe available only from good nurseries. 'Liberty' is one, and there are more.
We had apricot trees years ago, pick cold tolerant varieties, and really protect them from damage! Here deer stripped all the bark from a couple young trees we planted, and I gave up on them.
Peach trees will grow, and start producing, and unless you are willing to treat them for borers, they die. Early. We gave up on them too.
Pears do well, like apples.
Get the semi-dwarf varieties, easier to manage.
Crabapples are good too, if you like crabapple jelly. 'Dolgo' is the one to get for that.
Birds love the cherries, and will get them first, unless you net the trees. And they are not long-lived, like the apples and pears.
Mary

 

[Sally PB]

Birds love the cherries, and will get them first, unless you net the trees. And they are not long-lived, like the apples and pears.

So I'll have to talk DH into buying another cherry tree every 5 years or so. Dang.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

WOW! I am up so late. I am tired and still coughing and barely able to do it because of teh pain in the rib cage. I would love to get some fruit trees but they atract bees and I am allergic to them. I really do not eat fruits and the ones I eat, cannot plant up here like bananas and avocados. I think I have a no good blueberry small tree and another small raspberry. I do like raspberries and blueberries but only a mouthfull a year,lol I have blueberries frozen from 2 years ago and they chicks are enjoying them as well as frozen watermelon. Odd, today I thought they will not eat the left over white rice which is was very little but will eat the apple. Opposite to my belief. They eat the rice and teh apple,lol
Here are some pictures of the run as it is coming out. Still working at all of it. Need to re-inforce some areas. Thought about tying the hardware cloth with wire but it will be easier to put a piece of wood and screw it all to it. so far over 400 washers and still need more. It is not like the dreamed run but it is something and the girls are ok running from the old temp run to the new run. I made the kiddy poolinto a dusting bath with all the ingredients and they do not even look at it. They are making holes under the coop. I worry that they will debilitate the under area. I might close it all but then again, if they need to get a shelter, they will not be able to use that area at all. A hard debate in my head on that.

Rachel's doble yolk egg

Store bought egg

Phoebe's mega 62kg egg from yesterday

They have almost killed that rose bush

They like to dirtbathe by the coop apron

This one is for RaZ, First wall accident,lol

Hardwarecloth all around and on the very top chicken wire.

Addition for shadecloth

Rachel and P{hoebe nesting in the mornings Phoebe made me make a special box for her in the bottom of the 3 nesting boxes available.

Phoebe last night

I opened the temp run and is with the new run.


And of course, here is my get in the coop assistant. I barely touch the darn shovel and they make a direct line into the coop,lol
I need to get some nyquill and get in bed. But I wanted to post what I promised yesterday or this morning. I am forgetful,lol I love you all

~Hugs~and~Kisses~

 

[aart]

POURING rain here this am...gonna flood the garage.

 

[SillyChicken]

That means the eggs if any will be tiny, right?

yes they will be smaller than and average size egg, but, seem almost too big to come out of a banty. lol!

 

[SillyChicken]

I planted 2 pear, 2 apple, 1 peach and 1 cherry. The cherry died from the freak late frost this year so they are frost sensitive. The Peach looks ok, though needs watered more. The pears are doing good and the apples got orange rust on them right away and I couldn't find neem oil or fungicide to save my life when I needed it. So - my recommendations are, learn possible diseases and buy the preventative in advance to have on hand. You should also clean your pruning tools every time you use them, even between trees so you don't transfer diseases etc. Many trees need a different pollinator so plan on buying 2 -3 trees of different varieties or pick self pollinators.

We had a nice rain most of the day today, I took advantage of the wet ground and did a bunch of weeding in the flower gardens.

 

[Sally PB]

Sour cherry trees are "self fruitful" meaning they don't need a pollinator, but they bear more fruit if there are two trees. Sweet cherries do need a pollinator.

I *think* all apple varieties need a pollinator, but that can be a wild apple tree, or a crabapple tree, so I've read.

Hazelnut trees need another variety as a pollinator. I had three several years ago, and they were just starting to bear. Japanese Beetles stripped them bare and killed them.