Rhody and I are still not taking many pictures while on vacation. I realize that I said that I should be more diligent about doing so, but we have been so busy vacationing. Perhaps I will do somewhat better next Saturday.
1. Apple trees before pruning look like a hot mess, particularly with the thicket of willow and other vegetation in their background, but are actually quite healthy and cooperative.
2. Apple trees after pruning still look questionable and disfigured, but really are healthy. I probably should not have thinned them so much. It will compromise their production.
3. Apple debris was not so abundant this year, since all the major cuts were made in past seasons. Almost all of this debris is one or two year old growth. Now, it must be burned.
4. Dandelion was one of the only flowers besides cherry trees that I noticed blooming in the vicinity of the apple trees. A cherry tree that I got pictures of last week is about done.
5. Western sword fern was featured in an upcoming gardening article. This picture is the same as the illustration but sideways. This fern is very common in the Pacific Northwest.
6. Rhody really knows how to relax on our vacation. He is very fond of my Pa, and enjoys lounging on his lap for as long as he can, typically with an inane movie on the television.
This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/
Tony Tomeo 
Rhody really does look relaxed. He must have needed a holiday! 😉 Is there a reason for burning the pruned apple debris? We have pruned our trees but not dealt with the piles of debris yet, which is why I am asking….
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Burning is how I dispose of the debris. There are eleven mature trees, so they produce too much debris to compost. There are actually many more abandoned trees that I would like to prune, but do not have the time for.
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It sounds like you’re having a lovely vacation!
I’m also interested in the reason for burning the apple branches. I think we will have lots of cuttings from our trees and bushes in seasons to come, so we need to figure out what to do with them.
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I burn the debris because there is too much to dispose of otherwise. This is just the debris from eleven mature trees. There would be more if I pruned more trees. Of course, if there were not so many, disposal would not require burning.
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That makes sense! We might not need to do it since we won’t have that many trees, at least initially.
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If you do it for the first time, you should inquire about doing so with the local fire department. Some areas require burn permits.
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