Simple Pruning: 5 Branch Types to Prune From Your Fruit Tree This Winter

Winter presents one of the best times to prune your deciduous (all leaves drop from the tree) fruit tree(s). The deep cold temperatures lull deciduous trees into a dormant ("sleeping") phase making them less likely to experience "shock" from the cut. The sap will run slowly, if at all.

[The Homestead Barn Hop is happening now. Stop by for a spell!]

But, if you're new to pruning deciduous fruit trees, the task might feel intimidating. The last thing anyone wants to do is inflict harm on the tree(s) we've worked so hard to grow. Right? But, take heart! Giving your trees a healthy pruning is simple when you know to look for these 5 key branch conditions: (Tip: Wait until all the leaves have dropped off your tree so you can get a good look at the tree's whole structure.)

1. Prune away dead, damaged or diseased limbs.

 

2. Prune away branches that cross through the center of the canopy. (Opening up the center of the canopy enables light in and air to circulate.)

 3. Remove branches that rub against one another

4. Prune away sucker branches growing straight up or down.

5. Prune off sucker branches or sucker roots (water shoots) at the base of the trunk.

That's all I'm going to do to this tree until after the blossoms drop off in spring. Then I'll look again for any damaged limbs or thin the branches if they are crowding. In the summer, I'll prune away heavy leafy vegetation to make room for fruit. 

A gentle pruning will help your trees to thrive. They will do better with a little pruning rather than none at all. Most trees are quite resilient, so don't be afraid to tackle this task this winter.  

As always, I love hearing from you. So, please send over your questions or comments. 

Goodbye TWENTY13. Hello TWENTY14.

2014 is here. Are you like me, wondering "where did 2013 go so quickly?" It's a good thing I have this blog to help me answer that question or might I not remember all that transpired in the last 12 months. Although, this blog is only 10 months old, so February and January are blurred memories. Except at the end of February, I do remember the very hard landing I took after taking an unscheduled dismount off my Arab gelding's back. Ouch! Somewhere during my recovery I started thinking about this blog...and how much I looked forward to walking again and being out of pain.

My first post went live on March 16, 2013. I chickened out with a short post and a photo.

I enjoyed reading back over the year's post to see all we accomplished as a family. Please be my guest to look back over the year at Stable Road Homestead.

March

We showed you how to make codling moth traps for your fruit trees

April

The Fix-It Month poem brought a few laughs
You met, Yeller, our Strawberry-loving Labrador Retriever

May

Celebrated Mother's Day and remembered on Serviceman and women in the US Armed Forces.

June 

We celebrated Father's Day and our son graduated high school.

July

The harvest began for apricots, grapes, and lettuces.
During the BIG HEAT WAVE, we took off to the lake to do some fly fishing.

August

Deer hunting season...There was nothing to "write home about", if you know what I mean...

September

We tracked a bear and harvested an abundance of apples, thanks to the codling moth traps we set out at bud-break in March.
Stable Road Homestead joined in The Homestead Barn Hop, hosted by The Prairie Homestead and New Life on a Homestead.
 

October

October was a busy month:
I wrote a review (non-paid) about Twisted X All-Around boots, which I like a lot.
We harvested Icicle Radishes and planted garlic--for the first time.
We began our experiment with growing in SmartPots.
Our Yellow Labrador, Bodie, turned four.
We joined other family members for a week on the North Coast.
We introduced you to one way to remove the "pickle smell" from a great big pickle jar so it can be reused to store whatever you like.
I closed out the month with a week of jury duty service.

November

We assessed our To Do List and felt pretty happy (and a little tired) with what we accomplished in 2013.
We helped neighbors move and adopted their 4 Barred Rock hens, who graciously give us two eggs a day.
We gave thanks for His grace and provision.

December

Winter came in hard in December. The Big Snow Storm sent a tree through the top of the horse shelter. The horses were not hurt, thank God.

Your Top 3 Favorite Posts

1. What I Like About Line Drying Clothing
2. Homestead barn Hop 134
3. Grateful the Horses Weren't Hurt

Your Least Favorite Posts

 ...Did I Say the Freezer is Full?
This post is a follow-on to a post about filling the chest freezer with meals, home-raised/home butchered meat. The point was...the freezer didn't stay full long enough and I need to improve the plan for next time.

Winter to Spring
A photo-only post that contrasts a cold, gloomy snowy winter day with the cold-but-sunny brilliance of spring buds on the Crepe Myrtle.

7 Projects to Complete Before Summer Strikes
I'm happy to report we made progress on this project list. The old pond is now filled with gravel and decomposed granite. The next step is to add the quartzite stones, seating and fire pit.

The carpets were cleaned in time for Thanksgiving. One day we hope to have wooden flooring again.

What Would You Like to Learn About in 2014?

Now it's time to hear from you. What is it you would like to know more about in 2014? Please let me know!

Thanks for joining us at this week's Homestead Barn Hop. Don't forget to stop in to say "hi" to Prairie Homestead and New Life on a Homestead, both of whom graciously hostess this blog hop.

Homemade Custom Paint Color

Today's the Homestead Barn Hop! We are so glad you decided to join us.

I don't exactly know how long ago I painted the blotchy squares of assorted colors on my kitchen wall; it was sometime over the summer, I think. Anyway, as I buzzed about thinking what I needed to do to get ready to host Thanksgiving dinner, my miss-matched wall colors stood up and said "Hey, remember us?"

Time to Paint the Wall ONE Color

Since I haven't fully worked out my paint-color scheme, I searched the clearance shelf at the hardware store for a color I could live with temporarily. What I found was a selection of

White. 

Off-white. 

Base tint for white. 

Gray. 

No colors except one really bright green that I knew I couldn't

Then it hit me:  I can try creating my own color using the various partial-cans of paint I have in the basement. Why not? It certainly won't cost me anything but time. And what's going to become of all that paint anyway? I might as well put it to use, right?

In the basement I found four kinds of interior paint--some interior, some exterior, a paint mixer, an old white plastic bucket.

Mix, mix, mix.
I need black. 

Back into the basement I go to locate that little can of black paint I bought last spring.

Drizzle. 

Mix. 

Drizzle. 

Mix again. 

Too light. 

Dump. 

Mix. 

Now, that looks like a color I can live with.

Next, I...

• Washed the walls with a cold water-white distilled vinegar mix. 
• Let them dry. 
• Rolled on a coat of Glidden Gripper Gray Primer. 
• Applied my new one-of-a-kind paint.

Voila! My previously multi-colored kitchen wall is now a deep shade of green.The new color brings out the warmth of the oak cabinets.

I love this color! In fact, I had enough paint to paint a wall in our mudroom, too.

I hope this post is an encouragement to you to take a chance with paint and try something new. Remember, if you don't like it you can change it any time. It's just paint ;)

Some people love to paint. Others don't. Which category do you fall into?

White Icicle Radishes

Also known as Lady Finger, these White Icicle Radishes are fresh out of the garden.

White Icicle Radishes grow a slim 4"-6" root taper to a point and have a very slender taproot. The flesh is "crisp", mild (in case you don't like the "sharp" taste of some varieties) and, yep, you guessed it--white. The green "tops" are good to eat, so don't toss them to your chickens just yet. Add them to your salad, saute them, or toss them in a soup or stew.

Give Growing Radishes A Try

Radishes prefer well-drained soil with plenty of added organic matter. They have low nutrient requirements (one of the attributes that makes them easy to grow). But, they don't like a lot of nitrogen.

Cool weather is their favorite kind of weather. Start by sowing seeds directly wherever there is extra space in the garden. Some gardeners like to use radishes as row markers for slower germinating crops like carrots. I like this idea!

You can harvest the White Icicle Radish whenever it's large enough to use. Store them in cool, moist conditions. Ours usually go straight into the salad.

Radishes of all kinds are quick, reliable growers; a rewarding crop to grow for new  gardeners!

Off the Homestead: A visit to Quail Ranch: Look who got skunked!

 Ooops! The Off the Homestead series begins Thursday. Monday (tomorrow) is the Homestead Barn Hop! How could I forget that? It'll be fun, Please stop by.

 Howdy all. 

On Monday Thursday we will launch a new series, "Off the Homestead". Meanwhile, we want you to meet our new little friend to find what kind of "adventures" he's encountered ;). Come back on Monday to read about the North Coast's Quail Ranch.

Meet my little buddy, Lasso of Quail Ranch. Lasso is a one-year-old Lhasa Apso mix who lives up to the breed's reputation for being "lively, playful, spirited, devoted, alert, steady, obedient, energetic, friendly, fearless, intelligent, and assertive." They left out: not afraid of skunks.

Lasso after his bath

It was pitch black outside, but Lasso was out and about barking up a storm that morning. We could tell he was after something. One whiff of the dawn air explained it all:  he'd found a skunk...or the skunk found him. Ugh. 

Bath Time

Welcome, once again, to country living where getting skunked is sometimes a part of it. Fortunately--for all of us, the kitchen and pantry at Quail Ranch held all the ingredients needed to restore our little wet, muddy, skunky fur-ball friend to his former non-skunky self: Dawn liquid soap, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (3%) and warm water, and lotsa towels. This "delicious" combination of ingredients eliminates the skunk smell instantly. 

Here's how you do it:

Lasso is small enough to fit into the tub sink in the garage, which we filled half-way with warm water. If your pet is larger, fill a bucket with one gallon of warm water, mix in the ingredients, then scoop the mixture onto it and scrub. Here's what you will need:

• A tub, deep sink or large bucket or two
• Several old bath towels
• Sponge or wash clothe
• 1/4-to-1 cup baking soda per gallon of warm water
• 1 pint-to-1 quart bottle hydrogen peroxide (We only needed a pint-size bottle. Use a small bottle for a small animal and a large bottle for a large animal.)
• 1 drop Dawn liquid dish soap. (Use only one drop or you will spend the rest of your day rinsing the suds off your pet.)
• Scrub/wash. Rinse. Repeat, if necessary. (One washing has always worked for me.)

Be careful to keep the mixture from the animal's eyes when you're washing and rinsing him. Using a sponge or wash clothe will help. 

All Clean Again

Lasso was a trooper; he endured his bath like a real sport. I know he liked the attention. I also happen to know that he's a veteran bath-getter and has met more than his fair share of skunks.

Interesting Note About Lhasa Apsos

Wikipedia tells me that the Lhasa Apso was bred as an interior sentinel in the Buddhist monasteries, to alert the monks to any intruders (and skunks) who entered.

Our hostess at Quail Ranch had never heard of this de-skunking concoction and was blessed by our readiness to get the job done for her.

Have you had to rid your critters of skunk smell? What works for you? Let us know!

Well, stop on by tomorrow so we can share more of our Off the Homestead adventure with you.

Disclosure: We have a personal relationship with the owner of Quail Ranch, but receive zero compensation for blogging about the ranch. Quail Ranch is available as a vacation rental.