What did you do in the garden today?

[WthrLady]

If you have trouble with little rain, willow is not really a tree you want to plant, they need water, lots of it

NOT ONLY are we in our 4th year of extreme drought, but I am on the very top of the highest hill in the county. Heck, our well for the house is 450 feet deep. Despite all that, willows do REALLY REALLY well on this hill, which is SO weird. I think there are several springs we never see flowing but are kept moist by the back pressure of the local aquifer and the massive state lake below us. WIllows are EXTREMELY efficient at finding and using water. I love them.

My property is shaped like a giant 3 sided bowl. Two willows are in the pasture and take the runoff from the upper hill- one at the bottom of the bowl is the largest almost 20 feet tall and 15 ft through the crown and 8 years old.Then another about 100 yards uphill-is still just a three year old baby, but about 12 feet tall and about 8 across at the crown. One is just below the shop where water from both the upper hill and the two downspouts from the shop drain. She's 12 years old and tall and skinny, and I THINK she's a globe willow and not a weeper. The newest takes all the rain flow from the back of the house, the lower driveway, irrigation, downspouts and upper hill. It'll be fine, but thank you.

Even more important, willows and oaks take the WIND issue we have here.

I'm more worried about the D*&) deer, which is why it is caged. I should build a rack around it so the chickens can get in there, a this week project I think.

 

[igorsMistress]

 

[Sylvester017]

MOTHERS DAY

 

[akroberts1085]

MOTHERS DAY

Adorable and thank you.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I grew up with weeping willows and love them. I've planted 3 of them next to our pond over the past 4 years. All of them died within 6 months due to our annual summer drought during July - September. I finally gave up trying...

 

[jerryse]

Planted the new trees yesterday. Checked the bird nest above the door. One chick getting feathers and 3 dud eggs. Wrens building a nest in the birdhouse. I see 2 rabbits around sometimes. A love hate relationship. I love seeing them and hate them in the garden.

 

[Rick589]

I grew up with weeping willows and love them. I've planted 3 of them next to our pond over the past 4 years. All of them died within 6 months due to our annual summer drought during July - September. I finally gave up trying...

Interestingly enough we have a neighbor, both of us have sandy soil and are in the middle of what once was a working farm with no water source near the surface, who planted a weeping willow decades ago. I had the same misgivings about it not being near a water source but it has survived and thrived for at least 30 years.

 

[Rick589]

So, any suggestions on a irresistible bunny treat to convince them into a live trap? They are rapidly reaching the end of my grace period and lethal solutions are being staged (bullets).

 

[WthrLady]

So, any suggestions on a irresistible bunny treat to convince them into a live trap? They are rapidly reaching the end of my grace period and lethal solutions are being staged (bullets).

I trap on trail. Figure out their common path, put the trap there. I use rabbit bags and a snare closure, not a live shut trap. (The bag is a live trap though, closes via snare) Best bait for a bunny is greens, but am guessing he has plenty of those in the garden to, so you have competition. TBH, in the garden, I use the .22

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

NOT ONLY are we in our 4th year of extreme drought, but I am on the very top of the highest hill in the county. Heck, our well for the house is 450 feet deep. Despite all that, willows do REALLY REALLY well on this hill, which is SO weird. I think there are several springs we never see flowing but are kept moist by the back pressure of the local aquifer and the massive state lake below us. WIllows are EXTREMELY efficient at finding and using water. I love them.

My property is shaped like a giant 3 sided bowl. Two willows are in the pasture and take the runoff from the upper hill- one at the bottom of the bowl is the largest almost 20 feet tall and 15 ft through the crown and 8 years old.Then another about 100 yards uphill-is still just a three year old baby, but about 12 feet tall and about 8 across at the crown. One is just below the shop where water from both the upper hill and the two downspouts from the shop drain. She's 12 years old and tall and skinny, and I THINK she's a globe willow and not a weeper. The newest takes all the rain flow from the back of the house, the lower driveway, irrigation, downspouts and upper hill. It'll be fine, but thank you.

Even more important, willows and oaks take the WIND issue we have here.

I'm more worried about the D*&) deer, which is why it is caged. I should build a rack around it so the chickens can get in there, a this week project I think.

I planted 2 willows years ago but the wild rabbits chewed them off at the base. Never tried again.