I couldn’t resist showing you the alpaca-possum-bird-proof enclosure the Offspring and I built for the apple tree:
This poor little tree almost died a couple of years ago…now look at it, 3 different grafted apples, all fruiting like crazy. We also have 4 different kinds of peaches, a quince tree and a couple of fejoia that look as if they’re going to have a bumper crop too.
If you want to see more luscious photos of home grown produce, check out my friend Dale’s post. She and her partner live in NSW where the weather is more tropical. She also has a green thumb, and it shows. 🙂
cheers,
Meeks
Meeka's Mind 
April 23rd, 2022 at 11:26 am
[…] apple you see on that plate is the apple I just picked from my tree. I picked it, buffed it against my shirt and bit into it. Crisp but not ‘rock hard’, […]
LikeLike
January 25th, 2022 at 11:40 am
Mmmm, fresh apples off the tree … worth their weight in gold these days. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 25th, 2022 at 1:18 pm
They sure are. 🙂 No pesticides or herbicides for 16 years, and the best part is that we don’t have to wash them to make sure we don’t come into contact with covid! Oh, almost forgot. The peaches are close to ripe. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 31st, 2022 at 3:28 pm
Mmmmm, peaches. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 31st, 2022 at 10:09 pm
lol – we tried the first ones yesterday. Not quite perfect but still delicious. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 24th, 2022 at 9:56 pm
Happy apples!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 25th, 2022 at 7:44 am
lol – thanks, Andy. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 24th, 2022 at 3:52 am
awesome! Enjoy them! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 24th, 2022 at 2:45 pm
Thanks, Carol Anne. Not quite ripe yet so expect heaps more pics in the coming weeks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 24th, 2022 at 2:46 pm
Yay cool 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 9:41 pm
I’ve never heard of fejoia. Anything Dale does would not surprise me as she has come on in leaps and bounds since she and her partner the B.O? retired from the big city years ago to their property. Truly a green finger.
Hugs
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 10:09 pm
-giggles- GO David. I would never accuse him of having BO. And totally agree re Dale’s ability to grow things. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 24th, 2022 at 11:51 am
Yes gorgeous one rather than beautiful one, how could I HAVE FORGOTTEN.?
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 24th, 2022 at 2:42 pm
lmao – Indeed! : D: D
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 8:33 pm
You’ve done well with this tree. My mom also has green fingers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 10:11 pm
Not sure about green, but I take it as a personal affront if anything in my garden dies. 🙂
What does your Mum grow? You should get her to write a gardening post every now and then.
LikeLike
January 23rd, 2022 at 3:31 pm
One way to ensure the fruit trees survive is to give each one 70l of water each week. How to do that? We use the washing machine water, and the detergent is green and biodegradable (and we don’t use much). The drain from the shower (if you have one – I know you’re in the country, but not many places have an outlet just for the shower) to drain onto the mulch.
Or a big pit filled with green trimmings (mulches down and holds a lot of water). Draining water from the tank overflow toward the orchard (or tree).
Building a water-well around each tree (can backfire if it’s too hot, though, as it allows salt to rise to the surface).
It’s hard to keep them alive, so congrats.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 10:18 pm
I’ve never measured how much water my trees get but each one gets a decent soak once or twice a week. More for the ones actively fruiting as the gum trees siphon off so much of the water. I’m leery of using pea straw because of the fire danger but this year I put green grass clippings around each tree in the hope that it would keep the soil a bit moister and cooler, and mulch down. It’s kind of working.
Back when we had the big drought I had the shower and laundry trough/washing machine plumbed into a smallish tank just outside. It’s got a tap with a hose fitting so I can manually send soapy water straight onto the grass [read weeds] and rinse water onto plants. Heaps of time and effort during summer but worth it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
January 23rd, 2022 at 12:27 pm
Wondering how the blossoms get pollinated, and whether that’s necessary (I thought it was, but don’t know modern apple-growing techniques).
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 12:22 pm
I predict an apple tart in your near future.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 12:55 pm
Ooooh…I wish! It’s been so hot, even making apple sauce would be a pain just now. Hopefully by the time the apples are fully ripened, the weather will have cooled down enough to put the oven on. 🙂
Btw – how are you feeling?
LikeLike
January 23rd, 2022 at 12:04 pm
That tree is lucky to have found you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 12:56 pm
lol – maybe. It would probably have preferred not having alpacas around too. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 11:57 am
I am envious 🤢 The possums are still munching my vine, and I really miss its shade on these hot hot days. Enjoy those apples!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 12:57 pm
Aaaah…they haven’t been deterred? I wonder if it’s because this summer has been drier than years past? The native wildlife has decimated all the fruit that wasn’t netted, despite the fact that none of it was ripe yet. 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 9:53 pm
Interesting thought about things being dry. There isn’t many other tasty things in the garden.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 10:08 pm
That could be it then. I know the alpacas go to great lengths to ‘graze’ on anything green – fruit trees, roses, shrubs… 😦
LikeLike
January 23rd, 2022 at 11:36 am
You ever watch Chris Bamman on youtube? I think you might enjoy is wordless-adventure videos. He’s situated in south east Australia I believe. Beautiful coast and country scenery.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 23rd, 2022 at 12:58 pm
Oh? To be honest I’ve never even heard of him. I’ll look him up. Thanks for the tip. 🙂
LikeLike
January 23rd, 2022 at 1:18 pm
Wow – I just watched one of his videos in which he creates a waterwheel to rotisserie a big lump of meat. Amazing DIY although I did wonder how he kept the meat from going off! Roughly minutes 12 to 16.
LikeLiked by 2 people
January 23rd, 2022 at 11:34 am
I’m admiring and envious of your orchard… we only planted fruit trees last year so time will tell!
LikeLiked by 2 people
January 23rd, 2022 at 1:19 pm
It’s taken over 10 years for our fruit trees to come into their own but it’s so worth it.
LikeLike