Calista
Lovin' The Homestead
After reading about this some time ago, I've wanted to try it to see if I could grow peaches, kiwis, and other warm-weather fruit out of my zone but never got around to seriously thinking what I'd have to do to make it work for me. First, build a wall...
"From the sixteenth to the twentieth century, urban farmers grew Mediterranean fruits and vegetables as far north as England and the Netherlands, using only renewable energy. These crops were grown surrounded by massive "fruit walls", which stored the heat from the sun and released it at night, creating a microclimate that could increase the temperature by more than 10°C (18°F)."
Peaches being grown successfully in France using this method centuries ago:
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/12/fruit-walls-urban-farming.html
English fruit wall using espaliered trees:
I need some real-world advice from you master gardeners here who have tried this! Could you tell me what kind of walls you built and could you just stack up cinder blocks? What kind of fruit trees did you plant within the walls? Were you able to get a good harvest?
I'd just LOVE to eat some peaches fresh off my own trees this summer.
"From the sixteenth to the twentieth century, urban farmers grew Mediterranean fruits and vegetables as far north as England and the Netherlands, using only renewable energy. These crops were grown surrounded by massive "fruit walls", which stored the heat from the sun and released it at night, creating a microclimate that could increase the temperature by more than 10°C (18°F)."
Peaches being grown successfully in France using this method centuries ago:
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/12/fruit-walls-urban-farming.html
English fruit wall using espaliered trees:
I need some real-world advice from you master gardeners here who have tried this! Could you tell me what kind of walls you built and could you just stack up cinder blocks? What kind of fruit trees did you plant within the walls? Were you able to get a good harvest?
I'd just LOVE to eat some peaches fresh off my own trees this summer.