Spring

It's finally here.  These are my Rainier Cherries.  I hope the birds let us have a few this year as they are the best cherries ever.

  These are Sweetheart cherries.  We never got to try these last year as the birds picked them all off while they were green.

  The Liberty apples, Spartan apples and pear buds have yet to open.

We are finally getting ready to replace the fence and gate that got destroyed in the November wind storm. 

It's going to have to be done in phases since putting in a new fence is not only labor intensive but expensive.

We are going to do about 350 feet in the first phase.

We have decided to go with pressure treated posts set in earth. 

Cedar is more expensive and doesn't last as long as it used to and the information I am finding on line says we will be better off just setting them in dirt rather than concrete.

  The next section will be this one, along the south side of the house.  First we will have to remove this tree from my greenhouse and hay storage area.  I'm afraid it's toast.

The fence that is up now is a 6' fence and I think the new one will be 5'.  The material is easier to find and it will be a little bit cheaper.  After all, the reason for the fence is to keep out the coyotes and neighborhood dogs, keep my little dogs and chickens in.  I think 5' will do OK for that purpose.  Dave thinks the deer will still try to jump it.  I dunno.

We spend the weekend pricing materials and I'll pick them up this week.  Next week we can rent a post hole digger and put hopefully put in all 40 some posts.  My plan is to have the fence and gate done by the end of April.

Comments

[sarah]

About the fruit-stealing birds, have you tried some mesh netting wrapped around the trees? Keep the openings small enough to prevent birds from squeezing through, this will greatly reduce the number of feathered freeloaders. Can't land, can't pick!

[Kathy]

I was going to suggest a mosquito netting tent but someone beat me to it. My grandparents had a sour cherry tree in their back yard. It was a great climbing tree and Grandma's pies were the best!