WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? This May marks this grafted apple tree’s 10-year birthday. The ornamental apple in front of CFA’s office was “beheaded” back in 2014 and 2 pencil-sized scionwoods from a tastier apple tree were inserted where only 1 was left to grow the next year. TheContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? At dusk behind my house I’ve noticed this year for the first time that a woodcock has made my small orchard his courting ground for bringing in the ladies, or hens. Male woodcocks like to stake out small openings in forests where some lowContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? ‘Bradford’ pear is an ornamental fruit tree that gets a bad rap these days due to its poor growth structure over time. Normally it develops many codominant leaders that vigorously compete with each other and often lead to splitting. This condition can be reducedContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Now is the time of year to begin training your branches on newly planted apple trees; Something I wish I knew about and did years ago with other fruit trees. During the winter, remove branches with tight crotches and retain those with good branchContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Once in awhile I get a chance to visit a spot near Sparrowbush, NY. It’s actually in Orange County, but near the Sullivan County border on the Mongaup River. Eagle Creek Renewable Energy manages the Rio Reservoir there for making hyrdroelectic power. Upstream ofContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? We were pruning apple trees today during April’s “snow-showers” and noticed how beat up some of the trees were from last summer/fall’s black bears. Scratchings, bent branches, and hair riddled the trees. Bears often sit in one spot where apples are and bend theContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Finally got all four of these whipper snappers up on the Shawangunk Ridge above Ellenville. When on top, it really does feel like a different world: Massive Shawangunk conglomerate boulders sitting atop smooth, glaciated tables of more white rock interspersed with stunted pitch pineContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Years ago, I hitched a ride from an older gentleman in the Town of Denning. He pointed up the forested mountain as we drove along, “I remember before that was ‘wilderness’.” He was referring to the current owners, or the NYS DEC state forestContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Another maple sugaring season is in the books. All in all about an average year for me. Made about 7.5 gallons of syrup from 17 taps or 0.44 gallons of syrup/tap, which seems to be my normal. I think the take-away from this seasonContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? One of the largest wild grapevines I’ve ever seen. There haven’t been farms in this area where I was hiking last week for about 100 years, but surely a legacy from farm days. Wild grapevines survive by climbing trees for their natural trellis toContinue Reading