What did you do in your orchard today?

[CrealCritter]

For those of us who have or would like an orchard, big or small doesn't matter.

Today I planted Starkbros Standard Supreme XL bare root Sunrise and Moonglow pear trees. They were on sale and couldn't pass them up. They should go nice with our mature Bartlet and Asian Pear trees.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Hinotori]

I thought about digging holes for the two plums I have in pots from last year. Didn't have the energy to do so.

I only have a few semi-dwarf trees. Plums do the best for us.

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

Right now I have 2 apple (unsure of kind, were at the house when we bought), an edible crab apple and tart cherry. Would love to add plums, pear, more apple and cherry

 

[CrealCritter]

Only fair to post pictures of the Sunrise and Moonglow bareroots planted yesterday. They are not whips, more like sticks with 5/8 diameter plus trunks.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

I thought about digging holes for the two plums I have in pots from last year. Didn't have the energy to do so.

I only have a few semi-dwarf trees. Plums do the best for us.

Apples, pears and peaches do well in my neck of the woods. I do have two Methley Plums started. I would like two Santa Rose standard or a vigrous red skinned plum standard to go along with the Methley standards.

I'm trying to get both tart and sweet semi dwarfs cherries started. The planted bare root whips took a big hit with cherry leaf brown spot early spring. But after a application of orchard spray they are starting to show new growth. I'll know better next spring to hit them with orchard spray at around 90% petel drop and before they leaf out as a preventative treatment for brownspot.

Live and learn... Experience is a strange thing, you get it right after you needed it

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Hinotori]

Apples do ok here. I have a ton of wild Pacific crabapples which are even more water tolerant. Cherries do ok but I gave up on them as both deer and elk ate the ones I planted. I tried pear trees of different varieties but only the 2 bartletts have done ok.

 

[CrealCritter]

Right now I have 2 apple (unsure of kind, were at the house when we bought), an edible crab apple and tart cherry. Would love to add plums, pear, more apple and cherry

If you want to try bench grafting in March, I could send you some bartlet and asian pear scionwood. I could also throw in both red and golden delicious apple scionwood if you want a stick or two.

You would need to obtain some rootstock though. M111 semi dwarf (M One Eleven is how you heard the experienced grafters say it) seems to be very popular and recommend by many. Fedco seems reasonable and sells rootstock in bundles of 10 or more. Plus they sell scionwood for many fruit tree varieties.

Sorry can't help with cherry scionwood this year maybe in a few years I can.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

Apples do ok here. I have a ton of wild Pacific crabapples which are even more water tolerant. Cherries do ok but I gave up on them as both deer and elk ate the ones I planted. I tried pear trees of different varieties but only the 2 bartletts have done ok.

I would really like to put in a long row of cider apples. My wife and both enjoy cider in the fall. I've even made cider pancakes before

The problem I have is not knowing what varieties of cider apples to grow, there are so many different ones and I believe one would need a recipe 2ith a mix of different varieties of apples to blend to make a really good cider. Ofcourse these recipes are treated like Kentucky fried chicken's recipe, closely guarded secrets.

Kingston Black seems to be the base apple for most cider blends and is said to make a good single apple cider all by itself. I guess it's as good as any other to start from.

Catalog Search - Fedco Trees

Catalog Search - Fedco Trees

www.fedcoseeds.com

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

If you want to try bench grafting in March, I could send you some bartlet and asian pear scionwood. I could also throw in both red and golden delicious apple scionwood if you want a stick or two.

You would need to obtain some rootstock though. M111 semi dwarf (M One Eleven is how you heard the experienced grafters say it) seems to be very popular and recommend by many. Fedco seems reasonable and sells rootstock in bundles of 10 or more. Plus they sell scionwood for many fruit tree varieties.

Sorry can't help with cherry scionwood this year maybe in a few years I can.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

This would be awesome!!!!! Count me in. I have Fedco saved for next spring

 

[CrealCritter]

This would be awesome!!!!! Count me in. I have Fedco saved for next spring

I have but one favor to ask. Please remind me at the end of February beginning of March and see if we can try and coordinate a date when you will receive your root stock. I want to send you as fresh as possible scionwood for a greater grafting success rate.

Here is our full grown semi dwarf asian pear pollinator for our standard Bartlet. It produce good medium sized brown skinned pears. I pruned it pretty heavy this spring, it hadn't been pruned in a very long time. As you can see it still has some vigor and sent up numerous amounts of new growth that could be cut for scionwood. It should really take off now and fruit out nicely next year and the following years.

Here's our standard bartlet pear. The tree is huge and has to be about 35 to 40 foot tall so most definitely it's on a standard rootstock. I picked it standing on a 16 foot ladder with a fruit basket extended all the way and still could get to the top of the tree. I also pruned it pretty heavy this spring. Same as the asian, it wasn't pruned for a long time. It also responded positively and is sending up a lot of new growth that can be for scionwood.

The original orchard trees were planted in the mid 70's and all came from Stark Brothers. That's how I found out about the Stark Bro nursery next door in Mo. They must be doing something right... They've been in business since 1816

Jesus is Lord and Christ