Pruning Trees & Cleaning Up Garden Beds – Section 1

 

It’s kind of hard to believe, but it’s that time of year again already.  The garden is spent, the coop needs a good cleaning and winter prep, fruit is dropping from the trees and the flowerbeds are looking pretty tired.  It is time to get busy and get things tidied up, trimmed and ready for some rest and next spring.  This year I am working from the backyard fence line and making my way toward the curb at the street in front of my house.

 

Adding soil amendments will hopefully lead
to another bumper crop of something 😀

To start, I removed the bell pepper plants that once again didn’t produce much this year.  I only ended up getting one small pepper out of all of those plants so I don’t plan to plant peppers again.  I raked out the coop’s pen area and added that to the raised garden beds where those plants were.  This, along with debris from inside the coop, will sit on top of the soil and winter over.  I will also be adding several full litter bins from our sweet little bunny throughout the coming winter.

 

All pruned and ready for a long winter nap

After grabbing my ladder from the garage I picked all of the remaining pears left on the tree.  We definitely had a bumper crop of pears this year and I was thrilled to be able to share with friends, neighbors and the senior center.  Once all of the picking was done it was time to assess the tree and then give her good pruning.  Any damaged branches were cut out as well as those that were becoming too big for the trunk to properly support them.  Then I used my pruners to cut out smaller branches that crossed or were growing in a direction that would soon be problematic.  With these limbs and branches removed the tree is now properly shaped and all of the remaining limbs and branches are healthy and strong.

 

The chickens are enjoying some of the summer bounty

All of the fallen, damaged fruit was collected up off of the ground and placed into a large bucket to be fed to the chickens in the next couple of weeks.  Some of the fruit was also added to the compost bin.  With that bed all cleaned up and tidied I did some raking and then got started on cutting up and disposing of the limbs I’d pruned.  It was a process, but over the past two weeks I was able to get it all cut up and to the curb for collection.

 

The last of the tomatoes this year

The tomato plants this year were large and very productive

In the meantime I also began to work on the tomato garden.  This year I was blessed with another bumper crop.  I picked all of the remaining green tomatoes before pulling up the plants.  The tomato plants were added to the compost bin and like the other garden beds I will be adding chicken coop and bunny offerings as well.  As the green tomatoes I picked ripen I plan to just add them to a bag I have in the freezer for now.  I definitely had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year and I couldn’t be happier.

 

I filled up the compost bin

Before I pulled up the tomato plants I took a few cuttings from the plants and placed them in water to root.  I’m not sure if I can successfully grow new tomato plants this winter, but I’m going to try.  It is definitely going to be an experiment.  I had successfully done this with a cherry tomato plant the previous summer so I am hopeful.

 

Looking good!

First harvest of apples!

The last of the pear tree limbs ready for weekly pick up

With section one, the backyard, cleaned up and well maintained I am now ready to take a good look at the next section and form a game plan.  Then I’ll get to work and once I’m done I’ll report back.  Things are definitely going to be changing a bit around here in the next month as I address a few things and make some improvements.