Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

Davesnave

I think the nasty, cold front is just arriving here, but we really can't complain. Another essentially dry day, but sadly, still no chance to get the longer grass cut.

Like rhiwie, we've also been savaged by various caterpillars, but my predictions for the wasps which set up home in the sparrows' bird box came true. They ran out of space and the colony collapsed. We've seen very few wasps this autumn.

A few more hens have come back into lay, so we're selling the odd half dozen again and popping a green egg in each box. I think we have 3 Fenton Blues laying now and one of them has produced the first double yolker.

Hope all those of you with the lurgy are on the mend, having rested sufficiently, (if possible!) Hopefully, you're getting your winter bugs out of the way early and you'll sail through November and December.

moneyistooshorttomention

....and I've been told its a bit of a windy site (though its not high up...just a little bit "higher" up than some here).

I can hear weird wind whistling sounds right now at intervals and this is new to me.

Am told it's quite a favourable little micro-climate here generally, but thoughts expressed as to how well (or otherwise) I'll do with my intention to grow apple trees on the most exposed part of my garden.

Had been carefully picking out several different varieties trying to maximise the number of months each year that I will get immediately edible and/or storable apples.

Slight rethink going on now.

Anyone got any thoughts on whether this being a bit of a windy site might pose any problems to my apple tree growing? NB: I'm not up the top of a hill or anything. It's just a reasonably "open" site.

Itismehonest

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

....and I've been told its a bit of a windy site (though its not high up...just a little bit "higher" up than some here).

I can hear weird wind whistling sounds right now at intervals and this is new to me.

Am told it's quite a favourable little micro-climate here generally, but thoughts expressed as to how well (or otherwise) I'll do with my intention to grow apple trees on the most exposed part of my garden.

Had been carefully picking out several different varieties trying to maximise the number of months each year that I will get immediately edible and/or storable apples.

Slight rethink going on now.

Anyone got any thoughts on whether this being a bit of a windy site might pose any problems to my apple tree growing? NB: I'm not up the top of a hill or anything. It's just a reasonably "open" site.

Brainfade means I can't think which part of the country you're in. Are you oop t'north? If so, this may help
http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/Hedging-Trees-Fruit-Questions/fruit-tree-growing-guides/apple-trees-scotland-north-britain

We're several hundred feet up & the wind blasts up the valley sometimes. Across the years we've found out by trial & error what survives the wind & what needs a bit of sheltering. Maybe a windbreak (living or otherwise) may solve any problem & be worth considering before you spend out on the trees themselves?

Rummer

Money we are in a windy suburban area although not high up and we planted hedges around our garden and planted the trees near to the hedge line to give them plenty of shelter. It has worked well for us however we only planted mini trees, normal sized ones would obviously require more thought.

lostinrates

We're in the south, not high up but on a REALLY open site. There are apples here. .


We do lose quite a bit with wind damage and establishing wind breaks through planting is part of the plan......its just knowing where to start really!

Davesnave

We are almost 500' up with the house sitting on a tiny ridge between two valleys; a large one and a little one. We grow apples, pears and plums, though the latter can be poor in some seasons, like this one. Damsons do better.

Luckily, our land slopes gently to the south and east within the small valley and the orchard is about half way down the slope, so it's sheltered to some extent and not in a frost pocket.

Our problem is that about half of the 30 or so apple varieties are rarities with specific functions, rather than all-rounders. For example, we have 'Kirton (Crediton) Fair' which is a dessert apple, supposed to be ready in time for the summer fairs. Trouble is, it's not that good, sometimes suffers bitter pit and it only keeps for a short while.

Then there are the cider apples.....the one drink I really don't like! :rotfl:

alfie_1

hiya. has anyone experienced a computer meltdown after clicking on suggested sites here...or is it just me. just taken an hour to clear/clean system and im/was getting random spam emails like a rate of knots !!!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Alfie:mad::mad::mad::mad: what a pain, My puter is fine ( at mo, fingers crossed)

Made a lamb dinner tonight.. yummy... it was the leg of the whole lamb we bought locally.. which made me think if we could buy 2 - 3 lambs for the freezer, As we have creeping buttercups, I found out I need to try and get rid of them, because it will give the lambs the runs... Anyway on the accidental smallholder, someone said to Lime the land, and this will kill the buttercups, is this right Davesnave???

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=16458.0

lostinrates

CTC, we've said that here before.;)

Itismehonest

alfie_1 wrote: »

hiya. has anyone experienced a computer meltdown after clicking on suggested sites here...or is it just me. just taken an hour to clear/clean system and im/was getting random spam emails like a rate of knots !!!

:eek: Hopefully not the site I gave LIR yesterday?:o Is your AV software up-to-date?