Back to basics

I'm thinking this is the year we start (re)learning how to put food by. So, it was off to the online bookstore. Leveled 3 pads on sidehill yesterday for to plant more fruit trees. This is on the lower slope of our lot.

It's hard to make out the slope contours in the low sun behind me but made pretty nice catch basins for to plant in where it rolls off to the road


Typically it's 3-4 degrees F cooler down there than up at the top on the winter mornings. That should help apples and stone fruit get the cold hours they need to set fruit. I started 4 citrus (valencia, navel, grapefruit, lemon) up at the top of our lot last year -- it being warmer up there. We were able to save one older Navel Orange tree halfway up the hill near the lower drive entrance.

Need to get these lower lot avocados (Fuertes) cut back, cleaned up and back on regular watering cycle. Finally at point I can run water back down there. My main producing avocado tree up top by the house hasn't produced last 2 years -- got into trouble with the freezing weather we had Dec 2006.

Probably a couple years before we can expect to see the lower trees producing again. It'd be a fun project to try grafting some Haas on to the rootstock to extend our avocado season (they run different months than Fuertes).

I've been fighting off unwanted Pecan volunteers. Finally got one going in a useful spot at the bottom fence. Let's see how it does if I leave it alone. Certainly no lack of water down there. It's the little guy just up from the silt fence. It's a little close to that Avocado but it'll grow up past it.



And now we read...