We have two dwarf apple trees — as well as a pear and a plum — on the perimeter of our property. Despite the ‘dwarf’ label, they can grow fairly tall if they are not pruned back regularly. Right now, they stand at about one-and-a-half stories. This makes picking the fruit off the high branches pretty much impossible, but it makes the low-hanging fruit easily pluck-able.
Particularly for these guys:
…who, like all animals, stopped what they were doing as soon as I started taking pictures of them.
Three seconds prior to this snap, however, mama deer had the end of one of the branches in her mouth and was gnawing off the fruit growing there. Notice her mouth is open? It’s full of apple. And she’s a bad-manners chewer.
The good news, I guess, is that — like last year — we are going to have a bumper crop of fruit.
The bad news, though… The high ones are going to be un-pick-able come harvest time (which, by the looks of it, is going to begin in about three weeks) and the low-hanging ones are going to get eaten by the local wildlife.
*laugh*
Oh well. 🙂
We’ve been light on rain but heavy on sun for the past month; I’m happy my edibles are growing.
Now if my sunflowers would just follow suit…
I had some fruit trees in my old property, but got so discouraged with codling moth that I’m glad I have none now. My neighbor has a pear tree and sure enough……every fruit comes with its very own codling moth larva in it. (It;s like getting a bottle of mezcal)
Oh gosh… Ack! 😱
We have our biannual war with tent caterpillars but otherwise, the apple and pear trees do pretty well. The plums, not so much. But I can’t complain — no larvae here, thank goodness!
Well, it is also pretty cool that you have trees right on your own property that provide not only fruit for a lovely dessert, but mange to attract potential “main courses”. How convenient. LOL.
KDPierre recently posted…Weird Day
Be glad you don’t have giraffes. Otherwise, there would be nothing to collect 🙂 And so, a ladder to help you.
Oh, but giraffes would be a delightful sight!