Older Nursery Rows

This is what the nursery rows look like after a few years. Hundreds upon hundreds of trees are there. If I had to guess there are probably 500 plus different varieties. And that is a conservative guess.

How Bizarre

Look at this. This is a pear. Can you believe that long, narrow leaf shape. It looks like a willow. Just by chance I saw it in one the nursery rows. The leafs appear healthy and fully open. Also, I recall a fuzzy texture to them. The variety is Penouka. This is but one example of the amazing genetic diversity that is represented in Nick's orchard.

Cool Tool

This is by far my favorite pruning saw. It's a full length axe handle onto which is mounted a curved saw. What is hard to see - and what makes the saw so useful - is the curved hook on the very tip of the blade. With it I can grab the branches once they're on the ground and drag them to the center of the row. The hook also makes a nice scion getter as I can easily bend down an out-of-reach branch. Additionally, this tool works wonders to hack out bramble patches. It's a multi-use tool. That's a good thing. Carrying multiple tools with oneself is a hassle. To note, the black area is a repair job. The wood split but with some electrical tape it's good as new.

Well, it was raining today. So back to the shop to do some more grafting. I believe we've done more than a thousand grafts at this point. And every once in a while we have to get creative such as with this plum. There was a distinct kink in the stem. Something like a 45 degree jog to the right. So to bring it to a more upright position (which is desirable) the stick on the left was added and secured with three twist ties. It works remarkably well. Just to note the roots on the right of the picture should have been trimmed to match those on the left. That way the tree would be easier to plant in the trench.

Easy Like a Sunday Morning

Here is the Nick Botner method of planting grafted trees. Start with a ditch witch to make a fifty foot trough about 2 feet deep. Then while standing in the ditch mound enough soil to support the rootstock. And then rake in the loose, crumbly dirt on either side. If there are two people to do the job, one will help shovel in the fill dirt while the other holds onto the trees. To note, each tree is placed about 4 inches apart - sometimes closer.

Overview of Tags

With over three thousand different varieties of apples, pears, grapes, etc., one really needs a good labeling system. Nick has tried quite a few of them. What is currently used is pictured. At far left is soft plastic (nylon?) labels. They come in bulk rolls of varying colors. On top of them is a Sharpie Rub-a-Dub pen. According to Nick this is the only type of ink that works outside for any length of time. A regular permanent marker won't do. By the way Rub-a-Dubs are also known as laundry pens. However, two years outside is about as good as you get for the ink and label both. The ink fades and the label gets brittle. Even so this is what we use to label our grafts. It works well enough. The second one from the left is a hard plastic that kind of clips onto the plant. They work ok but aren't as good as the soft nylon labels. The middle tag is made of aluminum. I don't like them. Yes they are cheaper than other types of metal and can easily be marked. But they will eventually break or get chewed on by rodents or covered in green algae. Worst of all is the tiny little wire that is supplied with them. It will fail. What I prefer is the last two. One is copper plate and the other is made of stainless steel. They require a stamp set to apply the letters but they hold up extremely well, resist corrosion and are generally awesome. They also have thicker wire - 14 gauge on the last one - which won't let you down. I also have a suggestion about flagging tape. Don't use it. There is some on the aluminum tag. But like most plastic things out in the sun, wind and rain it disintegrates. Also, don't bother painting the labels to make them more visible. It will flake off.

Oregon Rain

It rains a lot in western Oregon. I thought I should say that because looking back through the posts on this blog I have come to realize that I've uploaded only sunny pics. However, sunny days are not the norm. Rain is. I believe it has rained to some extent 25 of the last 30 days. Maybe more. It rains so frequently I have stopped counting the days. Lightning is rare though. I have seen it only once.

Tons O Fun

Check it out. Using the tractor to remove tree trimmings from the orchard. Without it I don't think we could tend to as many acres - as it is just Nick and I plus the occasional volunteer. Remember nine acres of trees and vines make lots of wood. I guess a chipper would also work but we don't have one large enough. Plus there is some anthracnose infection. Therefore all wood is taken away to the burn pile. I also have to say that on the bucket up front there is a row of forks. They really help grab all that brush when it's piled up at the end of a row.