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nafex - [nafex] solitary bees, new graftlings & weed control

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  • From: tugger@netreach.net
  • To: nafex@yahoogroups.com
  • Subject: [nafex] solitary bees, new graftlings & weed control
  • Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 10:21:39 -0000

Three seperate/related subjects.
Some of us in SE PA as part of the Back Yard Fruit Growers are now
using/raising solitary bees. I have mine out near the orchard in
their tubes which I've put into several 12" long capped pvc holders
mounted on several poles that are up prevaling wind from my trees.
The bees are now out and seem ok but some wasps have found the
containers and are making nests in with the bees. So far no problem
but I presume that, even if the insects don't have a problem, that I
will when the bees return to their tubes and mud up and from what I
have read I am supposed to put them away til next Feb. Any ideas on
how to get rid of the wasps?
Re new trees and "graftlings"(is this the proper term?). I have
grafted about 150 scions onto rootstocks over the past several
weekends and have them now in cool, dark-ish area "callousing(sp?)"
til I see some sign of growth- last year that took 3-5 weeks. My
questions deal with why not plant them directly into their permanent
sites in the orchard versus putting them into a nursery? It seems
like double work and possible more harmful to their root systems to
have to dig them and move them yet from what I've heard and read the
conventional wisdom is to put them into a nursery for a year or so
and then move them.
Finally I had problems with my computer- never enough memory- and
only picked up a bit of the conversation about straw mulch stunting
the growth of young trees. I have used straw "doughnuts" around my
trees, possibly to their detriment I gather, for the past several
years for moisture and weed control. What is the alternative? ( I see
it coming-start them in a nursery and weed them by hand). Seriously,
is there an alternative. I instinctively don't want to use weed killer
near them for I suspect that I'll kill as many trees as weeds.
It was a beautiful weekend in SE PA and great to be outside working.
Thanks
MIke


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