41 comments
We’ve got six fruit trees here but only planted them two years ago and an early frost ruined the first harvest. Fingers crossed for peaches, nectarines, cherries, apples, and two plums…. Can’t imagine how cool it will be if we get a full harvest to go with the veggies, raspberries and strawberries!!! All credit to Roxanne Barber for our bounty.
and don’t forget your local pollinator
I have 24 fruit trees! I wouldn’t have it any other way…
Planted lots of fruit trees last year, strawberry plants and several fruit bushes
I did. strawberries. loved it
Marc Lecour
thanks for valuable information
shared 🙂
That’s my goal this year
Location, location, location! Size. Water needs. What to plant under is my biggest question. Cilantro draws bees like nothing else. Easy to grow, I just pull it and let it go again.
Highly recommend dwarf trees for those of us over 40……
I’m not over 40 but I’ve only planted dwarf tree’s too. I figure I’ll be over 40 soon enough and will be glad I did lol.
Hydration and a composting routine. What fish to raise in my water tanks what other plants to plant to balance the ecosystem and keep it sustainable. Red worms or black fly larva? Dehydrate, freeze,ferment, or can the fruit for the winter? Will they survive in the soil while it is being recovered or do I have to recover the soil first? Windmill pump or solar pump?
I live in a small city and through hit and miss I have been trying to figure out what plants will and will not work where I live. I have had to figure out things like where to plant in regards to sunlight, wind and space available. I had some serious mistakes last year I do not want to repeat this year. I want to grow more of an edible landscape and not a lawn. Last year I tried container growing and made a few mistakes. My potatoes were doing great until a tree fell on them and then I used to small of containers for midget melons. You learn by your mistakes though. I am thinking of using raised beds instead this year where I can because the soil here is hard and the owner of the property has approved vegetables but no fruiting trees.
Can’t wait to have my own orchard
Love it! I am not planning to have one but I will gladly accept an invitations for the fruit. Harvesting! 😉
I just stay away from planting anything that attracts gorillas. It’s not that I don’t like gorillas I just don’t like walking under gorilla infested trees (they are worse than birds if you know what I mean). :^)))
I would love to do it if I had the space. As it is, on our tiny plot in the suburb, we have 3 apple trees, two peach trees, a pear tree, and 2 cherry trees. We had a lot of evergreens (23+) removed to make room for a border of hedges and the rest of our gardens.
I live in suburbia too. But I have 2 new apple trees, 2 new elderberry trees, and 2 potted key lime trees. I intend to plant an all-in-one almond tree this spring and eventually plant kiwi trees and olive trees in the next couple of years. That’s in addition to my garden of 21 raised beds. 🙂
Anybody have a clue on how to thwart barbarian squirrels? They ate every single Apricot, apple, grape, plum in my city garden. Aggravating as I even netted the grapes. The only thing they left alone was sour cherries.
Adam Sanders
A .22 rifle ought to take care of those squirrels. 😉
In Midland you can raise dried fruit and Charley Brown Xmas trees…
An outside dog works best!
If you caught shooting squirrels in the city you can be charged with 1. Shooting a fire arm in the city 2 animal abuse. I have a Havaheart trap but then where do you take them that does not add to somebody else’s problem? Otherwise a good solution Amanda Copeland.
It’s on the to do list. Apples, persimmons, pears, plums and citrus seem to bear the best here. And then a berry patch and some grapes. We don’t get enough chill or heat hours for most stone fruit to bear consistently well for us
Leslie McCartney
pellet rifle with a scope, and a crockpot work well for raiding squirrels
I have a brother who lives on a couple acres of land out in the country. I’ve been after him for years to plant an orchard. I’ve offered to change places with him. 🙂
I have always wanted to plant in Orchard. It’s actually part of my lifelong plan.
I read about one man who used electric fence wiring, wrapping it around the trees
Love my backyard orchard. Cherry, plums, peach, pears, almond. Adding apples and fig this Spring. Out of room after that w a 60’x120′ veg garden, about 20 ‘ of blackberries and 20′ of raspberries. Last but definitely not least, a 6’x12’ asparagus patch.
There is some interesting work out of Canada about “permaculture orchards” which stagger different trees to benefit each other and eliminate the spread of pests. There is also added a nitrogen fixing tree in the mix. We’re researching and planning to do something similar on our ranch outside Los Angeles.
It says to give a standard-size tree 25 feet in diameter of space for preventing nutrient competition.. does this mean EACH TREE, for a total of 50 feet between trees or 25 foot spacing between trees?
Currently reading the Holistic Orchard. A GREAT book. I recommend it.
I believe it would be centered within 25 ft so effectively 25 ft between trees.
Deanna Keese Possibilities.
Not enough yard around my home to plant an orchard. One Peach tree was too much.
Sarah Hayse
Simon NO Csg Hay
What! Only 1 way to plant an orchard! I was hoping for 4 or 6 or 8. Darn.