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 Post subject: fruit orchard
PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 6:34 pm 
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Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:28 pm
Posts: 16
Location: Sherman,TEXAS
I live in sherman texas, and in feb. i planted twelve fruit trees, apple,plum peach, pear and nectarine, they are on the side of a hill so there is decent drainage but the soil is all clay, what can i do to the soil at this point to make sure the trees do well their first year?this is the first time i have tried to do anything organic any advice would be appreciated.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 8:51 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 20, 2003 4:33 pm
Posts: 526
Location: parker county, texas
What type of clay do you have? How steep is the hill?

I am of the opinion that when you plant a tree, you shouldn't add anything to the soil. Plant it in the type of soil is will eventually spread its roots out into. If I did anything at all to the new trees, I would make some sort of system where they would be watered adequately and thoroughly the first couple of years (maybe a depression or shallow moat system to help retain water). After that point, the roots should be well enough developed to make it on what they get naturally.


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 Post subject: fruit orchard
PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 5:45 pm 
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Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:28 pm
Posts: 16
Location: Sherman,TEXAS
dragon fly, thanks for the input.i dont know what kind of clay this would be but when i plant anything the hole acts like a bucket, it holds water for a long time. the slope is 90 ft. long and probably drops around a half inch per foot which would be a diffrence of about three and three quarters of a foot from the first tree to the last tree.another man i know has had good luck in my area with fruit trees and believe it or not he says to bury a dead fish and a horseshoe with each tree? another fellow said i should put dry molasses on the ground.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 9:54 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 20, 2003 4:33 pm
Posts: 526
Location: parker county, texas
The dead fish would be a good N source for the first year or so, and the horseshoe, if I had to guess, would be for a long term source of iron in the soil. That's the only reasons I can think of right off hand. Anyway, is your clay the dark brown-black variety? That's what we have here. Our peach and plum trees do just great, but need a little babying for the first couple of years until they really get established. After that, I don't do anything to them. Your slope doesn't sound like a problem to me.


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 Post subject: fruit orchard
PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 5:05 pm 
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Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:28 pm
Posts: 16
Location: Sherman,TEXAS
dragon fly thanks again for the response. our clay that we have here is dark brown or black where some of the trees are planted then its light grey in other places, kind of strange but i think they will do well if i stay on top of them the first year or so. i am going to add about ten trees every three years until i have forty or fifty, i dont want to do anything that is not organic, i raise honey bees and i dont want chemicals to affect my bees or the honey they produce, since i am new to the organic way of doing things i am sure i will be picking your brain in the future.thanks again.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 9:45 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 20, 2003 4:33 pm
Posts: 526
Location: parker county, texas
I'm a beekeeper also. Tough year this past season for the bees in this area. I lost two hives, probably to mites, but I keep my hives organically, and that method is just not as effective as using chemicals and drugs. What bee varieties do you have? You'll need lots more fruit trees if you want to have a particular type of honey. They visit millions of flowers to make small amounts of honey.


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 Post subject: bees
PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 8:12 am 
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 7:33 am
Posts: 764
Location: Plano & land at Dodd City,TEXAS
Dragonfly & Plumber-
We have a hive in a huge old bois d'arc tree trunk in our woods. We generally stay away from this area & have never been stung but the old tree should have dead wood removed & also some thick choking vines. I'm wondering if the general rule is that these are honey bees? They don't seem to by flying erratically like killer bees.
Thanks-
Patty

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Plano Patty & Jim


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 12:48 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 20, 2003 4:33 pm
Posts: 526
Location: parker county, texas
Patty, have you ever seen where the bees go in and out of the hive? Next time you're around that tree, take some binoculars and see if you can find it. Honeybees tend to build hives in the wild at a level of 10-15 feet off the ground, but I have seen them enter and exit tree hives at much higher levels. They don't generally get defensive and angry unless they perceive that you are a threat to the hive. Otherwise, they are usually very gentle. Be careful when you are around the area just in case they are Africanized. It's not very common in this part of Texas, but there are a couple of cases I'm familiar with.


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 Post subject: tricky grama
PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 12:55 pm 
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Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:28 pm
Posts: 16
Location: Sherman,TEXAS
Sabine Creek Honey Farm
P.O.Box 6
Josephine, Texas 75164
972-843-8084
jjtalbert@att.net
this man is one of the main contacts for the collin county beekeepers assoc. and since he is in your area could probably send you in the right direction. let me know if you need any more help. plumber


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 Post subject: bees-tricky grama
PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 1:02 pm 
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Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 5:28 pm
Posts: 16
Location: Sherman,TEXAS
i am not sure where you are located but if you are in dodd city there is a man closer, brad bradfield bee service (903)583-5777. not sure what your wanting to do ,but he can possibly get rid of them for you if you like. i dont know much about this guy except that he hae been in this for a very long time. plumber


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 Post subject: bees
PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:04 am 
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 7:33 am
Posts: 764
Location: Plano & land at Dodd City,TEXAS
Plumber-
thanks for the info. I know my location is confusing-we live in Plano & have 20 ac just on the E. edge of Dodd City & go up & work every weekend. The hive is at the acreage & yes, Dragonfly, it is about 6' up from the ground inside a huge trunk, don't want to disturb it (unless of course we're stung a BUNCH!) Neighbors had a hive removed from a tree by someone in Dodd so it was probably Brad (how many bee guys could there be in Dodd?)
Patty

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Plano Patty & Jim


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