chop and drop - and protecting an apple tree

A yellow transparent apple tree was dropped off by somebody and left to where the deer could get at it.   Somehow it has survived!  So we are going to do things that will improve the soil and protect it from deer.

I gathered lots of stuff from within 50 feet or so, but this particular spot has very poor soil which leads to very little material for chop and drop.  So I deployed a firewood carrier to go do the "chop" part about a hundred feet away and carry to the tree for the "drop" part.

I have a soft spot for the yellow transparent apple variety.   My grandad had just one apple tree and it was yellow transparent.  So I really like the idea of keeping this tree.  Plus, this variety is the first apples of the year each year!

I have some help from "little buddy" from the grassfed homesteading channel.

I'm still recovering from some health issues, so i wasn't able to do as much as I wanted on this day, but I did manage to do quite a bit more.  But clearly, little buddy has a lot more energy than me!


Thanks to Dan Ohmann of The Grass-fed Homestead channel for helping me with the editing:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc2ka-aGChwIiX0mEXzfmoA

music by Jimmy Pardo
https://permies.com/t/30796/Jimmy-Pardo


Thanks to my patreon peeps for pushing me into making videos again:

Hugh Gill Kultur
Wayne Fajkus
Kerry Rodgers
Kyle Neath
Mehron Kugler
Arturo Ceron
Bill Crim
Jocelyn Campbell
La Vida Verde en Viris
Lisa Goodspeed
Matthew Johnson
Pasquale DeAngelis
Ralph  Collins

https://www.patreon.com/pwvids

That was an idea generator for me, so thanks for it.

I planted apple trees last winter. In the 2-3 days it took to get them fenced, they were half the height. Amazing as this never happened with peach, pear , pecan, etc. The term candy is correct.

As i selectively clear cedars i harvest what posts i can get and have a sizeable hoard. So why am i buying t posts and fencing to surround my trees? I can use the cedar to make a corral fence around each tree. Thats the idea generator from the vid. Not what you did, but something that will work in my specific application.

Wonderful video Paul. Thank you for doing this.
What is the cutter called?
I gotta try one.
Brian

Brian Rodgers wrote:What is the cutter called?

I've just been calling it "a sickle".  I bought it on amazon a few months ago to try out.  Here's the link.  It seems amazon calls it a sickle too!



Super light.  Weirdly lightweight.   I have no idea what the wording is on the side.

Sometimes those are called a rice knife.

We call it a shark. Best thing going if you need to cut harakeke (NZ flax).

Great idea!   Chop and drop as a defense.

I planted a bunch of willow cuttings last year thinking that the deer wouldn't eat them.     The willows are out ways so I didn't keep an eye on them.  When I finally noticed what was going on I realized the deer had

literally pulled the cuttings out of the ground.  Of the thirty I planted nine made it.  I caged these up three weeks ago and now the cages are full of willow.   Your way, is a great way, to do it.  Much less labor than cutting chicken wire and staking.  I will definitely be trying this, especially since my black locusts are starting to take

off.  I imagine the deer would hate the spikes.

I love that tool!  I wonder how long it would take me to lose it.  I've lost a hori-hori and two sets of secateurs this year.  I am terrible about losing the cool hand tools.

Scott - it's a piece of cake to drill a hole in the end of the handle and put a strap or thong loop through it. Drape that over your wrist and it leaves your hands free while keeping the tool close. And these things are so lightweight that it's not much of an impediment to have dangling while you're not using it.

Good idea Steve.  I should do that.