Today in the orchard
Pumpkin-Melon bed with irrigation and row cover
This morning we completed yesterday’s spraying with a partial tank. Generally 200 gallons does the orchard, but as the trees grow (and we plant more trees) we’re creeping up on needing 250-300 gallons to do the job.
After spraying we prepared and planted 16 hills for pumpkins and melons in the bed where we dug out the nursery trees two years ago. We laid in irrigation lines and covered each hill with row cover to fend off the cucumber beetles.
We also planted fifty apple seedlings that I started this past winter. I’m hoping one of them will be the next Honeycrisp. (Roll over University of Minnesota!) We also planted about two dozen “Strike Anywhere” peppers. Strike Anywhere is a small hot pepper that we’ve been selecting and growing on the farm for a few decades. Not a household word, but a great, hardy, prolific addition to your next spicy meal. Strike Anywhere!
