Coffee's Ready, Come and Sit on the Porch

[Mini Horses]

Anything has to be better than removing the fencing off the t-posts, weed whacking and hand pulling weeds from around the trunk. Then replacing the fencing.

You can buy rubberized mats that are specifically to surround trees and keep weeds/grass from growing. Or, place the fabric stuff, mulch heavy...still works.

Up early. Coffee, breakfast chores. Customer came to buy a goat kid. Caught one, helped load up. Inside making cheese. Need this milk out of frig!! Third batch shortly. Used 5 gal total. Lotsa ricotta! next week mozzarella....then some cheddar. After that maybe feta! Yeah, I like that.

Later, I hope to switch backhoe off, tiller onto tractor. Yeah, plans

 

[CrealCritter]

You can buy rubberized mats that are specifically to surround trees and keep weeds/grass from growing. Or, place the fabric stuff, mulch heavy...still works.

Up early. Coffee, breakfast chores. Customer came to buy a goat kid. Caught one, helped load up. Inside making cheese. Need this milk out of frig!! Third batch shortly. Used 5 gal total. Lotsa ricotta! next week mozzarella....then some cheddar. After that maybe feta! Yeah, I like that.

Later, I hope to switch backhoe off, tiller onto tractor. Yeah, plans

I tied heavy fabric, yep in cut down on weeds alright. But I discovered covering the ground is like a mole/vole magnet. they look for something just like that to den and gerd the tree roots. Which causes the trees to die, totally defeating the purpose of starting an orchard to begin with. I lost two plums and a pear tree, before I figured out what was going on. Then I removed all heavy weed fabric and the remainder of impacted trees have recovered.

IDK... Gotta make it work with what you have to work with. I have to stand up 13 foot of fence secured to two t-posts around every tree to deter deer. Have to put a trunk guard on every tree to deter rabbits from gerding the trunk and can't put anything down to suppress weeds or the moles/voles burrow under it and gerd the roots

I guess if orcharding were easy everyone would do it.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[farmerjan]

Have friends that have a fence around their fruit trees... 6 ft T-posts... but they have 2 fences... set 3 ft apart... Deer do not like to jump a double fence like that... messes with their perception... Get this... the fences are BALING STRING.... NO JOKE.... she had electric around the garden and it wasn't "cutting it" so she read somewhere that they do not bother a double fence like that... so she put up a 2nd fence 3 ft out from the electric and it stopped the deer from bothering the garden... so she did the same with their fruit trees... but like she said... she isn't made of money... so did BOTH with just baling string... I think she put up 4 strands, top strand near the top of the post... but they can see it and won't try it since it is a double fence and distorts their judgement...
I had read that not too long before she said she did it....

Just FYI....obviously won't help with the rabbits and the moles...

 

[CrealCritter]

Have friends that have a fence around their fruit trees... 6 ft T-posts... but they have 2 fences... set 3 ft apart... Deer do not like to jump a double fence like that... messes with their perception... Get this... the fences are BALING STRING.... NO JOKE.... she had electric around the garden and it wasn't "cutting it" so she read somewhere that they do not bother a double fence like that... so she put up a 2nd fence 3 ft out from the electric and it stopped the deer from bothering the garden... so she did the same with their fruit trees... but like she said... she isn't made of money... so did BOTH with just baling string... I think she put up 4 strands, top strand near the top of the post... but they can see it and won't try it since it is a double fence and distorts their judgement...
I had read that not too long before she said she did it....

Just FYI....obviously won't help with the rabbits and the moles...

Interesting... a double fence 3' apart. Like most everywhere else we are elbow deep in deer. Our highest chance for tree damage is during rub.

I had a short peach loaded with peaches this year, to the point I thought I was going to need to support the branches. Then overnight we were left with three peaches. I'm not sure what got them but I suspect deer from the numerous hoof prints around the tree.

Maybe another fence 3 foot from the other would have helped? IDK I'll have to try it and see.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[baymule]

Coffee is ready. Yep, I’ve always heard that a double fence will keep deer from jumping the fence. Baling twine? I love it!!! Yet another use for that miraculous stuff! And it comes in so many colors too! @CrealCritter you got nothing to lose except maybe a little time.

 

[CLSranch]

And it comes in so many colors too!

Loved it.
I know it's coming on summer and it's hot down where bay is. But it ain't that hot here. I took a pic and can't get it to the computer. Day before Yesterday I left a cheapo lighter in the farm truck in the cup holder. Yesterday I get in to go get another tub of water. I wonder why??? is this lighter in my seat and why is it busted. Apparently it exploded and it barely got to 90. 90 outside in the shade, maybe a little warmer in the cab.
Just a reminder don't leave kids or pets in the car. I hate that commercial.

 

[baymule]

I don’t let my dog Carson ride in the truck in summer unless it is a short trip and I don’t leave him in the truck. I take him to the feed store where they give him a treat and I leave early and we’re there when it opens. It’s just too hot.

 

[CLSranch]

When the ac did work in my truck, or any of them, the only time I used it was when I stopped and had a dog or person in the car. Then turn it off once rolling again.

 

[flowerbug]

also helps to put strips of fabric hanging on the wires so there is a visual cue that something is there. nothing worse than having to deal with a fence that deer have tried to run through (or a dead deer hung up in the fence - thank goodness i've not had to deal with that - i have had to deal with bent fences that deer have tried to run through though).

 

[Mini Horses]

Deer -- yep, plenty here. But my GOATS are my fence challenges!!! Jump, climb, butt....never a dull moment! And YES, they destroy garden and orchards.