Re: leaf mulch
This is an interesting thread for a lot of reasons. Of the many different rabbit holes I've gone this year - compost and biochar are two of them. I have to agree with Todd that all too often you see...
View ArticleRe: cover cropping for new orchard section?
I'm in the process of replanting an orchard and also have the opportunity to take a little extra time to build soil health. This is what I've done so far (I've referenced Michael's books to get...
View ArticleRe: leaf mulch
My bigger point form the previous post is that we need to be thinking of not only of the orchard floor, the mulch or composts we use, but also the layers and the edges at all levels - which is where...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
I think this is a wise approach. Please see my post from today in Leaf Mulch. I would suggest taking some soil tests for both chemical/mineral and soil food web test to follow the changes. You can...
View ArticleNY Times article on social life of forest
[www.nytimes.com]article last week in NYT on research into how trees interact in the soil, much as Michael has written about in his book about the topic. Just a lovely summary of one woman's research...
View ArticleRe: NY Times article on social life of forest
I assume this is the article about Suzanne Simard. She has been studying the subject that began 30 some odd years ago into the underground world (and a killer story that begins it all). I found her in...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
To take this a step further, we are thinking about inoculating wood chip mulch strips that we have in the orchard with culinary mushrooms. We're pondering if a woodchip/pomace mulch would support...
View ArticleRe: cover cropping for new orchard section?
We slaughtered the pigs at the end of November and seriously contemplated getting in there with the rototiller to get down some cover crop seed but I just didn't have the heart...seems like since that...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
Molly,Great to see your post, as one of my favorite future schemes is using pomace to grow mushrooms! Or more probably, selling the pomace very cheaply to local mushroom growers as a substrate. My...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
That is so cool is hear! I can't wait for pressing season now!We also have to spray more sulfur than we like but were thinking about it in sections where we are not spraying sulfur yet (where the...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
One of our orchardists expressed a concern about disease load in the pommace- referring specifically to our main struggle with Anthracnose (maritime western WA). My thoughts were that through vigorous...
View ArticleRe: Profitable understory plants
At the Finnriver orchard we are looking to install alliums and daffodils to deter vole activity in the tree rows, in addition to a bit of comfrey, various tea herbs/perennial medicinals like mints and...
View ArticleRe: Understory Species for High Density Plantings
We are aiming at the daffodil and allium tree row planting with mints and comfrey and yarrow also in the list. we have usually identified the yellow dock as a target species for removal but have...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
That is definitely something to think about. I would think the reasoning behind throwing down compost over fallen leaves to help degrade them as quickly as possible as a technique against scab would...
View ArticleRe: cover cropping for new orchard section?
My main regret so far is that as did not take the extra year for the cover cropping in our community orchard that Jacob and virtually every orchard reference we have described. We did till in a couple...
View Articlescythe recommendations
Any advice on what scythe to buy for understory orchard management?Looking for a nice traditional wooden scythe that is well made that will last, not something I trust amazon to deliver for...
View ArticleRe: scythe recommendations
Hello Martin, and welcome to the forum.There are two suppliers that both specialise in European scythes. I got mine from Scythe Works [scytheworks.ca] A US based, and sponsor of the forum, is Scythe...
View ArticleRe: Understory Species for High Density Plantings
Hello all!I will add more species I have tried in my understory. French Tarragon competes very well with cool season grasses. I have some purple cone flower, rhubarb, Beebalm, and mint in wetter...
View ArticleRe: cover cropping for new orchard section?
I'm just starting the process of improving a long-neglected field for a future orchard section. This summer, had a bunch of largish tree stumps removed and planned to sow a sequence of covers over the...
View ArticleCover crops for...established orchards
When I read about cover crops in orchards, it is often in the context of establishing and orchard, i.e., prior to fruit tree planting. What are your best on-going practices for orchards with already...
View ArticleRe: Cover crops for...established orchards
I'm just beginning an understory cover crop rotation in established plantings too. All my trees have been planted within the last 5 years, though, so they're still young. And I was in a hurry to get...
View ArticleRe: Cover crops for...established orchards
My experience has been that well-established semi-dwarf and standard trees (at least 5-15 years old depending on site and seedling vigor) do best without cropping or disturbing the soil and with the...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
Thanks to all for the comments!As Andrew mentions, the main concern with simply spreading fresh pomace is the potential to increase the presence of undesirable spores or other pests in the orchard...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
Following up on this thread I'd like to let readers know that I will finally be following up on Mike's suggestion to do some comparative testing of the soil web in areas where I have tried the pomace...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
Hi Steve,We do have some mushroom updates, but not specifically with pomace yet. We wanted to try our hands at just growing mushrooms in an outdoor substrate situation first before adding too many...
View ArticleRe: cover cropping for new orchard section?
Hello,Have some updates on our understory cover cropping experiments this year. The area that we were able to broad fork in the fall on 2020 was quite nice to start planting into this past spring. We...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
Molly,Thank you so much for that very encouraging mushroom update! You mentioned that the areas you've had success in growing them didn't receive any sprays, and I know at some point in this long-term...
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
Right on! Yes, I think timing of sprays is key. We didn't even inoculate until May, well past any dormant sprays.
View ArticleRe: Pomace as understory mulch
Just a suggestion as this topic within a topic continues to build up a head of steam. Pomace prospects for edible mushroom cultivation seemed slim to none to me compared to 'decomposing raised beds'...
View ArticleRe: Rampant Poison Ivy
On our property with relatively sandy soil, I have had no problem pulling the poison ivy and the roots in the dormant season. I have low sensitivity to PI, and attacking it when the leaves are off...
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