What did you do in your orchard today?

[CrealCritter]

I see this lovely orchard developing. I see a lot of trees. Eventually, a LOT of fruit.

Will selling fruit be part of your retirement life?

We have plans

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

8 differnt cold hardy rooted fig starts & bay laurel cuttings to try and root.

I'm going to try the differnt fig varieties to see which grow well here. To me figs are like roses, whatever isn't covered in the winter will die back. But uncover after the last frost, prune back to a healthy bud and should sprout back. IDK... I'm a fig newbie.

I got enough bay laurel to share, assuming i can get them to root. They will have to be brought in over winter.

Fig starts potted

Waiting for bay laurel to dry for rooting hormone and pots.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

Supposed to rain the next several days so I'll set the fig starts out in a kiddie pool in the shade. The bay laurel, I sealed up in gallon size baggies and put under the seedling table lights. Optimum temperature for root development is 72 - 85F. It should warm up nicely under the compact florescent transformers.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

Sorry I spilt water on the destructions
But hopefully still readable and helpful to someone who would like to try and root bay laurel cuttings.

I'm on step #7. Maintain a temperature of 72 ~ 85F until roots form (about 30 days).

Set fig starts outside yesterday, in my normal kiddie pool fashion. it was cloudy, rained overnight and on and off again rain today. When I set them out, I noticed roots sticking out of the soil on a few of the starts. I found that odd, since I know I buried the root plug deeply enough. So I topped all of them off with more soil. Could be figs produce an abnormal amount of roots? IDK... we'll see when I transplant them.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

Just wanted to let everyone know Fedco Trees is now taking orders. Rootstocks, scionwood and pre-grafted bare root trees and other plants. They have a good selection this year and seems they are ramping up their disease-resistant apple cultivars, for us in the midwest and southern states. I was waiting for them to open so I could order pre-grafted sweet cherries, I need as pollinating partners.

Couple interesting plant maps, that may help someone, not at all comprehensive though

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[farmerjan]

No peaches mentioned???? We had Peaches up in CT when the weather still got down in the -5 degrees in the winter and we had alot of snow... Lots of peaches here in VA... Mulberry trees here too...

 

[CrealCritter]

No peaches mentioned???? We had Peaches up in CT when the weather still got down in the -5 degrees in the winter and we had alot of snow... Lots of peaches here in VA... Mulberry trees here too...

Peaches are classified as a stone fruit, along with cherries, plums, aprocoits, nectarines, pluots and almonds. Which are all delicious by the way. It's fruit that has a pit (stone) inside, why almonds are classified as a stone fruit I haven't a clue, but the are.

You in VA have a much more native varieties than I do. But for IL, the organic tree fruit map is pretty much spot on for what really thrives here. Even pawpaw which can be found pretty easy growing wild.

I'm also growing stone fruits but they are more difficult than what is shown for me on the map. Lack of regular rain is a major contributing factor. Peaches, nectarines and aprocoits require the most water by far, even being mulched well.

Jesus is Lord and Christ
.

 

[farmerjan]

@CrealCritter , didn't think about peaches being stone fruits along with the cherries etc, just that pears and apples were listed and I just naturally think peaches next... Here our mulberries are really tall trees, and this year was a bumper crop... birds went crazy.

 

[CrealCritter]

@CrealCritter , didn't think about peaches being stone fruits along with the cherries etc, just that pears and apples were listed and I just naturally think peaches next... Here our mulberries are really tall trees, and this year was a bumper crop... birds went crazy.

You are in fig country. I would be growing many differnt varieties

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[R2elk]

why almonds are classified as a stone fruit I haven't a clue, but the are.

The Russian Almonds that I have here look just like a plum pit once you have the the husk off.