What did you do in the garden today?

[lazy gardener]

I guess that doesn't concern me much. If I had a load that was... "amended"... I'd just dump those somewhere and let them compost for a year. That would be long enough to break down any pathogens. I can understand that you'd not want to use "amended" leaves in the coop!

 

[lazy gardener]

double post.

 

[dan26552]

Nothing better than fresh tomatoes!

Ain't that the truth. (Well that and fresh homegrown squash

)

How's this for frugal propagation: Last fall, I went door to door, asking for bagged leaves. I hit the jack pot when I noticed a yard that looked promising. Lots and lots of huge trees. Lots of piles of leaves, and some of them bagged. I talked to the lady of the house, and told her I'd take all of her bagged leaves. (7 heaped up truck loads, contractor bags, the last few loads were soaking wet and frozen. The leaves were used in the coop, green house, HK, garden, baby run, orchard, and there are still some left to be dumped. Chickens are getting their fill of sprouted seeds from all those trees. But, one of those bags had a hidden treasure: and it survived the winter, buried in one of those bags: a nub of Peony root with 2 eyes attached. It was slow to get going, but, it's now sprouted, and putting on some growth. I could certainly go buy any colored peony I wanted. Or I could beg, borrow or steal a division from a friend. But... that doesn't compare with the thrill of finding a hidden treasure in a bag of leaves, and waiting patiently for 2 years to see what color it might be! Just my luck, it'll be the same color as the ones I already have!

I almost did that with roses this year, unfortunately I pulled them out of the leaves too soon

 

[chickadoodles]

Lazy gardener that's a great! I hope your new addition will be a new color for you.

All our leaves from 6 acres of the front of our property goes mostly into our chicken coop or stored in a pen to add to the chicken coop.

I am leery to put the leaves in my little orchard. But we go out in the pasture to get pine straw to put around our fruit trees. Is that crazy?

 

[lazy gardener]

No that's not crazy. No more crazy than me hauling wood chips, one WB at a time to cover my little orchard (about 150' x 20') 6" deep to convert that land to BTE. BTW, the trees are loving it. I planted them last summer. The land is marginal for use for anything productive. Heavy clay, lots and lots of rocks, high water table. The wood chips are great at weed suppression, and help to buffer the water situation. I've planted daffodils (reported to repel voles) and garlic around the base of each tree, and plan to plant little clusters of predatory insect and pollinator attractors, here and there. All trees are thriving except for one little Manchurian apricot that hasn't done much since it arrived!

Why do you not want to put leaves in your orchard?

 

[chickadoodles]

No that's not crazy. No more crazy than me hauling wood chips, one WB at a time to cover my little orchard (about 150' x 20') 6" deep to convert that land to BTE. BTW, the trees are loving it. I planted them last summer. The land is marginal for use for anything productive. Heavy clay, lots and lots of rocks, high water table. The wood chips are great at weed suppression, and help to buffer the water situation. I've planted daffodils (reported to repel voles) and garlic around the base of each tree, and plan to plant little clusters of predatory insect and pollinator attractors, here and there. All trees are thriving except for one little Manchurian apricot that hasn't done much since it arrived!

Why do you not want to put leaves in your orchard?

Because we also have a very high water table here it has given most of our oaks a fungus and I don't want to give that to my fruit trees I have worked so hard on.
I have a couple of fruit trees that have not done much since they were planted but at least the plum has produced fruit. The peach has now started some new growth after nearly 6 yrs. of waiting. lol
If I had healthy oaks I would love to put the leaves around my fruit but I am protecting them. We had so many oaks that my husband does not want them treated. He wants them all gone so he will have more grass for the cows to graze. So I have not bothered with them.

*Edited to add: I called a tree specialist last year and he said he could not tell me what the trees had with out coming out to look at them. But I told him when the limbs break off the center of the limbs are bright orange. How many things can make tree limbs turn bright orange in the middle?

 

[lazy gardener]

Because we also have a very high water table here it has given most of our oaks a fungus and I don't want to give that to my fruit trees I have worked so hard on.
I have a couple of fruit trees that have not done much since they were planted but at least the plum has produced fruit. The peach has now started some new growth after nearly 6 yrs. of waiting. lol
If I had healthy oaks I would love to put the leaves around my fruit but I am protecting them. We had so many oaks that my husband does not want them treated. He wants them all gone so he will have more grass for the cows to graze. So I have not bothered with them.

*Edited to add: I called a tree specialist last year and he said he could not tell me what the trees had with out coming out to look at them. But I told him when the limbs break off the center of the limbs are bright orange. How many things can make tree limbs turn bright orange in the middle?

Call your county Ag. extension office. They should have a forestry expert on staff, or on consult who should be able to advise you. Many fungal diseases are species specific. So... based on what the expert says, using those leaves might not be an issue. You could send pics, or even drop off samples.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: I'll call them and see what they say. Thanks.

 

[jerryse]

I have a persimmon graft starting to grow . A seedless type . I had 1 seedling bloom last year and it was a male tree . No blooms this year . So trying to get fruit off of the male tree .

 

[chickadoodles]

I have a persimmon graft starting to grow . A seedless type . I had 1 seedling bloom last year and it was a male tree . No blooms this year . So trying to get fruit off of the male tree .

Good luck.