Today in the orchard
More topworking today - mostly onto seedings that have managed to appear in the tree rows up at Finley Lane. They seem to know that if they sprout in the rows there’s a decent chance they’ll be allowed to stay. They make good rootstock. It was Skylar’s first time topworking. We’ll let you know in a couple of weeks how she did.
Hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides) May 11, 2025
Later in the afternoon Laura and I sprayed our first ‘Holistic Spray’ of the year. The spray is designed to nourish the trees and boost their immune systems as they begin to grow in the spring. The theory is that these ‘health aids’ enable the trees to coexist with insects and disease. The spray includes liquid fish, liquid kelp, EM1(fermented microbes), Neem Oil, Karanja Oil, Molasses and Dipel. Spraying gives me another chance to get out into the orchard and listen to the trees as they begin to wake up after their long winter slumber.
The Maine blackflies have been here for a week or so. It’s been a robust season this year. They breed in running water, and there’s been plenty of that. So far I’ve resisted wearing a bug net. The Hobblebush is in bloom. We see it all over the farm.
