Author: peter@chicohomes.com

Sunday May 12th

Beautiful Mother’s Day!

Just quick bullet list of activity for Canyon log.

  1. Moved the big boulders, that had fallen off the cliff face onto the drive way, to their new purposeful location in front of the house to direct vehicle parking back from the flower bed. This will keep a nice shady pathway open to the house. This was done by dragging with the Tundra and a 20′ long 3/8th-inch diameter chain. Quite the endeavor!
  2. Selected and cut up 4 or 5 pine trees on the continuing work of drought and fire hardening of the land.
  3. weeded a bit in the garden. ( Harvested what is probably the last of the asparagus.

2019 Burning To Reduce Forest Fuel – a really wet year.

This Saturday was a great set of weather conditions for burning piles that we created in the summer of 2018 in the forest by “selective thining” and fuel reduction. There have been several good burn weekends this year – 2019. We are finding that by cutting up the branches and trees into smaller pieces before stacking into piles, the piles are denser and burn better. Also covering the piles with plastic after they have dried out for the summer, and before the fall rains come, makes the piles possible to burn when the rest of the forest is soaking wet or even covered in snow! We have done the plastic covering for several seasons now and are saving the plastic sheets for reuse. We just fold them up and store them in the shop or storage shed. Here are a couple more photos of forest controlled burning. Chipping would be nice to try, but that equipment is too expensive, not in the budget.

Here are a couple photos of the tools of the trade. When you are burning and the litter is dry enough to “creep burn” you must be very careful to not let the creep get to big or it will soon too big for you to be able to stop it! That is how a controlled burn turns into an out of control burn.

pitch fork, diesel trip torch, backpack water pump!

Planting Potatoes

Today Saturday April 6th 2019 Juan and I planted some potatoes in the three old wire bottomed planter boxes. It was overcast with light rain showers in the morning. We planted about 1:00 pm. after sandwiches under the mulberry tree. To prepare the bed I spread a bit of  organic fertilizer, ala Steve Solomon, and just for a little extra boost I spread some chicken coop floor straw and lightly worked these into the top of the soil with a rake. I did not turn hoe or spade the soil. Last Sunday I got the potatoes in the mail from Peaceful Valley. I cut them into planting pieces and set them out to scab over. See the photo below for the varieties planted. I just layed the potatoes on top of the soil and then covered them with a thick heavy layer of grass straw.

Propagating The Old Apple Tree

Before it’s too late I want to grow more of the old apple tree below the YAHB, ( I can’t believe I waited this long ). My plan so far, ( I’m open to suggestions ) , is to plant several in each “hole” and to put the holes in the field below the orchard where there are other old apple and pear trees. If this works I will try to propagate some of the old pear trees. The intent is to let these get big enough that they can feed the wild animals and act as decoys to the fruit inside the Beer Fence ( Bear & Deer Fence).

This is the old apple tree that I took green cuttings from to see if I can start some new trees.
This is where I prepared the cuttings.
Cool but not cold, light but not direct light. This is where I hope they start roots.

First Peaches of the Season

July 13th.  The peaches are coming! Must be the harsh stressful conditions the peach trees are put through that makes Canyon Peaches ( and other fruit too ) taste so good.  Or it could be the camping syndrome, where you are so hungry and tired and worked so hard, the camp food tastes amazing!    This was an off year for apricots.  Cherries were just ok, good flavor but light crop and smaller fruit. Plums, figs, pears, apples, nectarines, pomegranates, persimmons, and walnuts all seem to be coming along well.  Almonds and pistachios are looking light this year.  The new Beer Fence ( that’s bear & deer ) is helping the fruit trees and the chickens and the beginnings of a pasture, as is the new water system. More on those later.