Raising and Growing Our Organic and Not- So-Organic Foods

[Arielle2]

This is a good but not complete list of new varietes developed to be resistant to the big 4 apple diseases: mildew, fireblight, cedar apple rust and scab. Each varies in the ability to resist each disease.

THis is only apple scab information.
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1401

THese apples are specially good as they use less pesticide. Home owners have less skill and options dealing with spraying. ANd time. Apparently some orchards spray 10 times in a season. Thinking about that effort makes me tired!! lol

 

[Arielle2]

THis is an impressive list of roostock from a UK source. Note that the Geneva stock is NOT included. ( Geneva Station, Cornell University;Dr CUmmins)
https://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/rootstocks.aspx?fruittype=99

Rootstock is not listed for many big Sellers. Or it takes a bit of digging to find what is used. The Geneva stock must be ordered early as even the commercial orchards are not getting all the stock they need. So..... many varieties are grafted to the M stock like EMLA or other MM stock. Seems like the best uses of these stocks are to use varieties that are highly resistant to the 4 most common apple diseases; at least this has been my observation.

Rootstock also depends on ones location and soils. Last summer as my son was digging a hole to set an apple tree , he hit WATER at 12 inches, and enjoyed pulling out all the mud; forgetting the purpose was to plant a tree! When I checked into see his huge hole, that he clearly took delight in, we discussed the effect of all that water on the tree root. Hmmm, let's try 50 feet to the east. No water there.

This drove home the critical need to understand my land better and the effects of all the water coming down off the hill. I knew it ran underground, though past experience put the distance at only 4-5 inches below the duff level. WRONG. In the area of the first hole the soils sucked up so much water that the soil was water logged.

There is one Geneva rootstock that handles wet soils. ANd I can only ask, with the shallow root systems of most of the dwarfing stock ( vs semi-dwarf and standard) would they like this location?

I feel totally ignorant. YOu know, the realization that my info totals less than the tip of an iceberg??????

 

[Arielle2]

Here is an inspiring video to get the spring growing season a jump start!

Try dwarf grey sugar for great tasting shoots. I have not found another pea that tastes good.

 

[Arielle2]

I used this video to fill my need for tomatos. He trials numerous varieties and withi some 100 varieties this year, I needed to duplicate his methods. One to get enough of any one variety but to also track the variety.

I have 4 flats that will soon need transplanting!!!

Next day. Maintenance info.

A few days later.

 

[Arielle2]

Replanting seedlings from the plugs.

His driveway is overcome by TOMATOES!

 

[Arielle2]

Take dramamine BEFORE viewing!!!!

 

[Arielle2]

THis man is keen on sharing and teaching.

For the last ten years, he and a few volunteers have developed over 100 dwarf varieties of tomatoes. THe inital crosses were named after the 7 dwarves. THen new crosses were given a name to help track the families.

Tasmanian Chocolate is planted.
Rosella Crimson is planted.

And a couple others.
The purpose is to combine Indeterminates with the dwarfing gene to create a plant that stays small and managable, rather than an unruly climbing monster, that will produce until frost. The released varieties are fairly stable, but need more selection in the generations to come.

 

[Arielle2]

He is soooooo organized! A plant by plant description of the old and new tomatoes he is growing for the seeds. One plant of each.

 

[Arielle2]

Back to apples. An exciting video of the basics of apple. Filmed at a farm in New England.

Seems to have a viable disease prevention method that is suitable for the home orchardist. YEAH!!

Hard working people bring us our apples !!!

 

[Arielle2]

THis is an article from RED tomato. THis group is located only an hour away from me. THe open summer position interested me for all of 5 minutes. Teen kids learning to drive, summer jobs, yada yada..... my life is not my own....... Honestly I love my time with my boys.

As we garden we can support our valuable bees......

https://www.redtomato.org/how-to-solve-the-declining-bee-population/