On Fondling My Cherries

[littleoldliv]

I pruned my fruit trees for the first time this year. Pretty severely - I was a little worried I had gone too far. But the Bali Cherry was covered in blossoms. Next issue - I sat for half an hour one morning and didn't see a single bee. So I decided to do the pollination myself - I went over the tree with my hands, squeezing and rubbing my hands over all the blossoms. The Bali Cherry is self-pollinating, so this meant that pollen from the same tree can fertilize itself... 

Today I went out and found hundreds of small cherries formed on the tree. The last few years, I haven't tended the tree, and have had maybe a couple of dozen cherries. This year, I am already beginning to think how I need to brace the branches so they don't break under the weight. 

It's a little thing, but I'm loving it. 

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Next issue - I sat for half an hour one morning and didn't see a single bee. <<

odd. Are there bees or other pollinators elsewhere? If not, maybe more diversity of flowers would help attract them. If they are present, they may not like the Bali cherry, which sucks.

>> So I decided to do the pollination myself - I went over the tree with my hands, squeezing and rubbing my hands over all the blossoms. <<

It's normally done with paintbrushes, but yeah, I've used my fingers a few times.

>>Today I went out and found hundreds of small cherries formed on the tree. <<

Yay!

Re: Thoughts

[littleoldliv]

It's been very windy here. But also - huge bee dieoff over winter on several farms that I know of. I have other flowers and plants to attract them. And yeah, there are lots of mosquitoes here, they are excellent pollinators. If I was being methodical about it, I use an electric toothbrush, but the day I thought of doing it I was out there, and I knew if I waited to go inside, find the spare toothbrush, and go do it, I wouldn't.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> But also - huge bee dieoff over winter on several farms that I know of.<<

Alas! :(

I just discovered that I have a bee tree again this year! :D 3q3q3q!!! We were walking through the savanna, I heard the lawnmower sound, I looked up -- and there were the girls to-ing and fro-ing overhead.

>> I have other flowers and plants to attract them. And yeah, there are lots of mosquitoes here, they are excellent pollinators.<<

I had no idea that mosquitoes were pollinators. Huh.

>> If I was being methodical about it, I use an electric toothbrush, but the day I thought of doing it I was out there, and I knew if I waited to go inside, find the spare toothbrush, and go do it, I wouldn't.<<

I have never heard of using an electric toothbrush. However, I know that some flowers must be vibrated to release pollen, and only certain bee species know that trick. But I would be an electric toothbrush would work.

Re: Thoughts

[littleoldliv]

I would be so excited to have a bee tree!! I've seen some bees now, mostly carpenter bees, so I am going to set up a bee log for them in the yard in hopes of getting a colony going here.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

The honeybee tree is a maple that is partly hollow inside, and there is a large knothole where the bees come and go overhead.

I also have lots of native bees. There may be carpenter bees, mason bees, etc. as there are plenty of trees for them to drill. We get a lot of sweat bees and other small native bees. My favorite is a tiny one that is entirely metallic emerald. :D

In mid to late summer, the parasitic wasps arrive, the gorgeous blue-winged wasps and several others, whose larvae eat the larvae of scarab beetles. Since they showed up several years ago, they've really knocked down the populations of junebugs and Japanese beetles. \o/

Re: Thoughts

[littleoldliv]

Ohhhh look at that PRETTY! The green bee, I mean. I love wasps too. Just relocated a nest tho - to the other side of my yard. It was in an old desk I had for decor out in my yard. I love them, just not right outside my window.

Re: Thoughts

[littleoldliv]

I would be so excited to have a bee tree!! I've seen some bees now, mostly carpenter bees, so I am going to set up a bee log for them in the yard in hopes of getting a colony going here.

[zasu]

Had to go look Bali cherries up. I see they’re sour, but allegedly edible fresh. How true is that? Can you eat a lot, or only a few at a time?

[littleoldliv]

Yes, true on both counts. And I can eat a lot, but they will make my mouth pucker. I got them mostly for pie making purposes - but I got them in the first place because they are the most hardy cherry tree. There was a sudden hard freeze (common in Colorado, but this one was way harder than most) that killed most of the cherry trees, but all the Bali Cherries survived.