SPRING CHORES IN THE ORCHARD

Spring chores are in full swing!  Grafting, pruning, planting and spreading wood chips & compost.    We planted 120 new apple trees from Golden Russet & Norland to Jordan Russet and Chestnut Crab.  Also planted were Bali Cherries and pear trees including Ayers and Golden Spice.   Bench grafted varieties include Belle de Boskoop, Esopus Spitzenburg, Calville Blanc d’hiver and Yarlington Mill…..all great for cider making!   We also have some older trees that do not produce well so we are going to top work them…..this work includes cutting the trees down and grafting a desired scion wood to the stump.  Timing is crucial for this method. If grafted too early, the scion wood may dry out and not take. If grafted too late, there may be too much green growth for survival.      In our opinion, early spring is the best time to plant new trees.  We receive them from our nursery in Potsdam, NY around April 1 and get them right in the ground.  The water table is high and the temperatures are still quite cool.