Do you grow fruit trees or berry bushes?

[Devonviolet]

We have been on our property for 3-1/4 years. Since moving here, we have planted 2 apple trees, a peach and an apricot tree. We also have a Meyer Lemon, Kaffir Lime and Persian Lime, all in pots, so we can bring them in the house before the 1st frost in Fall, and take them out in the Spring, after the last frost.

In addition to that, we have bought 4 Elderberry bushes, 6 Blackberries, 4 blueberries, 1 gooseberry, and a pomegranate.

I recently ordered 5 bareroot Rugosa Rose bushes, for the nice big rose hips, which are high in Vitamin C and make nice rose hips jelly. I can also feed them to the goats, to increase their vitamin C. Goats love tart, so I'm sure they will think rose hips are candy, just like they think orange and grapefruit rind are candy!

I recently found a listing, on Craigslist, for blueberry bushes that only cost $7 each. So, after we cut down some trees, to let sunlight in (hopefully this week), we will plant the 4 blueberries, and I'm thinking of getting another 3 or 4 blueberry bushes to add to that row.

ETA: I forgot to add that we also have wild Beauty Berries, that make really good jelly!!!

 

[Mini Horses]

I have some wild beauty berry bushes that have come about in the last 2 yrs...been here 19 yrs, so birds had to have helped. I haven't known they were here long enough to do anything but, the jelly sounds like I may give it a try. Really eat very little jelly so couple jars would be fine. Lots of wild blackberries on my land.

Would love to give blueberries another go but between goats & chickens, it's been hard. Have a plum tree. 3 Apple trees planted yrs ago and horses ravaged those when about 8' tall. Kinda gave up. BUT being only one here to eat the fruits I find the ones I bring home from store generally suffice. I get plenty of leftovers from sampling demos. Do love to make dried apple rings! Friend has 2 huge fig trees and she gives the fruit to me, which I dehydrate. YUMMY!! I give her eggs. (she & her DH don't want the figs )

Guy behind me planted about 60-70 apple & peach trees. So far the deer are loving the fruits of his labor & leave few for him. Guess I'm lucky not to have the trees for them to visit. They already use my lower pastures to bed down at night quite often. The woods are close by.

 

[Devonviolet]

Friend has 2 huge fig trees

Oh yes, I forgot my fig tree. That was the first tree I bought after we moved here. I LOVE figs! I have, since my neighbor, in Lake Worth, TX, let me pick everything I could reach over the chain link fence between us. I got our 6 foot ladder and reached as far as I could. Those were some yummy figs!!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I love figs too. I have two producing trees now - but one of them I'm not fond of. I trimmed the other one and stuck the cuttings in dirt so maybe, just maybe I'll have a few more trees.

 

[sumi]

On our farm in S.A. we had a few fig trees. We didn't eat many figs, so we let the neighbour have as many as he wanted. His wife dehydrated them and gave us some now and then.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I dehydrate a bunch of mine too - they're so good!

 

[Devonviolet]

I plan to dehydrate many of my figs, and will also make fig jam.

I have a secret recipe, from my neighbor (up the road from us) who died a couple years ago at the age of 96. It is called Janie's Fig Cake. She made one, and brought it to welcome us "to the neighborhood". I made one, to sell at our Fall Bake Sale, and sold it for $20!

 

[milkmansdaughter]

I just got 2 pomegranate trees and two kiwi vines. My husband ordered them. Does anyone have any advice on either? We've got frost expected the next three nights so I'll probably plant them this weekend.

My fig trees are three sprouts that have grown up from the stump of an old reportedly huge fig tree that was cut down before we moved in. Last year, I ate every fig that grew on those young trees, and none made it to the house. But I'm hoping for more each year. Last year there were about 15 sprouts. I cut them back to the best three.

 

[Chic Rustler]

any of you guys with fig trees wanna sell some cuttings? I don't wanna what they want for a fig at the nursery

 

[milkmansdaughter]

@Chic Rustler are you just looking for cuttings? Are you going to root them yourself? If so I can send you some apple, pear, and fig. Otherwise I can try getting one of my fig sprouts (probably the wrong word) with roots. Just let me know.