After getting rained out* on Saturday, we went back at it Sunday to finish up. Using an antique post hole digger, I was able to dig 43 12-15 inch holes in about 90 minutes (33 holes on Saturday). It was recommended to us to plant at 2 feet apart but I was planting at about 30 inches. This was because the mark on my digger was at 25" and I used the handle to sight the row in and then rolled the digger up and started my first cut.
Getting soaked on Saturday and enjoying a cloud-free day on Sunday, the Mrs and youngest son joined me and we were able to get our two flats of aronia plants in the ground and a woven wire fence put up on both sides to hinder the deer. It's reported that deer won't eat the plants but they pull them out of the ground.
Some ground felt to keep the weeds down and some wet straw for cover.
*"Rained out" - that's the first time I've used that phrase in over two years.
One of 76:
Our finished row:
I then added 3
more pawpaw trees for a total of 9 after planting 6 the week before.
Pawpaw trees need shade for the first year or two of their lives or they will burn up. I could have purchased tree tubes but I opted to use burlap since I have to build cages to keep deer under check. I also surrounded the seedling with hardware cloth to keep rabbits and mice away. To top the cage off, I used some old barbed wire to aggravate deer if they stick their noses in. We will probably need to raise the shade up next summer.
We added a light 10-10-10 commercial fertilizer in each of the holes, both berries and pawpaws.
Pawpaw trees need shade for the first year or two of their lives or they will burn up. I could have purchased tree tubes but I opted to use burlap since I have to build cages to keep deer under check. I also surrounded the seedling with hardware cloth to keep rabbits and mice away. To top the cage off, I used some old barbed wire to aggravate deer if they stick their noses in. We will probably need to raise the shade up next summer.
Pawpaw in a burlap and wire cage:
We added a light 10-10-10 commercial fertilizer in each of the holes, both berries and pawpaws.
We picked up the plants from a local grower during a demo field day last week. I've been researching the aronia berry for awhile now but I got my first taste during the field day. A sweetener is recommended. No sugar needed for the pawpaws, though. With a taste that is a mix of banana and mango, it was also our first experience with the fruit and the Mrs. insisted we get a few trees.
Learn more about Aronia berries with the common name of Black Chokeberry.
More information about the Pawpaw.
The burlap looks like a good idea. Plastic tree tubes have to be sealed with soil or mulch at the bottom to prevent the seedlings from drying out due to chimneying, and the top needs to be covered to prevent birds from being trapped. I think that burlap leaks enough air through the wall that your tubes won't act like a chimney, and you can have a gap or opening at the bottom to allow birds to escape when they hop down. Two thumbs up on your new blog!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that the burlap would give us better airflow and allow better freedom of growth instead of trapped in a 4" tube. Deer would also beat those things apart but with a cage, they can rub up against that instead. They don't care for those cages.
ReplyDeleteAnd regards to economy, it would cost us $5 a tube vs less than $2 for the cage and burlap.
Thanks, David