Harvesting the yard

[AliOop]

Our house came with a very tall cherry tree, a medium-sized apple tree, a small peach (I think) tree, a very overgrown raspberry patch, and a girnomous patch of what I believe to be blackberries (they are still flowering and just beginning to fruit, so we shall see).

The cherry tree put off an amazing crop, but most of it is far out of reach of our tallest ladder. And the birds! Instead of eating from the top of the tree, they choose to sit on the lower branches and take a nip out of each cherry. So while we have enjoyed a few here and there, most of the crop is going to waste, sadly.

The apples are still green, but in this area, the squirrels usually take a bite out of each one before humans can get to them. We are discussing whether to put some netting over at least part of it to see if that will help. The peach tree is still flowering, so we shall see what birds and squirrels do to that one.

BUT THE BERRIES See the pic for today's harvest alone, about 4 cups. There are tons more, some of which I can't reach because they are behind the very thorny vines of the big blackberry monster (on the right in the second pic). Besides the thorns, the bees are going to town on those blackberry blossoms. That doesn't stop me, because bees generally leave me alone unless I run directly into them, or sit on them (yes, I have done that, twice actually). But I am not going to wade through those blackberry thorns, nuh-uh! I may ask my neighbors if I can come on their side of the fence to reach over and get them. To share, of course!

 

[dibbles]

We also have raspberries, and I'll share a tip that you may already know. They don't seem to keep well so we pick every day and put any that we aren't going to eat right away on a tray and freeze them. Once frozen, we put them in containers (just keep adding to the same one until it is full). They aren't great for eating, but wonderful for baking treats in the middle of the winter. And by 'we' I mean my hubby, the gardener.

Our dogs all loved raspberries. One of them figured out that he could walk along the garden fence and pick the ones that grew through. The other three weren't that clever - they would just sit and drool.

 

[MelissaG]

Yummy. Ooo, blackberry cheesecake would be delicious.

My mum planted strawberries and raspberries in the garden when we were kids. One day, she wanted some strawberries for a pie and sent us out with a bowl to go pick them. My sister and I were maybe a quarter done picking enough (and eating some) when this giant white spider started swinging and crawling through the bush at us. To 8 year old me, that thing was GIANT. I still don't know what kind of spider it was but mum called it a wolf spider after we ran into the house screeching about a spider attacking. Though at first she yelled at us for lying. We refused to go back to even get the bowl. I can laugh about it now but boy did that scare us when we were kids.

We had a huge garden growing up, big enough for three houses to sit on. My mum loved it. Crabapples, sunflowers,pumpkin, peoples, carrots, corn, potatoes, and I know there was more but can't remember them all. During the summer, we usually just went out to the garden and picked a snack when we wanted it. She used to freeze and can them. It was always better than store bought.

If you're going to put netting on the trees, please be sure you can't put your finger through any of the spaces between the lines or animals will get caught in it. You may like to consider leaving some fruit out for the animals so they don't grow hungry. If you're willing, there are ladders that can get you up high to get the fruit down. Try to check that there aren't any animals in the trees when you net them. I know it would break my heart if anything happened to them and they were my trees.

 

[AliOop]

@dibbles thank you for the tip about freezing them - I will definitely have to do that because they are beyond abundant! I was also going to make some raspberry jam.

@MelissaG your family's garden sounds absolutely amazing! I've never seen a wolf spider, but it sounds terrifying.

Our cherry tree is taller than our two-story house, so even if there is a ladder that tall, I'm not climbing it. My husband wants to rent a bucket lift. Go for it, hun! I'll be sitting in the lawn chair watching that show.

 

[cmzaha]

I know it will not help this year but I wonder if any of those trees can safely be topped so they are manageable in future years? I think I would check with an arbornisnists. I know my uncle used to keep his citrus orchard at manageable height for picking. I remember wearing heavy long sleeves for protection and gloves when picking wild blackberries up on the hillside where my mom lived.

 

[AliOop]

I know it will not help this year but I wonder if any of those trees can safely be topped so they are manageable in future years? I think I would check with an arbornisnists. I know my uncle used to keep his citrus orchard at manageable height for picking. I remember wearing heavy long sleeves for protection and gloves when picking wild blackberries up on the hillside where my mom lived.

Great suggestion, Carolyn! We will definitely get someone in to check these in late summer for potential trimming in the fall.

The dilemma will be whether we want to sacrifice the shade provided by that too-tall cherry tree. We have lots of windows in the dining area and great room that are in full sun most of the day. We will add a patio cover to shade the great room windows at some point. But for now, the tree’s late afternoon shade is appreciated!

 

[Shelley D]

Our house came with a very tall cherry tree, a medium-sized apple tree, a small peach (I think) tree, a very overgrown raspberry patch, and a girnomous patch of what I believe to be blackberries (they are still flowering and just beginning to fruit, so we shall see).

The cherry tree put off an amazing crop, but most of it is far out of reach of our tallest ladder. And the birds! Instead of eating from the top of the tree, they choose to sit on the lower branches and take a nip out of each cherry. So while we have enjoyed a few here and there, most of the crop is going to waste, sadly.

The apples are still green, but in this area, the squirrels usually take a bite out of each one before humans can get to them. We are discussing whether to put some netting over at least part of it to see if that will help. The peach tree is still flowering, so we shall see what birds and squirrels do to that one.

BUT THE BERRIES See the pic for today's harvest alone, about 4 cups. There are tons more, some of which I can't reach because they are behind the very thorny vines of the big blackberry monster (on the right in the second pic). Besides the thorns, the bees are going to town on those blackberry blossoms. That doesn't stop me, because bees generally leave me alone unless I run directly into them, or sit on them (yes, I have done that, twice actually). But I am not going to wade through those blackberry thorns, nuh-uh! I may ask my neighbors if I can come on their side of the fence to reach over and get them. To share, of course!

View attachment 77999View attachment 78000

Mmm ~ BERRIES!
As for those cherries ~ I'd figure out out a way to get me some of those! Mmm!

 

[Shelley D]

I lived in a rental with a fenced yard for the doggies and it had a peach tree ~ unfortunately, it's one of the fruits I'm not a huge fan of so they mostly went to waste (neighbors couldn't even take enough), however, come to find out, my pittie loved them ~ but they gave her the stinkiest toots you ever smelled We always knew when she was munching on the peaches so we tried to keep them cleaned up but that one tree really put out a bunch
Ah, the memories

 

[AliOop]

@Shelley D I don't think my husband was serious about renting that bucket lift, so i am hoping to get out there with a ladder today to get some of them.

That's amazing that your doggie loved peaches - even funnier that they did not make her smell like .

 

[Shelley D]

@Shelley D I don't think my husband was serious about renting that bucket lift, so i am hoping to get out there with a ladder today to get some of them.

That's amazing that your doggie loved peaches - even funnier that they did not make her smell like .

I can't speak for her because I would let her out the door to do her business all by herself since we lived out in country
I hope you get some of those cherries!

 

[DanGrace]

That cherry tree sounds like a lifesaver with all that sun hitting your windows. I’ve got a spot in my yard where I put some comfy chairs under the trees, and it’s become my favorite place to chill out.