# are you adding to your orchard?



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

are you adding to your orchard?....i wasnt going to this year.but i just couldnt not do at least a few changes and additions. i have lost several fruit trees and i blame it on the drought and dwarf and semi-dwarf root stock but anyhow. picked up a fig tree,muscadine grape and a male and female kiwi.


this past week i been working in orchard fixing up damaged trees and adding mulches and general fix up and clean up.this past winter was hard on stuff here.


what are yall adding tree wise this spring?


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

the wind blew so hard at one time this winter it actually snapped this tree over at ground level. i left it there and at one time it was covered in 2ft of snow.i had looked at it and thought it was a goner. but low and behold it started putting out leaves and blooming so i decided after looking closely at it it had a small section of root left attached.its going to get extra TLC this year. i tied it up and put rotted woodchip pile stuff around it.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

this is a 3 year old lodi blooming for the first time. i am excited about this tree.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i tried plastic pots around my trees but wasnt happy with results. so i took them away.one had wild ramps growing in it.so after mulching tree i transplanted them directly into mulch to see how they would do around this shiro plum tree. i also transplanted a few sprigs of garlic to see how they done....lol...i am always testing stuff out...lol


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## gweny (Feb 10, 2014)

3 kiwi (1male, 2 female)
4 cherries (2 bing, and 2 dwarf pie)
2 almond
3 blueberries 
And
Some black raspberry cane

Ive got the berries in already. Should have the rest in by the end of may.


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## MNBobcat (Feb 4, 2011)

12 apples
4 pears
8 plums


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## Solar Geek (Mar 14, 2014)

Lost 13 blueberry plants to starving bunnies. Still have 14 - all put in last year. Now completely netted.

Have now 3 peach trees, 3 plums, 3 apples. Want to add 1 more to each type. 

Just bought 2 bartlett pears - need to get another different pear or 2.

Also want 1 red delicious apple and a bing cherry.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

I started my orchard this year.
3 apple, 2 pear, 2 peach and 1 plum.
This fall or next spring, I want to add 3 apple, one each of; pear, peach apricot, necterine.
Will also add a few grapes, and need to add to my black berries, they seem to ne completely dead this year.


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## farmgal (Nov 12, 2005)

Yes, this is the year of my yard. Wish I could find more standard size fruit trees also. My house is built in the middle of a hay field so I'm planting lots of trees. Many we will dig out of the woods. Dug a bunch of pines already. We need wind breakers. I did buy a clump type river birch and 2 red maples. 

Our big project will be covering fruit bushes and wrapping any new trees from deer or I'm not allowing myself to buy anymore.lol


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Cut down a number of fruit trees this weekend, for various reasons. I sent for 2 Saskatoon Blueberry trees, 1 looks like it's alive. 5 new kind of Rasberrys are backordered from the county, and bought a Honey Crisp Apple tree for Moms orchard. Most of my trees don't even have buds yet, so I'm not sure what I lost yet. My rose bushes got clobbered, I had about 75.


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## Mike in Ohio (Oct 29, 2002)

Adding 16 apples, 4 pears, 6 cherries, 2 currants, 10 elderberries.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

I'm so jealous of all you who have the space for orchards. I'm suburban but I did get one of those 4-in-1 apple trees last year to experiment. The snow was so deep here this year that bunnies were able to get to the branches coming off the main truck. Yikes! All four varieties are either leafed out or showing their leaf buds already. Pfhew! I'm thinking that I might want to get a dwarf tree for the front yard. Question: If I get one for the front will the multi-tree in the backyard "count" as the need a pair rule?

I keep raspberry canes in an old stock tank that I brought home from the stable. Actually some of the raspberries in it came from there too. I was always digging something up during our trail rides. Top Hat Blueberries are in 4 big planter containers on the patio.


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## badlander (Jun 7, 2009)

We added two dwarf peach trees, one Asian pear tree and one Kinderkrisp Dwarf apple to our thriving orchard of peach, apple and pear trees. They all survived the winter with only some minor late frost damage to one tree. 

I also planted peach pits last fall and of the two dozen or so that I sowed, I have four that have germinated so far.

We also planted 24 new thorn-less blackberry plants, Oauchita and Triple crown, to our arbor of 29 plants. Some of them took a pretty hard hit with the severe winter weather but they all look green at the base so I'm hoping they will recover and produce our first crrop this year.

We have room to add another dozen trees to our orchard without expanding too much and have plenty of space on the rest of the farm if we decided to really expand the number of trees that we have. 

About a third of the fruit trees are in bloom right now. It is their second year so we should have a small crop to enjoy.

Can't speak highly enough about the quality of the trees that we have been buying from Starks Bro Nursery down in Louisiana MO. Great folks to work with.


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

I added 10 new apple whips on semi-dwarf stock this winter. I chose three different southern heirloom varieties that should spread the harvest time out from the middle of August through the beginning of December. 

I've already got 9 mature trees. I believe they are semi-dwarf since they are only around 15-20' tall, but I am guessing. I'm not sure what variety they are since they did not appear to have been pruned since they were planted and the apples that came off of them were small and dense. I pruned the aggressively this fall and am hoping to get a better idea of what type of apples they are later this summer.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Need to replace two young apple trees that were rabbit debarked up to five feet up . . I had so much snow that as the snow got higher, they just kept eating--up.

Needless to say if the Mossburg had seen this, it would have loudly barked..

No buds yet...........


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

A thought I had concerning my "orchard"
Mine is just a section of our front lawn, between our driveway and a neighboring corn field. I still have to now that area. I originally planned on putting a mulch bed about 2 or 3 foot diameter around each tree. I also thought of planting something else between the trees, they are all 16 feet apart.
My nrwest thought is to build a raised bed the length of each row of threes, about 6 inches or so deep by 2 foot wide, and planting asparagus and possibly strawberries in the raised beds.

Considering I just planted the trees this year, I figure I have several years before they shade out the entire area.

So, what do you all think? Will asparagus grow well between fruit trees, and will it grow well when planted with strawberries?


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

farmgal said:


> Yes, this is the year of my yard. Wish I could find more standard size fruit trees also. My house is built in the middle of a hay field so I'm planting lots of trees. Many we will dig out of the woods. Dug a bunch of pines already. We need wind breakers. I did buy a clump type river birch and 2 red maples.
> 
> Our big project will be covering fruit bushes and wrapping any new trees from deer or I'm not allowing myself to buy anymore.lol



per the professor(Dr.Jim Cummins) that use to run the new york experimental station told me if you want a standard size tree and cant find one just plant a semi dwarf or dwarf and get it deep enough that the graft bulge is below ground level it will send out roots.my trees that have done the best are the ones that have sent out roots from graft area.his son runs his nursery now as he retired from teaching.he is a super nice fellow.

http://www.cumminsnursery.com/

http://www.cumminsnursery.com/dads.htm


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> A thought I had concerning my "orchard"
> Mine is just a section of our front lawn, between our driveway and a neighboring corn field. I still have to now that area. I originally planned on putting a mulch bed about 2 or 3 foot diameter around each tree. I also thought of planting something else between the trees, they are all 16 feet apart.
> My nrwest thought is to build a raised bed the length of each row of threes, about 6 inches or so deep by 2 foot wide, and planting asparagus and possibly strawberries in the raised beds.
> 
> ...



plant...plant...plant


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

if yall got time read this....a local here had trouble getting a 8 year old tree to bloom.look what she done and the results. after reading this i observed on a pear tree i have that has had hardly a bloom in years on all the fast growing sprouts that rolled over from weight last year are covered in blooms right now.


results
http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Late-blooming_apple_varieties/


what she done

http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Radical_apple_training/


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## simplegirl (Feb 19, 2006)

We added 8 more blueberries to our orchard this spring. Have to wait until fall to add the fruit trees because we need to gather some more money together! We have fenced in our blueberries to keep the rabbits and deer out. Plants are too expensive to let the wildlife feast on them. We will net them once the berries start coming on. Have a total of 16 plants and plan to add 8 each year. The first 8 will have a nice amount of berries on them from the looks of what is blooming now. 

I agree with Badlander about Stark Brothers in Louisiana MO. We are about an hour west of there and they have wonderful quality plants.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

some of my trees are stark bros. i have a dealer near me and they have/keep a huge variety. i have to be careful visiting there as money flies out my wallet....lol


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

lost most of mine to a storm 3 years ago, took out the last 3 drought killed last year, doubtful I'll plant anymore.


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## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> So, what do you all think? Will asparagus grow well between fruit trees, and will it grow well when planted with strawberries?


Asparagus can do fine if the soil is right. Strawberries do not "share" well, in my experience. Unless you really stay on top of them to keep the runners from crowding out other plants, they will dominate a whole area. Probably won't hurt the established trees at all, but I don't think they would work well with asparagus. Alpine strawberries (non-running types) would do fine, I would think.

I have set my strawberries "free" in my food forest. They do a good job of competing with other wild plants and sponge off some of the water that goes to the main fruit trees/bushes during the dry season. If they get too close to other domestic plants though, I move them along. I have watched them outcompete comfrey, even.


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## Trapper (Jun 2, 2006)

three plum trees, two cherry trees, arriving this week from the recommended Stark Brothers. The holes are dug! This is in addition to the one pear and 3 apples.


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## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

Added in more apples, pears (euro and asian), grapes, plums and pluots this year. All by grafting in scions or rooting dormant cuttings received in trade from others around the country.

We had a very cold snap for this area, where the temps dropped to -3F for a couple days... I am very happy to see new growth coming up from the base of my figs and pomegranate. The olives lost their leaves, but the stems are still green, so I think they will leaf out next month. Pretty impressive for young trees!


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

whiterock said:


> lost most of mine to a storm 3 years ago, took out the last 3 drought killed last year, doubtful I'll plant anymore.



i think as time goes on water is/will be the biggest issue. thats one reason i want trees with larger root stock for searching out and taking up water and being able to survive longer.

sorry yall/we have lost so much to this drought.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

the asparagus ferns might shade out the strawberries to much to be intermingled. but it wont hurt to try a section out and see how it does.especially if its a june bearer instead of ever-bearing strawberry as they might be ripe faster and not effected as much.all you have to lose is a few dollars.


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## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

Our fruit trees had the blooms or buds beaten off by golf ball sized hail a couple of weeks ago, except for the cherry tree which just bloomed a week or so ago and is now covered in cherries. 

We are adding another cherry tree and a couple of new blackberry bushes this year. I hope to add at least two new rose bushes as well.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Trying to prune my almost 40 yr old trees...ugh!

Last year we planted an Elberta Peach...a few years before we did some apples and plums....

Trying to get a couple more 4 by 12' raised beds put in....maybe I should get some blueberries for one?


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## wally (Oct 9, 2007)

Our orchard consists of 30 trees, most we planted and some were here when we bought the farm. No way will we be adding more, its just the 2 of us now and we dont need any more fruit


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

wally said:


> Our orchard consists of 30 trees, most we planted and some were here when we bought the farm. No way will we be adding more, its just the 2 of us now and we dont need any more fruit


one thing to consider is as time goes on you do need to plant trees all along.a lesson i was taught at a young age by old timers here was when all their nice older trees started dieing and they had not planted a few trees along as time went. i seen several orchards just die off in a few years and they were left with only fruitless young trees as they had started planting at first sign of troubles.but it was too late.

people should plant standard size trees to so after we are gone in the hopes in the future someone will sit under that tree and say i sure am glad somebody planted this tree here 50 years ago...or if ya real lucky a family member will recall you and be grateful for your forethought.

for me to many apples only means meat in freezer from deer coming to steal apples....lol


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## Marthas_minis (Jan 28, 2014)

Added another peach and a fig. I still would love to add another 6 each of peach and pear. 

We have plans to plant 10 or so pecans if we can ever find a decent price.


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## wally (Oct 9, 2007)

Elkhound you are correct. the orchard is made up from trees that were here,3 apple,2 apricot, 2 pear, all unknown varaities..over the last 15 years we have added 5 apple, peach, plum,necturine,pears,..I also added 1 apple variety that produces 2.5 pound apples and another the has three varities that are grafted onto on root stock...you just have to have some "fun" trees once in a while..
I will continue to replace trees as they need to be replaced but will not be adding any more trees


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## wally (Oct 9, 2007)

Elkhound, forgot we also added sweet and sour cherries


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## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

We just finished planting five more semi dwarf (Apple and peach) to our orchard. I think we have about 25 trees now planted after moving here late 2011. Can't wait for them to start bearing!


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

I have a Red Flesh crabapple and a Milwaukee apple ordered. I have 1 plum tree that I planted over 15 years ago but don't know if it made it through our winter. So. WI.

I have 2 fruit trees, I believe apple, that I started from seed. They are bet. 5 an 8 yrs. old and have not bloomed yet. I wish I had planted a fruit tree a year for the last 20 yrs. but, that's water under the bridge... Have a fig that is hauled in every late fall and this year I hope to get some figs from this tree. Live and learn.


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## montysky (Aug 21, 2006)

The core of our orchard is over 100 years old, just add when we need to nothing plan for this year. Apple, pear and pie cherry.

Have two strawberry patches, and Raspberries along one side of our veg garden, wild currants down along the creek (makes a great jelly and syrup) 

and each year we spend a day up in the mountains picking wild huckleberries but only enough for two pies and some syrup. fun outing for us and the kids.


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

Added a few anna apples and golden delicious..another pear and mayhaw..two peach trees and one more fig...also added blackberries and blueberry bushes


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i am really impressed with the number of folks putting out trees and the amounts many of you have and are working towards.....3 cheers from me to yall !!


if yall wanna see something interesting take a look up top at loricristies new land she bought..her and husband dug up their older fruit trees and moved to new place.they done awesome work and they were able to keep the blooms on them too during moving...i am impressed by them.

page 3

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/ge...de-families/511044-closing-property-week.html


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## jessimeredith (Sep 12, 2004)

Our "orchard" will be restricted to pots for the next few years...so looking at dwarf varieties of course (taking suggestions). We've got the greenhouse still and will be putting it up, so have plans for citrus plants as well. Unfortunately we have to wait until June to get any new plants. Right now I've got kiwi (1 each) and grapes in super big pots...grapes already have 5 or 6 small bunches!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I added a peach and apple, as well as 10 new blueberry bushes. I've lost pretty much all the nectarine, apricot and peaches I've ever planted, but I can't help trying again....and again...and again....


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Concerning my rant about the ********rabbits on page one of this thread . . . . .

Well early this morning the Mossberg got mad and barked . . . . . .
One down . . .how many to go . . . .???

My garden and fruit trees are worth far more to me than one or two meals of wild rabbit. . . . .
I have spoken........


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

Jim-mi said:


> Concerning my rant about the ********rabbits on page one of this thread . . . . .
> 
> Well early this morning the Mossberg got mad and barked . . . . . .
> One down . . .how many to go . . . .???
> ...



GET R DONE !!!!!!!!!!


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## PeachyLeigh (Sep 24, 2011)

We just add 2 apricot and 2 blue berries. Tryin to talk the ol' man into cherries and plums. We got several end of the season peach and apple trees 2 years ago. They looked rough, but we babies them and most are covered in fruit this year.


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

Before I add any more fruit trees, I need to subtract some squirrels. They just take a bite of apple etc. and throw it on the ground. Then get another.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Possum Belly said:


> Before I add any more fruit trees, I need to subtract some squirrels. They just take a bite of apple etc. and throw it on the ground. Then get another.


Isn't the first bite of an apple always the best?


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Yep, apparently Adam thought so...


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Jim-mi said:


> Concerning my rant about the ********rabbits on page one of this thread . . . . .
> 
> Well early this morning the Mossberg got mad and barked . . . . . .
> One down . . .how many to go . . . .???
> ...


Got 2 down so far. Saw another last night. Feeding a new mix of bird food, put it right on the drive way . What the birds won't eat-the rabbits seem like just fine, well, until,,,


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## planzman (Feb 28, 2012)

This year i added to my 200 feet of vineyard grapes, 5 southern heirloom Apple trees, 1 Newtown Pippin, Carolina red june, spitzenberg, buckthorn (I think) and another that i cant recall at this time. Also sdded another dwarf Keifer pear, and planted two Podsednick (not sure if thats spelled right) extra large Pecan, and double my amount of blue berries to about 100 feet of plants.
Now if i could just split my one hive and fill those three other top bar hives, life would be grand.


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## sdnapier (Aug 13, 2010)

farmgal said:


> Our big project will be covering fruit bushes and wrapping any new trees from deer or I'm not allowing myself to buy anymore.lol


Too funny! I am not allowed to buy more plants until I plant the ones I already have....my rule too.


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

Just added another apple, peach, plum & apricot to my existing 2 apples and peach. I'll be moving the blueberries and blackberries to containers. I'm considering adding some raspberries to the mix this year as well as a few grape cutting from a friend's vine. I also have 20 strawberry bare root plants/crowns to plant after I make a couple of bucket self watering planters for them.


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## AprilM (Jul 23, 2008)

1 each of apricot, apple, pear, and cherry; 4 peaches; 3 plum; 3 kiwis; 3 hazelnuts; 1 walnut; and 2 almonds


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## cnichols (Jan 5, 2010)

Added two grapevines, two golden raspberries and a blueberry to our fruiting plants. 

I'm happy to see peaches growing on the peach tree this year. Hoping that they actually make it this year (last year they just stopped growing and fell off). I've fertilized the trees this year in an effort to give them a small boost.


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

I have been adding a couple trees here and there for the last 4 years. I think I have around 60 now on my 2.24 acres. My husband complains I have too many ! LOL! I did squeeze 4 trees in this year. I sorta have a little bit of everything. I know he won't complain when the trees are mature and keep us well fed in the future

I also added 10 blueberries and have plans for 15 more... to add to my 31 current ones (though i think 2-3 might be needing to be replaced)


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## krochetnkat (Dec 19, 2013)

We haven't decided WHAT we are going to add, but we lost about 10 trees due to storms. I always replace any trees lost so I decided to do fruit trees this time.


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## planzman (Feb 28, 2012)

planzman said:


> This year i added to my 200 feet of vineyard grapes, 5 southern heirloom Apple trees, 1 Newtown Pippin, Carolina red june, spitzenberg, buckthorn (I think) and another that i cant recall at this time. Also sdded another dwarf Keifer pear, and planted two Podsednick (not sure if thats spelled right) extra large Pecan, and double my amount of blue berries to about 100 feet of plants.
> Now if i could just split my one hive and fill those three other top bar hives, life would be grand.


Oops i meant 800 feet of grapes, something you cant grow in the mid of Jawja


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I've got 48 fruit tees in the orchard and 2 dozen heritage apples in pots, trying to find a place to put them. So no, I won't be buying any more fruit trees for awhile.

When I prune the grapes this year, I plan to start some cuttings. There are 8 varieties of grape out there. One plant of each, except there are 2 plants of Golden Muscat, which turned out to be the best one.

I've now got 50 named varieties of iris, so no more of those, either.


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## Guest (May 4, 2014)

I added 2-sour cherry,1-apple and 1-sweet cherry to my already existing orchard..Im now up to 19-fruit trees...I have apple,pear,peach,plum,sweet cherry,sour cherry and mulberry so far..I need to clear the back of our wooded property to find space to plant more..I would like to buy a few nectarine to complete having every fruit tree that grows in my area..

I have 2-matured Blueberry bushes that will be delivered June 1st...I have planted several blueberry,blackberry,raspberry,elderberry,juneberry..

I just bought my first Gooseberry bush yesterday...Im so excited because this is the first Ive ever seen one for sale or in real life!


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