On June 26 I wrote
We won’t get any apples this year because of the harsh Spring, but with good luck and a net we might get some cherries.
With our two trees we had hoped to get a few more than in our previous harvests.
August 12, 2014
August 10, 2016
But it was not to be. The birds got all of them from one tree because even though they were small and hard as rocks, the birds weren’t fussy. Andy hadn’t put the net up in time.
So he quickly put a net around our other tree, but he wasn’t quite careful enough. A golden mantle ground squirrel found an opening and devoured the lot. He was still inside when Andy saw him.
Better luck next year?
July 29, 2017
bugger!
At least the trees are all right.
They look lovely. We allow birds to eat them on the trees, but haven’t yet found a solution for caterpillars that proliferate on our cherry tree.
We haven’t had trouble with caterpillars yet, but Andy has sprayed for other problems.
or…
you could just continue to get your cherries from the market and enjoy providing a wonderful supply of groceries for your little wildlife that depend on you! LOL
that’s the way I like to think about it.
though… if your own lives depended upon the crop… that would be a whole other story!
We can’t get sour cherries in the market, and do you really think Andy should put all of that work into growing fruit trees just to feed the birds and ground squirrels?
What a lovely, commendable thought and approach to life, Tammy. Nothing better than generosity of heart.
U
tammy,
Andy says that is another way of looking at it. In fact, we do feed the birds when he tries to sow grass, clover and wildflower seeds. They get most of it. It’s expensive, but not as much work for him as growing his fruit trees. For them he will stick with fencing and nets. 🙂