Jan Bonham and Kristy Edwards work in the raised beds at Arbor Day Farm.

Are you looking to start your plantings earlier and possibly stretch your harvest date further?  Look no more than raised beds.  Raised beds are nothing more than elevating soil or mix, which allows the soil to warm faster in the spring and to cool slower in the autumn months.  In some regions, depending on climate, using raised beds lengthens the growing time by an extra month on either end of the regular growing cycle. That can be a real advantage in getting strong, healthy plants and trees.

Arbor Day Farm is currently experimenting with our own raised beds.  Our soil here is, for the most part, clay.  This hinders good root development for young seedlings and it also eliminates the possibility of lifting (that’s “greenhouse speak” for harvesting) the seedlings at maturity. The clay would tear the lateral roots, all but killing the seedlings once they went to outplanting.  With the challenge of clay soil in our area, we decided to go with raised beds as a trial when it comes to growing bareroot seedlings here at Arbor Day Farm. 

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Winter Maintenance in the Apple Orchard

Jan 27 by Erik Olson in Apples, General, Orchards & Apples, Trees tagged apple tree care, apple wood, Arbor Day Farm, orchard, orchard maintenance, tree care, tree pruning, winter orchard with 4 comments

Apple orchards are popular places at two distinct times of the year – during the spring bloom, when branches are covered in pink and white flowers, and in the fall, when crisp, juicy apples are ready for harvest. Most people don’t realize it, but wintertime in an orchard is important, too. Attention to detail in the off-season makes both the bloom and the harvest better.

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Earth Day, Arbor Day, Any Day – Plant Trees!

Apr 22 by Robert Smith in Arbor Day, General, Nature tagged Arbor Day, Earth Day, tree care, tree tips with 5 comments

Of all the months in the calendar, April shines with at least two designated days reminding and encouraging all of us to do our part for the planet: Earth Day and Arbor Day.

And there are countless ways to do our part, from big investments in our home or landscaping, to small changes in our everyday habits. Thousands of people all around the world will participate in trash pick-ups, they’ll commit to reusable bags and water bottles, the’ll take public transportation or get in on a carpool, or maybe plant some trees in their yard or community.

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