FARM CALENDER
JANUARY:
January 2009 the weather was seasonal with a a great deal of snow regularily (No Major Storms). Signs, lights and decorations were taken down, tested and boxed for future use. Major pruning was accomplished on the apple trees. Work on mowers in preparation for the cutting season was delayed until pruning was completed.
FEBRUARY:
Weather continued colder than prior years and regular snow falls throughout the month Continued with Apple pruning.
MARCH:
Complete pruning of apple trees. Tune up the chainsaw and cut all stumps as low as possible, cull out trees that are ugly! Also do some butt pruning if time and weather allows? When frost leaves the soil and it is dry enough, plow or roto-till and prepare for spraying pre-emergence herbicide to reduce impact of weeds. March weather continued colder than prior years more snow than rain.
APRIL:
Weather continued to be wet throughout the month. This hindered the Rototilling and spraying of Herbicide in Orchard, finished pruning of Apples.
MAY:
Apple Blossom full bloom on May 2. Dormant spraying was done the first week of March just prior to tight cluster. We had Frost on May 16, it was not hard, but won't really know impact until later. Continued butt pruning, and root pulling of Christmas trees, checked trees for hatching of "Pine needle scale", and Saw Fly caterpillars, sprayed as necessary. Sprayed herbicide on broad leaf weeds.
Apples again needed spraying of fungicide to reduce apple scab, during each week of May. Had numerous days of rain from during most of the month. Plenty of weed and grass cutting was required. May 29 sprayed Orchard with insect spray and fungicide.
JUNE:
Began Christmas tree shearing (shaping of each tree). Also continue to cut grass and control weeds. The weather in June was wetter than normal. Sprayed apple Orchards June 3, 9 & 24 Insecticide & Fungicide. Rainfall was above normal for the month. Mowing of Grass and Weeds was ongoing.
JULY:
July the weather turned hotter with the majority of days in the high eighties and some nineties after the middle of the month. Rainfall was variable, Some major storms caused power outages from downed power lines from broken trees and branches. The Apple crop looks good with Jonathon, Red & Golden Delicious doing well.
AUGUST:
Summer weed control, picking up apples that have fallen or have been knocked down by wind or Deer, cutting the grass and servicing the equipment are outside jobs. A major storm early in the month with high winds caused a significant number of Apple to fall from the trees. OPENING DAY FOR APPLE PICKING IS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
APPLE CROP APPEARS TO BE GOOD. WE WILL OPEN AT 10:00 AM SEPTEMBER 11,
SEPTEMBER:
Setting up signs, cleaning up the sales office, and generally preparing for our SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 opening our hours will be 10:00 AM till 5:00 PM daily with EXCEPTION of Mondays (we will be closed). Farm work continues, with picking up drops mowing weeds and grass. Plus processing of honey from our hives.
***** WE EXPECT ALL APPLES TO BE GONE BY THE 2nd week of October 2009.*****
OCTOBER:
This month we will be preparing our farm equipment for winter and complete final trimming of Christmas Trees.
NOVEMBER:
Start putting up Christmas Tree signs on Highway 47. Opening date is November 27, the day after Thanksgiving. Hours will be from 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM Daily.
CLOSED On Mondays.
Order toilet. Trim the base of trees, where the lower limbs have been damaged by mowers, herbicide, weeds, or overgrown.
DECEMBER:
Continue selling Christmas Trees until December 16. For trees after this date please call 847.669.3251. .