HOBBY FARM SECOND YEAR

Second Milestone

The Moorpark apricot in the fruit garden has produced a promising crop of about 100 healthy fruit. Many will succumb to wind damage as well as birds before harvest

The Red Globe grapevine has set an excellent crop of berries that will develop into very large black grapes by next autumn

Satsuma plums have successfully set on this grafted branch and should ripen into dark-red blood plums by next February

Friends inspecting the dying pine trees located on the boundary of the property. Most of the original 150 trees have now succumbed to the drought

Friends Peter and Effie admire the fast growing and very attractive Eucalyptus polyanthemos. This hardy tree is also very ornamental and is used as a street tree in Melbourne

The Australian floral emblem, the Golden wattle has had its first set of blossoms. This very hardy tree has thrived on the farm

Time has moved quickly during the first two years since purchasing the farm in August 2006.

New Appearance Of Depth

During the past spring the first plantings of native trees have begun to blossom attracting many nectar feeding birds as well as much more insect life. Trees that have exceeded 2 metres in height have now begun to give an appearance of depth to the farm, rather than the flat open area exposed to the elements.

First Harvest After Christmas

The fruit and vegetable garden has continued to develop at a pleasing pace. I will carry out the first harvest of mulberries, apricots, peaches, plums and apples after Christmas. Birds will need to be deterred by covering maturing trees with a net. If this is not done, fruit will need to be harvested before it is fully ripe and the resultant flavour will be compromised.

Rainfall At Record Low

Unlike last spring, rainfall this year has been at a record low. The soil has become extremely hard and impossible to cultivate. Most of the original plantings of ornamental pines along the boundary of the property have now died, the rest will follow this summer barring a heavy downpour. These sad looking remainders of once very handsome trees will eventually be used for compost making, but for now their skeletal remains will serve as a windbreak for recently planted gum trees.

Heavy Losses On Pine Plantation

The pine plantation has begun to show heavy losses due to insufficient spring rain and also due to unwanted pruning by a resident hares and rabbits. I expect only about 50% of the seedlings will survive their first summer and replanting will be needed should we receive adequate winter and spring rain next year. If this does not happen, the experiment of growing pine seedlings for Christmas tree production will come to a sudden halt.

Two Thousand Trees And Shrubs

Close to two thousand trees and shrubs have been planted in the past two years and by next spring the planting phase will be mostly complete. The number of these plantings that will survive to maturity is hard to say, but it appears likely that they will need to survive very difficult climatic conditions.

Wishing all the readers a Happy Christmas and a productive new year in 2009.

Alf Di Bella
Dec 2008