Apricots and pluots are blooming in my greenhouse. Bumblebees are in overdrive. I have too many bees and not enough bloom on these trellised trees budded in place June 2014.
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Wow, you are weeks ahead of us in Phoenix. We are just now seeing our earliest peaches and pears start to bloom. Apricots, plums, cherries are still sleeping.
Looking good! How old are those trees pictured above? I am researching high density protocol for various fruits and the feasibility of “greenhouse” options. We have a huge home owner demand in my area for stone fruit production but our weather is not conducive.
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Those were budded on Krymsk 1 in June 2014. The rootstock was planted that same spring.
There is a guy in western WA state doing this commercially. But his fruit looked to be low quality based on his pictures. Much less color than mine and that usually means lower brix and flavor. He said it was great but then he claimed to build his own greenhouses twice the size of mine for less than $1000. My assessment would be that there is no profit potential. My fruit costs at least twice what I can sell it for counting nothing for labor.
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Beautiful and protected from freezes.
I could have been earlier. Was held up on warming the greenhouse by holiday travel and then trees that needed moving outdoors. Didn’t want to push those with 80F days before I could get them moved.
I am not looking at it for selling the fruit, but as a way for home owners to grow their own on a small scale. If I can help people set up their own small system to provide fresh fruit for themselves I think it would be a big hit. Lots of people I sell trees here to locally that want stone fruit they just know with our late spring frosts most years they will have no fruit… doesnt stop them from trying though!
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Are those trained as single cordons? Also when you say there are too many bees is that strictly based on economy are can too many bees cause some negative impact? Awsome set up Sir.
Too many bumblebees might damage the flowers. They are very vigorous in their pollen collection activities. I haven’t seen lack of fruit set. But they pretty well wipe out the anthers in a few hours after the flower opens. That might damage the stigma/fruit.
I’ll eventually end up with two shoots for each plant. Every yr or two one will be cut back low for renewal wood. Right now most just have one shoot/trunk/cordon, if that’s what you call a cordon.
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Fruitnut,
Your greenhouse is such a beautiful setup!
If I may, can I ask a related question? For potted stone fruits, cherry and peach in particular, can we do winter pruning in a no-light un-heated garage or greenhouse? Will the indoor environment help to reduce the chance of disease from the cut?
Thank you
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Yes it will reduce chance of disease to almost zero. Outdoors in our dry climate we have few diseases of tree or fruit. In my greenhouse it’s even less, summer, winter, or otherwise. The only disease I’m fighting now is powdery mildew on grapes. That disease does great in dry climates.
The lack of diseases of the fruit is the thing I like best.
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Looks lovely! I’m amazed at the amount of blooms on such young trees, congrats.
Fruitnut,
I never tire of seeing these pics inside the greenhouse. Such a well maintained planting.
Is the tin foil for the bees? If so, does the greenhouse get too hot for them, or do they just not like the sun?
Here’s my first bloom of the season. I have to fake it since I don’t have a greenhouse 
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It is great to see first flower of the year, I guess the Spring is near for rest of us:grinning:
How did you get them to be so straight and have all those perfectly placed spurs down the trunk.
that is amazing!
Fruitnut do you use the bees to pollinate your nectarines or are they not needed for them? I agree mksmth the training on those trees looks perfect!
Olpea, do peach blossoms have much fragrance? That’s a good idea to bring some in the house to bloom.
Not too much Murky. Nothing like apple blooms. They aren’t even as fragrant as plum blooms, but they don’t stink like pear blooms.
My wife likes me to force some peach blooms in the house in the winter. I like to see how many fruit buds have survived.
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