Orchard Pest Worries
Even though it is early May, people are starting to worry about the two main summer orchard pests in apples- codling moth and apple maggot. The past couple of summers have been warmer than average, and in warm summers, these two pests can destroy most peoples’ apple crops. What can you do to keep your […]
Living with Deer
Deer are a fact of life for many of us. They are charming to look at, but they can wreak havoc in the garden. Not only do they browse the plants, but the bucks will quickly destroy a plant when rubbing their antlers during the late summer and autumn rut. How can you garden in […]
Growing Figs in the Northwest
Though figs are of Mediterranean origin, they thrive and fruit well in the Pacific Northwest. They produce small embryonic fruit each year in late summer that over winters and ripens the following summer. They are self fertile. There are a few tips that can make a fig a successful addition to the fruit garden. Site […]
Upright Fruiting Offshoot (UFO) Sweet Cherry Training
Many visitors to Cloud Mountain are intrigued by our ‘cherry tunnel’. This upright fruiting system (UFO) is an unusual way of growing sweet cherries. It was initially developed for commercial growers, but can be adapted to home gardens and market farms as well. The Upright Fruiting Offshoots (UFO) system for sweet cherries was developed to: […]
Pruning Sweet Cherries
One important note: always prune cherries when you will have at least 2 days of dry weather. This can help reduce canker. Most people grow sweet cherries as freestanding ‘bush’ shaped trees. In a future post, we’ll talk about growing sweet cherries as an espalier or fruiting wall form called UFO (upright fruiting offshoot). Cherry […]
Frost and fruit buds
With our mild winter and early spring, most fruit trees are breaking dormancy a bit ahead of normal. This time of year when the forecast is for sunny days and clear nights, it’s possible we’ll get some frost. Should you worry about those fruit buds? Critical Bud Temperatures As buds begin to swell, frost damage […]