The Coldening

Well, it's really not supposed to be this temperature here right now.

what in tarnation

And I'd like to register an official complaint, plsthx. We've spent the last 20something years in Florida and we are Not Ready for this yet.

So, the newly arrived chestnut trees (and mulberries, and crabapples, and figs) are hanging out in the barn until this madness ceases.

chestnut seedlings

crabapple trees and a barn that needs organization

This gives us a few days to finish digging TWO HUNDRED holes though, and then a flurry of planting, installing tree tubes (only 24" tall), and setting up the electric fence. Lots of critters enjoy chestnut trees, even before they start to make nuts, so vigilance - and electricity - will be required.

And then (in about ten years) the back 6 acres will look like this:

chestnut tree orchard

Can't. Wait.

The crabapples are an early flowering variety called Prairie Fire:

prairie fire crabapple tree

And a late flowering variety called Harvest Gold:

harvest gold crabapple tree

The majority of our fruit trees will be height pruned at about 7 feet - to avoid spending quite so much time on a ladder during harvest season, yes - but these lovely pollinators will be planted along the east edge of the orchard and allowed to get as tall as they like. Which will be glorious in the spring!

The mulberry trees are dwarf Black Fruiting:

black fruiting mulberry tree

We're starting with two of these and might add more later.

The fig varieties we'll be growing are Peter's Honey:

peter's honey fig

Beers Black:

beer's black fig

Yellow Long Neck:

yellow long neck fig

And Magnolia:

magnolia fig

2023 is going to be a good year!