All About Pocket Knives

We have a purple leaf plum tree in the front yard.

It occasionally produces what I consider to be non-edible fruit that are not very large and literally blood red on the inside. Not very tasty. Certainly not like any plum I’ve ever eaten.

Lately, there has been a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers working it over pretty well.

Should I be worried re’ an infestation of borers or something similar beneath the bark?

I don’t want to lose this tree.

RobesonsRme.com wrote: ↑Wed Dec 07, 2022 11:08 pm We have a purple leaf plum tree in the front yard.

It occasionally produces what I consider to be non-edible fruit that are not very large and literally blood red on the inside. Not very tasty. Certainly not like any plum I’ve ever eaten.

Lately, there has been a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers working it over pretty well.

Should I be worried re’ an infestation of borers or something similar beneath the bark?

I don’t want to lose this tree.

I don't know about the borers, but I can see why you don't want to lose that tree, it's a beauty. Reminds me of some of the crabapple trees we have up here in Wisconsin.

Ya know, I don't think I'm ever seen this thread before, not sure how I missed it, as vegetation, trees, gardens etc are some of my favorite things

Here is a nightime pic I took this last summer of one of my giant multi headed sunflowers against a starry sky.
It got so top heavy that it snapped off in high winds the very next day. It was 14 feet tall before it came down. The bottom stalk is still standing, I hung a suet feeder from it..

This is what the little Hairy Woodpeckers are doing to my plum tree.

I’m not concerned about that more than what is it that they’re trying to get at?

Charlie, your tree is in stress. Can't see for sure from your pictures but there's a good possibility it is too deep in the ground. Either planted that way or soil and mulch has built up too high onto its trunk. Here's link that will hopefully help https://www.dirtdoctor.com/garden/Woodp ... q12896.htm

Ken

RobesonsRme.com wrote: ↑Thu Dec 08, 2022 9:16 pm This is what the little Hairy Woodpeckers are doing to my plum tree.

I’m not concerned about that more than what is it that they’re trying to get at?

Are you sure it is a Hairy? Holes look similar to Yellow Bellied Sapsucker work, and the 2 birds are somewhat similar. In that case they are after sap, not insects. Their behaviour can be discouraged by wrapping the trunk in cloth.

I don’t know the Hairy from the Downy or the Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker, but I agree the grid-like pattern is indicative of the Sap Sucker.

More photos:

There are yellow dandelions there and some Cala Lillies.

There has been some new growth sprouts come up off the roots this past year.

Charlie, as I suspected the tree is planted too deep. If you'll remove the dirt and mulch built up around the trunk the tree will be much happier and not under stress. Which means the sapsuckers wont bother it. They and insects etc are predatory on sick and weakened trees.

Remove dirt all the way around it until you can see the roots where they are coming out of the tree's trunk. The root flare is actually part of the trunk, not part of the roots. The flare needs to be exposed to air, not covered up.

Ken

I have a terrible sense of elapsed time, so I have no idea when I planted it.

There was a rather large pine stump there, which a split up and removed. I filled the stump hole with dirt and planted that tree, which was a stick, four feet tall and 3/4” in maximum diameter and it didn’t have a single leaf on it. It was in a biodegradable bag of soil and I nursed it for two years to get it to survive.

I bought it, on sale, at an ALDI store for ten dollars.

Daffodils at the edge of the field trying to bloom. Kinda makes my ole sing to see a little color in all this bleh.

Ever wonder why seeds that you plant do not germinate within the range of days printed on your package of "whatever" seeds? The delays MAY be due to your soil temperature. Soil moisture content can also affect germination, but that's for a different post.

Take carrots as an example - packages TYPICALLY state a germination time of 8 to 10 or 10 to 12 days, or some similar range, depending on variety, with varying days to harvest of 65 to 77 days.

Per the chart linked below, from the University of California Ag and Natural Resources department, carrot seed germination can range from as little as 6 days if the soil temperature is 86ºF to as long as 50.6 days in 41ºF soil.

Lettuce seeds will germinate in 2.2 days at 77ºF but take 49 days if the soil temp is 32ºF.

Starting your cool weather seeds indoors in a warmer, controlled environment will allow for faster germination. Once you plants are up a bit, they can be hardened off and transplanted outside and continue to grow in the cooler temps.

The holdup is always germination time, not growing time. Time to harvest is based on germination date not planting date. If your carrots take 25 days to germinate, only after germination will your harvest countdown begin.

https://ucanr.edu/sites/sacmg/files/164220.pdf

That's good info to keep in mind zz. I am very much looking forward to getting some seeds in the ground, still a while yet to wait though here in Wisconsin.

So is a fungus or a lichen a plant? How about a cat or a marble? Dead leaves and and logs are plant stuff!

Took this photo today of the Purple Plum Tree I asked about back on December 7th.

Not being stubborn or recalcitrant, just lazy, I guess, but I haven’t done anything any of you suggested to help it.

It’s in full blossom and has been for several days.

I keep four bird feeders in this tree, except today. It has been raining and I try to keep them as dry as I can.

Taken March 1st things are breaking out around here.

Shaping up to be the earliest spring in 40 years I read. That will mean no apples for me this year.

All the early blooming trees have been in bloom for about two weeks here in Huntington West Virginia , zone 6. I don't think they are supposed to start blooming in February.

Lyle, my old farmer dad always said it's based on sunlight not temperatures or date.

Daffodils and such have been blooming here for a few weeks now. Took these pictures on today's coffee walk.

Beautiful photos,the buttercups have been prettier and fuller of blossoms around here than I ever remember.

Loving all the pictures of spring gentlemen!
We'll get there in a couple of weeks here.

Love the topic, this is a corner of the backyard, we can go strolling and seemlngly find something new each time.
Kicks my patootie sometimes in keeping it all up, but you can just walk out back and lose yourself , worth it !

Awesome garden! Looks like you have a waterfall too?

1967redrider wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 12:24 am Awesome garden! Looks like you have a waterfall too?

Thank you !
There IS a waterfall back there, good eye.
Here are a few more shots, it's hard to really capture it all.

Last spring I think this was, the dog patroling the wall in the background... Coming in the side: Plants gone wild.
Elephant paw/Ponytail and plumeria and Sago and Bougainvillea - Oh my ! And after the day is done...

Very awesome, and I see your Golden patrol guard. Looks like a great place to enjoy a cold one too.