Pruning the Grapes

Pruning the blueberries was so satisfying, I went out late yesterday, and pruned grapes for a while before I went to pick up Adorable Hubby at the Park and Ride, and take him over to pick up the small blue car, which got shiny new brakes and a shiny new part for the clutch so that it can start and stop on demand, rather than randomly or not at all.
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Ah, the grapes. So I whacked at the grapes, which I started to prune up last year. I read some different advice on-line about pruning grapes, so I cut them back severely again. I plan on removing more leaves after they start to make fruit. The vines make fruit, but then get various diseases of the fruit, and we have yet to eat a grape. But, one of the extensions sites I read said to take away leaves that cover the fruit to ensure good air flow, and that will cut down on some of the fungal diseases! Since my vines get extremely leafy, I will try that.
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Also, checked the garlic I planted in the garden last fall. I planted 24 cloves, and it looks like about 8 of them have come up so far. I put a lot of mulch down, so I disturbed the mulch a little, to give them more of a head start.
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Speaking of garlic, I read some Greek recipes the other day that also involved grape leaves, so I want to find out how to process the grape leaves so that we can eat them! So many projects, so little time.

Pruning the Blueberries

This weekend I pruned my poor neglected blueberries. Above are a couple of unpruned bushes - they crank out the berries like heroes, but I haven't pruned them in years, so they need a little grooming. This weekend, while adorable hubby worked on the fences to keep Cesar, Prince of Ponies, where we want him to be - for instance: not in the blueberries - I gave the blueberry bushes a little manicure and haircut.

The Ohio extension site has nice suggested before and after pictures, which look a lot like my before and after bushes, but I can't get them loaded up here.

The photos make the after bushes look more thin and scraggley, instead of tidy.  I followed their simple directions. It's hard cutting away anything growing, but I hope to have many more blueberries from my sturdy healthy bushes this year.

New Tractor in the Woods

Today the implement company delivered our new to us 2004 New Holland tractor - we will try it out for a few days and make sure it will do the tasks we need it to do. Darling hubby is so excited, he is going to take tomorrow off so he can get some things done. :-) The old Oliver was just getting too fragile, and whatever is the matter with it now seemed like it was going to require a major overhaul, so we are experimenting with moving the farm into the 21st century.... Having a tractor payment makes it even more important to make the farm self-supporting and sustainable. One possibility is growing more fruit - the blueberries and raspberry crops this year have been great, due to the lack of a hard late frost and all the moisture. The apple trees are doing well too. I've been looking at various schemes for intensive fruit management but if it worked so well, how come more people don't do it?

Weekend Chores, what fun!

Hubby went off to Tillers International to help with a timber frame barn raising - he wants to learn details of how to put up a timber frame building, and talk to their timber frame architect, since we are going to put up some timber frame buildings here and we want to do it right. This is a great organization! I am staying home to do some of the backlog of chores there are around here, according to this little ditty (sung to your tune of choice): What's the Most Important Thing? There are lots of things to do. So do the most important thing, That would be sustainable, And profitable, And fun, too! Chorus: Finish what you start. Fix what's broken. Make routine chores Efficient and fun! If it's not sustainable, If it's not profitable, If it's not fun - Is it really worth doing? Really! What's the most important thing? Chorus: Finish what you start. Fix what's broken. Make routine chores Efficient and fun! The first most important thing is to get off the internet and do a recycling run to our local recycling center. :-)