Trees, trees, trees...
It's getting late in the planting season but we have finally taken delivery of more trees and after several days of planting have them all safely in the ground. Let the growing begin.August 08, 2012
August 08, 2012
Pruning fruit and nut trees
Time of year for pruning, and an attempt to improve the shape of the trees for easier picking.Our orchard has a number of large trees as well as a collection of younger ones, all require attention.June 16, 2010
More Trees
This weekend I planted a number of crop trees. For the most part it was seedling walnuts collected from under my grandmothers tree but also included 5 grafted fruit trees I purchased.2 x apricot
2 x nectarine
1 x almondJuly 25, 2010
The myth about tree & pasture incompatibility - photographic evidence
I am passionate about trees and their numerous benefits so I frequently encounter this commonly held misconception when I try and encourage grass growers to consider incorporating trees on their farms. The argument goes something like this: "I can't plant trees in or around my pasture because they compete with grass for light, water and minerals, grass production would suffer".This photo, taken a few hundred meters from my home on a conventional sheep and beef farm during the worst drought in decades is evidence that certain tree species can actually improve the performance of grass. If only people were as observant as they are quick to dismiss the value of trees in the landscape.May 06, 2015
Visit from Tree Crops North Canterbury
Details We enjoyed a hot and sunny afternoon touring 11 people from the North Canterbury Tree Crops group. I think our alternative and rather unorthodox approach and philosophies were quite an eye opener for most of them...Date November 04, 2017
Another batch of trees in the ground
Winter is a time to purchase and plant trees. This year we have put in 110 new trees which has basically filled up the remaining available space.Going forward it will mostly be shrubs or replanting specimens that don't survive.July 30, 2011
Buy organic plant seeds
Browse our selection of organically grown vegetable, flower and tree seeds. Hand harvested in Autumn from healthy plants growing in the blockhill forest garden.Learn to graft fruit trees
Grow your knowledge of fruit tree cloning through the ancient art of grafting. Learn by seeing and doing with hands on examples and one on one tuition and explanation. We will cover:- Collecting and storing grafting (scion) wood from desired trees
- Understanding and propagating rootstocks
- Grafting tools and techniques
- View many examples of grafted trees of various types, complexity and age
Grafting fruit and nut trees
Grafting is the process of adding part of a known, desirable tree onto existing, growing roots of a similar species. This can be done for a number of reasons such as having many types of fruit to one tree or influencing the characteristics of the tree such as size, soil requirements and disease resistance.
Trees for animal fodder
By now it should be obvious that we need more trees in our landscapes, however inconvenient that may seem. The benefits are numerous. Using trees for supplementary animal feed is a smart strategy in drought prone areas. This includes:- Fresh leaves / foliage
- Fruits and berries
- Nuts and seeds