Thursday, May 22, 2014

It's A Start on the Road to Normalcy!

Hooray and happy to say I started feeling much better on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, however (per Susan's instructions), Papa Pea kept me velcro-ed to the couch anyway.  But this morning he asked if I felt up to pruning the raspberries today.  Wa-HOO, ya sure and you betcha!  It was my first day of working outside.


These are our three rows of raspberries before pruning.


We like to get the pruning done before the leaves bud out, but didn't make it this year.  (We're getting at the task about a month later than in a normal year.)  But as hubby pointed out, it sure makes it a lot easier to tell the dead canes from the live ones when you see the green leaves all over the live canes!


Our system works well; Papa Pea snips of the dead canes, hands them to me and I pile them in the garden cart to be hauled away.


Here's the "after" picture.  Sure looks a lot different doesn't it?  That big space between Row One and Rows Three and Four is because I took out Row Two years ago.  It was a fall-bearing variety of raspberry which never did diddly-squat in our northern climate.  Each and every year, just as the berries were almost ripe in the fall, a hard frost would hit and zap the whole crop.  Actually the width now between Row One and Row Three is none too wide.  It's amazing how thick and bushy (and impenetrable)  the canes will be in short order.  Working in between Rows Three and Four to pick those berries when they're ripe is like walking through a thick jungle . . . with no native guide.  Or machete.

28 comments:

DFW said...

So glad you are feeling better. It's almost too hot to be outside here. If you go out too early in the AM then the mosquitoes are out. Have to time it just right, before the heat & humidity roll in. I can't imagine having a raspberry plot like you have. Good for you guys!

Tyche's Minder said...

Oooooo. Jealous of your raspberries! Glad you're back on your feet.

Tombstone Livestock said...

Good to hear you are feeling better, yippee, Mama Pea is up and at 'em.

I picked 5 yellow squash yesterday and one tomato, now if I can just keep my plants watered, everyday project in this heat.

Sparkless said...

I'm so glad to hear you are both feeling better. I bet it felt nice to get out and get some gardening done. I may have to plant some raspberries but I have to wait until the husband puts up the privacy fence in the back because I think that's where they will go.

tpals said...

Yay! Great news that you're well into recovery from the nasties.

Endah Murniyati said...

Look so neat! So much pleasure do gardening together!

Sue said...

You have some German in ya, don't you?!
Neat as a pin--you know how I love that!
Glad you're back up to par. Welcome to Spring!

odiie said...

Wonderful to see you up and at 'em. This weekend should be warm and great for being outside. Don't overdo.

Lisa said...

Welcome Back!!!!!! I always love your raspberry trimming posts to see the 'before' and 'after'! You do look like you are feeling better!

Akannie said...

So glad to hear you are back and feeling better... there's been some ookey bugs going around down here too...so far (knock wood) I have been spared.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Glad to see you are up and about and feeling so much better. Yay! The raspberries look great too.

Mama Pea said...

DFW - I hope I don't jinx us, but we haven't seen one mosquito or black fly yet. (Must have something to do with our COLD spring!) Our raspberry plot is really too big for our needs. You can't give away raspberries like you can strawberries either. I think I may sell some to a local restaurant. They've indicated they'd love to have them.

Mama Pea said...

Tyche's Minder- I'll send you some raspberries when they're ripe! Thanks, I'm so, so glad to be feeling better!

Mama Pea said...

Tombstone Livestock - So hard to wrap my mind around the fact that you can have ripe squash and tomatoes already. If I put a tomato plant or squash seed out now, it would be deader than a door nail by morning! Sure glad you have adequate water for your animals and garden!

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - I just loooove raspberries but I know a lot of folks aren't so fond of them because of the seeds. A bowl of fresh raspberries and cream . . . oh, my! Hope you can get some started in your yard this year.

Mama Pea said...

tpals - And determined to NEVER let those nasties get a hold on me like that again! Geesh.

Mama Pea said...

Endah Murniyati - It sure does help (understatement!) to have two of us to work on most everything together!

Mama Pea said...

Sue - German? Neat? Some may say German equals stubborness!
I told hubby tonight I'm not going to panic about everything that needs to be done outside until June 1st. How long do I still have? (I know I sure pushed myself a little too hard today. Ugh.)

Mama Pea said...

odiie - Yes, the forecast does look good for this weekend. It sure was nice today . . . even a little warm! Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Mama Pea said...

Lisa - But doesn't the "after" always look like we've pruned beyond repair??! It's hard to believe how very fast those canes grow leaves and how bushy they get!

I really, really am feeling better. Cough only a few times a day and am getting some energy back! Hooray!

Mama Pea said...

Akannie - You've had PLENTY to deal with in the last several month so please, please, please don't let any of those ookey bugs get you! Such a bad time of year to be feelin' yucky!

Mama Pea said...

Thanks, Kristina! Now if I can just find time to start commenting again on everyone else's blogs. I've been reading but not up to even commenting. I should use my rest periods from outside work to do my commenting. Yeah, that's a good plan!

This latest stressful stuff you've been going through with your awful "neighbors" would be putting my tummy in knots. Sure hope it all turns out well for you!

Anonymous said...

Getting to go outside and do something not so strenuous, was probably one of the best things to help you get better! So glad to see you up and about!

http://caffeinatedhomestead.weebly.com/blog

Unknown said...

Mine were like that recently. Whacked them all back and it's all green now! I just planted more Marionberries, yummy....

Mama Pea said...

Stephanie - Yep, getting some outdoor exercise AND some sunshine . . . which we've finally had a for a few days!

Mama Pea said...

Nancy po - Ooooh, marionberries! There is a restaurant on the way to the big city (where we go for our periodic big shopping trips) that has a specialty dessert . . . Marionberry Tart . . . and is it good!

Cat Eye Cottage said...

I always wait until the canes start to leaf out to clean out my blackberry bed. It seems so much easier to me.

Mama Pea said...

The Weekend Homesteader - Well, duh, I wonder why we dummies here haven't realized that before this? Wish we could grow blackberries (I love 'em) here but our climate isn't quite warm enough.