ANOTHER SET BACK!

Many of our wonderful peach trees are showing signs of disease.  Not only did the weather prevent fruit set but we have lost about 6 trees this spring.  Here is a picture of the root crown infected with fungus.  Oak Root fungus!   There is no organic or inorganic treatment to effectively kill this fungus.  Some non organic orchards treat the soil with methyl bromide to sterilize it before they plant but the fungus is so virulent that there is no guarantee that even methyl bromide will stop it. 

There is a possible way to slow the advance of the fungus.  By exposing the root crown to the air the growth of the fungus in inhibited before it can girdle the tree and kill it.  Good fertilization and growing conditions can also enable the tree to outgrow and stay ahead of the damage.  We are going to try both approaches in June.

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Pea Pickers

On Saturday June 11 our farm was open for public pea picking.  Families and friends descended on the farm to pick nearly 90 pounds of fresh shelling peas!   That's a lot of peas.   Looking at the field you can hardly tell they are missing.  I would estimate that there is still over a hundred pounds of peas left on the vines.

GREENHOUSE PROGRESS