Today in the orchard
(This report by Skylar.) On this Fourth of July we continued to weed the young apple trees and to paint their trunks with neem oil. Clearing the grass and other herbaceous plants from around the base of the trees makes it much easier to apply the neem which we let drip down onto the soil around the base.
We saw our very first Monarch of the season today. I’ve been hoping and wondering when I would start seeing them. (Another Monarch fluttered by my window this very minute, as if they’re saying, ‘yes, we’re here!’ That brings my Monarch count up to three. )
A pizza in the making, topped with pesto, mozzarella, and Black Oxford apple slices, July 4, 2025.
Later on the 4th Cammy and John hosted a Fourth of July gathering. We ate and chatted and were merry. And what was the center of our celebration if not the Black Oxford apple? This variety is known as the Fourth of July apple because of its long storage life. The Black Oxfords we celebrated with today have been in the Super Chilly Farm root cellar since last October, over eight months. Although they are slightly spongy and wrinkly, they still make a splendid pizza topping and apple pie, which was how we ended up using them. In the pie they cooked down quite soft while still holding their shape, but the skins were relatively tough and they did not produce much juice on their own at this time of year. Next year we’ll peel the apples first and add a squeeze of lemon juice to bring about a juicier filling.
