Tag Archives: raccoon

2015 Orchard Season in Review

Posted on 25 October, 2015 by rurikia

The 2015 orchard season started with a fairly good spring followed by an abnormally wet early summer, then had an extended dry spell as autumn progressed. Insect and disease pressure was moderate and reasonably controlled by occasional spraying. European Apple … Continue reading →

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Switching to a steel roof – part 2: Installation

Posted on 4 May, 2014 by rurikia

For someone very used to the process of installing composition shingles, the installation of the new roof using different techniques seemed well worth paying attention to. In addition to the basic roof installation, I also opted to have the trim … Continue reading →

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The Rurikia 2013 Season in Review

Posted on 29 December, 2013 by rurikia

Preparation for the 2013 season began in late 2012. Having identified the likely culprit in the attacks on young apples to be the European Apple Sawfly, the orchard area was given a dose in October 2012 of approximately 5 million … Continue reading →

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The 2013 grape harvest at Rurikia

Posted on 22 October, 2013 by rurikia

The results of the 2013 grape harvest at Rurikia, mainly Traminette and Cynthiana. The grapes clearly took a backseat to the apples this year and were very close to fogotten about as the apples came in, so the hornets, yellowjackets, … Continue reading →

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Grapefest 2012

Posted on 30 November, 2012 by rurikia

Depite the sizable take by the raccoons, skunk, and other animals prior to getting everyone together to harvest and process, we still managed to find over 40 pounds of grapes off the porch vine. That turned into 22 pints of … Continue reading →

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Residents of Rurikia

Posted on 6 November, 2012 by rurikia

A walnut tree, a path to a pond, and a motion activated camera. All that is necessary for setting up a photo studio for Rurikia’s other residents.

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The Grapes of Rurikia

Posted on 2 September, 2012 by rurikia

Of all the plants in the orchyard the grapes fared best this year.  Their deep established roots kept enough moisture coming to avoid being shocked back into dormancy by the summer drought and the long hot days helped to speed … Continue reading →

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Time for a Niagara harvest

Posted on 13 August, 2012 by rurikia

Although the majority of the orchyard is struggling to simply survive the drought this summer, the deep rooted grapevines have had no real difficulties. The Niagara vine along the front porch is loaded with grapes that are just becoming ripe … Continue reading →

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2012 Cherry Season at Rurikia

Posted on 10 June, 2012 by rurikia

The mild spring this year led to an early cherry season. The tree was at peak bloom in late March, approximately 2-3 weeks earlier than normal. That schedule carried forward and by mid-May the cherries were beginning to turn red. … Continue reading →

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Raccoon Rampage at Rurikia

Posted on 15 May, 2012 by rurikia

It was a late spring in Tokyo but an early one at Rurikia this year, and the latest report from the orchyard is that the cherries are starting to turn from yellow to red, usually an indication that they are … Continue reading →

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