Replacing my orchard
- Thread starter bj4271
- Start date
Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2005
- Messages
- 15,188
- Reaction score
- 1,207
I feel your pain Bruce and wish you sucess in getting it replanted ASAP.
Thanks Richard,
Yesterday, I dug up the only trees that weren't buried - a Chenango strawberry apple, a cinnamon spice apple & 2 Russian Mulberry. The temp was grueling@ 99+. It used to be that low temps like that didn't bother me, but old age has set in!
How's the weather around the lake? It's got to be better than here. Up until a week ago it had rained so much you couldn't get around the property without rutting it up. We set quite a few records. The rain ruined the wild muscadine crop, IMHO. They dropped too soon.
Now, a week later, it was like digging in concrete - good old Louisiana clay. All dried out & cracked.
Yesterday, I dug up the only trees that weren't buried - a Chenango strawberry apple, a cinnamon spice apple & 2 Russian Mulberry. The temp was grueling@ 99+. It used to be that low temps like that didn't bother me, but old age has set in!
How's the weather around the lake? It's got to be better than here. Up until a week ago it had rained so much you couldn't get around the property without rutting it up. We set quite a few records. The rain ruined the wild muscadine crop, IMHO. They dropped too soon.
Now, a week later, it was like digging in concrete - good old Louisiana clay. All dried out & cracked.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2005
- Messages
- 15,188
- Reaction score
- 1,207
The weather has been pretty eratic, but in general very pleasant. June saw a few 100 deg days, but only in the 80's and low 90's in July. So far August has been mid 80's average. Yesterday was a bit warm at 95 and high humidity, but predicting low 70's later this week. July had almost 10 inches of rain, but only about 1/2 inch so far in August!
NorthernWinos
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2005
- Messages
- 5,933
- Reaction score
- 8
bj...that is just crushing.....So sad to have all that time, money and love destroyed. At least you were at work and not out there hugging your trees and have your heart broke before your eyes.
Hope you get re-planted soon??? Will you plant anything different...or the same??????
Hope you get re-planted soon??? Will you plant anything different...or the same??????
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2005
- Messages
- 15,188
- Reaction score
- 1,207
Did you get your orchard and vines moved or replanted yet? How is the weather there?
Hi Richard,
Bit by bit I've been planting - last fall & this spring. I've got about a dozen various grapes (mostly table) & maybe 20 muscadine, and about 10 blueberry & a dozen or so raspberry. Close to 20 fruit trees. Amazingly, everything is budding out & some are fruiting already.
The problem is finding a place to put anything. I was planning to use a large open area near my pond, but the wife gave an old trailer sitting there, to a nephew & he hasn't moved it out yet (it will have to go out right thru the middle of the open area). I've lost last fall & this spring planting seasons there.
I've been squeezing stuff in whereever I can find space - inbetween oak trees, in 25 gal planters(the mini-dwf apples), between other plants on the pond's edge, etc. I've had to stick with dwarf or smaller until I can free up a larger space like I had originally.
They finally got around to restoring the ground by the original orchard. By restoring, they filled in the mud pit last year but never did the finish work. They just last week bulldozed it, but it's still rough. They haven't reconnected my water/elec lines they cut so there would be no irrigation there. Even when they fix it, I don't knowif I want to try starting there again. Who knows, they might want to drill a fourth time!
AS for the weather, last week I planted tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Night before last, I was covering them with blankets because we were getting a frost. Other than the one frost, it's usually in the 60s or 70s; spring rains have eased, just gorgeous - like spring in NY. In a couple of weeks it will start to get in the 80s, & bymid-May in the 90s.
I see you can finally see dirt up there - it's abeautiful time of year in that area.
Bit by bit I've been planting - last fall & this spring. I've got about a dozen various grapes (mostly table) & maybe 20 muscadine, and about 10 blueberry & a dozen or so raspberry. Close to 20 fruit trees. Amazingly, everything is budding out & some are fruiting already.
The problem is finding a place to put anything. I was planning to use a large open area near my pond, but the wife gave an old trailer sitting there, to a nephew & he hasn't moved it out yet (it will have to go out right thru the middle of the open area). I've lost last fall & this spring planting seasons there.
I've been squeezing stuff in whereever I can find space - inbetween oak trees, in 25 gal planters(the mini-dwf apples), between other plants on the pond's edge, etc. I've had to stick with dwarf or smaller until I can free up a larger space like I had originally.
They finally got around to restoring the ground by the original orchard. By restoring, they filled in the mud pit last year but never did the finish work. They just last week bulldozed it, but it's still rough. They haven't reconnected my water/elec lines they cut so there would be no irrigation there. Even when they fix it, I don't knowif I want to try starting there again. Who knows, they might want to drill a fourth time!
AS for the weather, last week I planted tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Night before last, I was covering them with blankets because we were getting a frost. Other than the one frost, it's usually in the 60s or 70s; spring rains have eased, just gorgeous - like spring in NY. In a couple of weeks it will start to get in the 80s, & bymid-May in the 90s.
I see you can finally see dirt up there - it's abeautiful time of year in that area.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2005
- Messages
- 15,188
- Reaction score
- 1,207
I am so glad you are at least getting some of your plants and trees back in the ground. I can't imagine planting an orchard or garden and having someone decide they want to rip it out to get some oil or who know what out of the ground. Our weather is getting better by the day- you can't complain about this week at all other than it has been getting a bit below freezing at night. Today it had robin's egg blue skies and 65 degrees this afternoon. It is still 55 degrees outside and feels wonderful. I saw 8 deer this afternoon/early evening. It's fun watching them this time of year- they are so hungry. I pruned some more grapes and actually got bitten by several mosquitos!
Keep a positive thought and get everything planted you can.
Keep a positive thought and get everything planted you can.
The last 3 mini-dwf apples arrived hesterday. I'm planting them in the 25 gal pots I had bought to transplant the orchard & putting them in my front yard for now.
I had planned on everything being fully producing by the time I retired in 2010. I'd be able to sit out in a lawn chair with a good cigar, a great glass of wine & watch my fruit grow. Oh well!
I had planned on everything being fully producing by the time I retired in 2010. I'd be able to sit out in a lawn chair with a good cigar, a great glass of wine & watch my fruit grow. Oh well!
An update.
What's that line from a song: "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all!"
When they dug the large mud pit that destroyed my orchard, they had cut though the 1.25" water line & elec lines to the well I use for irrigating the property. They were supposed to replace the line when they were done. Because they took so long I crossed the irrigation pipes with the municipal system we're hooked up to for emergencies (very expensive) so I could irrigate.
They finally came out, 6 months late, and replaced the elec lines with some that were a 12 ga 3-wire line (mine were 8 ga 4-wire) and it didn't reach the end of the line they had cut anyway.
AS if that weren't bad enough, they never notified me were working on the lines (so I didn't know to cut off the muni. water), they connected the PVC from where they originally cut it all the way to the well shed (about 450'). In the well shed, for some reason I can't fathom, they disconnected the air tank & plumbing from it to the well. That left water running full force for days until I noticed it by accident. Who connects water line with the water running full force through it???
With no irrigation because of the water running full force into the dirt 1500' away from my plantings, I've lost all the raspberry/Blk rasp, several fruit trees, 3 grape vines, 8 muscadine vines, 150 strawberry plants, 3 huckleberry, 2 Hnasen's cherry, and 9 blueberry. No to mention the decorative plants.
Are we having fun yet? Actually, where I was depressed last year, now it's just getting funnier & funnier. I know that makes me weird.
The gas exploration people actually felt bad & asked me to get the lines replaced correctly & bill them. 2 days later I had a functional well & will have a backup well going this weekend. All the free water I could want for irrigation (just have to worry about the cost of elec for the pumps & they're 220V).
Other good news, while it's been so dry & hot, the wild muscadine crop looks pretty bad, I actually have muscadine on a few of the vines I planted in Nov. Not enough to make anything, but a promising sight nonetheless.
What's that line from a song: "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all!"
When they dug the large mud pit that destroyed my orchard, they had cut though the 1.25" water line & elec lines to the well I use for irrigating the property. They were supposed to replace the line when they were done. Because they took so long I crossed the irrigation pipes with the municipal system we're hooked up to for emergencies (very expensive) so I could irrigate.
They finally came out, 6 months late, and replaced the elec lines with some that were a 12 ga 3-wire line (mine were 8 ga 4-wire) and it didn't reach the end of the line they had cut anyway.
AS if that weren't bad enough, they never notified me were working on the lines (so I didn't know to cut off the muni. water), they connected the PVC from where they originally cut it all the way to the well shed (about 450'). In the well shed, for some reason I can't fathom, they disconnected the air tank & plumbing from it to the well. That left water running full force for days until I noticed it by accident. Who connects water line with the water running full force through it???
With no irrigation because of the water running full force into the dirt 1500' away from my plantings, I've lost all the raspberry/Blk rasp, several fruit trees, 3 grape vines, 8 muscadine vines, 150 strawberry plants, 3 huckleberry, 2 Hnasen's cherry, and 9 blueberry. No to mention the decorative plants.
Are we having fun yet? Actually, where I was depressed last year, now it's just getting funnier & funnier. I know that makes me weird.
The gas exploration people actually felt bad & asked me to get the lines replaced correctly & bill them. 2 days later I had a functional well & will have a backup well going this weekend. All the free water I could want for irrigation (just have to worry about the cost of elec for the pumps & they're 220V).
Other good news, while it's been so dry & hot, the wild muscadine crop looks pretty bad, I actually have muscadine on a few of the vines I planted in Nov. Not enough to make anything, but a promising sight nonetheless.
NorthernWinos
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2005
- Messages
- 5,933
- Reaction score
- 8
That's a real crock of bad luck...
I would try to get all those plants replaced as well....Then there is the year's growing season that's lost too..
Hope you find lots of wild fruits to make up for some of your losses.....
I would try to get all those plants replaced as well....Then there is the year's growing season that's lost too..
Hope you find lots of wild fruits to make up for some of your losses.....
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2005
- Messages
- 15,188
- Reaction score
- 1,207
I think those folks have it in for you ther bj. Maybe there is the Motherlode there under you and they are trying to get you to just plain leave.
NW & Rich it just gets funnier & funnier or is it worser & worser. Walking around the pond I found 5 out of 6 cherry trees died (must have been while there was no irrigation) that weren't in myprev. count.
Actually, I got them to pay a small fortune for destroying my orchard. I figured to get 6-7 year old trees from one internet source, charged for them at $170+ ea& then someone on the forum told me about Bob Wells Nursery where I can get most of the same trees for less than $35.
At least this year wasn't a total loss, I'm seeing which plants can survive the summers here.
I've been toying with the idea of replanting where the old orchard was; not that I;ve got irrigation. BUT!!!
Recently word leaked out of a new natural gas field found in this area - the largest ever in the US - about 5000' below the two fields they are already tapping. I figure they'll probably be drilling again - they prev. drilled three different times & got6 producing wells 700' behind the house. If I had the mineral rights on all my property(instead of just 5 acres), I'd retire.
Note to everybody - BUY NATURAL GAS COMPANY STOCKs - especially Chesapeake Energy(CPK).Edited by: bj4271
Actually, I got them to pay a small fortune for destroying my orchard. I figured to get 6-7 year old trees from one internet source, charged for them at $170+ ea& then someone on the forum told me about Bob Wells Nursery where I can get most of the same trees for less than $35.
At least this year wasn't a total loss, I'm seeing which plants can survive the summers here.
I've been toying with the idea of replanting where the old orchard was; not that I;ve got irrigation. BUT!!!
Recently word leaked out of a new natural gas field found in this area - the largest ever in the US - about 5000' below the two fields they are already tapping. I figure they'll probably be drilling again - they prev. drilled three different times & got6 producing wells 700' behind the house. If I had the mineral rights on all my property(instead of just 5 acres), I'd retire.
Note to everybody - BUY NATURAL GAS COMPANY STOCKs - especially Chesapeake Energy(CPK).Edited by: bj4271
