Today in the orchard
The digger and the sickle
We continued scything and weeding the orchards. It’s an annual summer ritual that provides us with an opportunity to interact up close and personal with every tree in the orchard.
First we mow a circle around each tree using a straight-snathed, European-type scythe. We then get down on our knees to weed and cultivate around the base of the trees using two elegant, simple tools: a short-bladed sickle and a Korean hand digger. The short-blade on the sickle is stiff enough to cut through any tough weeds, and the elongated, triangular digger is perfect for cultivating as well as for digging out small clumps of weeds. While we’re at it, we snip off any root-sprouts and occasionally do some minor pruning. We examine each trunk for borer infestation and check the tree for fire blight. A single apple tree takes us about 5 minutes. Then on to the next (and the next and the next!)
