bogdan smith

Trevor McDonald wrote:

bogdan smith wrote:spring, I noticed that if you don't cut tree branches but bend them down, the amount of fruit increases and you don't need to cut the branches

you mean the number of fruit increases?  because people prune to increase the size of the individual fruit.  and to prevent fruit drop.  and for shape, structure, and disease prevention.  it’s not just about what happens on one year because a boom year is usually followed with a less year.

if you have a an electric meat smoker that uses real wood chips to add flavor, you should save the prunings of your fruit trees for that purpose

I haven't given up pruning trees, but it's now more labor-intensive than traditional pruning. My main goal isn't to prune, but to bend tree branches. The more we prune, the more energy the tree expends on recovery. At one point, I noticed old pear and apple trees in villages that hadn't been pruned; their branches were bent under the weight of their fruit, and these trees were very heavy. I also noticed that tree roots are constantly visible in the forest and read about hardening trees by exposing their roots. I'm now planting trees on hills where they have bare roots. Tomorrow, I'll take photos of apple and apricot trees with bent branches; they've produced some very good and interesting results. Regarding stimulating yield through pruning, if a tree needs a rest, let it rest. Last year I didn't have any apples, but this year I expect a good harvest.  Regarding smoking, I used to have a smoker and looked for barrels, but I've given up on smoked products and made a raised bed out of the barrel. I use the trimmed branches as the base for the raised beds.

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Trevor McDonald wrote:

bogdan smith wrote:

Riona Abhainn wrote:I'm glad you are a good problem solver and that spring has arrived for you.

Thanks for the kind words. It may sound strange, but all these everyday problems actually help you stay sane. Rockets and drones are flying, and you're sitting there wondering how to insulate a battery or repair a gas boiler. In any case, it's cheaper than antidepressants. Spring has already arrived, and it's time to get ready for winter.

Whoa… you live in Ukraine or in Iran?  Or you are talking about the firework rockets and the camera drones?  stay safe either way, and God Bless

Thank you, I live in Ukraine

The fence was made of planks; these boards dried well, and I replaced them with oak scraps, which I use as firewood. In the bomb shelter, I used plastic deck chairs as beds, but they break and are uncomfortable. I made sturdy loungers from fence boards, hung additional lamps, made a toolbox, and installed doors to separate the warm room for the bomb shelter from the cold room for the food storage.

Last year I trimmed the catalpa back to a short length, and now I'm going to shape it into an arch. I made boxes out of oak planks, into which I planted several varieties of giant lagenaria, which I'll let grow like vines up the catalpa and toward the house using taut ropes. I'll also plant tall varieties of tomatoes in the boxes.

Apple storage boxes will be temporarily converted into cucumber growing boxes.

raised beds have been prepared

So far, the best hens during my experimentation period are Greenshills, which lay blue eggs. Unfortunately, Marans lay poorly; maybe the situation will change in the summer.

planted pears on the hills

I tidied up and slightly remodeled the workshop; winter will be coming soon and I need to make it comfortable to work.