Ive crammed around 20 trees in a fairly small backyard setting. Everyone says “why? What the hell are you going to do with that much fruit?” I just want to grow as many varieties as I can and keep the trees small, so I’m not too overwhelmed with any 1 kind of fruit at one time. Makes sense to me but everone thinks I’m nuts. Then I come on here and I see that 20 is nothing. People have a hundred or more trees. Some of you must have some sort of buisness, but I’m assuming, not all.
2 Likes
Well Jimmy, you can say we are all fruit nut
Tony.
1 Like
Like you,Jimmy. I fitted as many friut varieties (that I like) in my small backyrad. I planted them quite close. I’m running out of space and starting learning to graft.
Agreed with Tony. We are nuts, but a goog kind, I hope.
2 Likes
I say every year I’m not planting one more thing…
I think with fruit growing it’s a lot like new years resolutions. We mean well, but often fall short of the goal!!!
I mean, I’ve got plenty to keep me occupied, and still I ordered two more peaches even though I have 5.
I’ve got 3 full size cherry trees and 7 bush cherries, but noooooo — I just HAD to order a couple more bush cherries of a different variety.
And now I’m gong to try my hand at strawberries.
And while the orders I sent off to nurseries fell just shy of a grand with some ordering for friends and family included, I think I would have felt silly posting in the “What did you order” thread. Man I looked at that thread and had to take a nap…
1 Like
Some of my neighbors do,but they sure like eating some of the fruit. Brady
2 Likes
Ha ha! I felt the same. Besides, I really didn’t want to see everything I’d ordered this year, including seeds, listed in one spot. That would have made me feel obsessed.
As long as I don’t count individual strawberry plants, I don’t have anywhere near as many fruit plants as the major players on here. I was thinking that it was only about 20 until I started counting them up and remembering, “Oh, yeah, there’s the pomegranate, locquat, this and that variety of grapes and berries, and the potted citrus, etc…” The count wound up being in the mid to upper 60’s. If I count what has not arrived yet this year, then it’s pushed into the mid 70’s.
I’ve sometimes been ribbed about being obsessed with monitoring the health of my beehives, but no one calls me obsessed over fruit or any kind of gardening, probably because the plantings are grouped in different areas on our property. So, it’s not all seen as one mass planting.
My kids do laugh and expect to see me mistakenly busted because of my large mylar lined hydroponic grow tent and major light arrays I have running in my living room from winter through mid-spring. They won’t believe that anyone but me would use them to grow citrus and veggies instead of cannabis. I know others do use these things for legitimate purposes. I just haven’t met them.
2 Likes
Oh, I think it’s like any other hobby. Why does a hobby fisherman have 12 rods and 20 reels? Honestly, how many fishing rods can you use at one time (or even multiple times)? I have about 30 different sewing machines. I collect antique machines and restore them. Why do I need 30 sewing machines (yes, it’s been asked even by some of my sewing friends)? Same reason I have about 150 fruit trees on my property 
Because I enjoy collecting certain things. I get asked all the time, “what do you do with all the extra fruit?” I eat most of it, give away what I can’t eat, freeze or put up. I feel very fortunate I can enjoy my hobbies and collect. I do try to keep it in check. Hard, sometimes, but there are limits to anyone’s hobbies I suppose.
2 Likes
Growing your own fruit is healthy. It can be better for the environment than maintaining a lawn. In the long run, if a fruit tree is productive for a long period if time, it’s economical. In backyard orchard culture, the principle is to have many types of trees, kept small, so that you can have fruits over a long period of time. Home grown fruit is so much more flavorful than store bought. Puttering around the home orchard / food forest is so peaceful, I refer to it as “Puttering meditation” although it could be considered “Puttering medication”. I also start trees for other people and give them away, and give people fruits they never imagined would be so good, so it’s a form of friendship too.
4 Likes
Jimmy. Looks to me like You and I plus this bunch on our forum are the only sane ones in this world. I’m in the same boat and I’m learning to just enjoy my hobby. Our gain is their loss. Bill
Too much fruit is an assumption that doesn’t necessarily follow too many trees. Just ask cityman.
I think most people recognize that this is a good hobby at most any degree.
And I do have a nice handle, ya?
3 Likes
I thought you said possessed, nevermind!
What do you do with all your fruit, BTW? I mean, I’d love to have your greenhouse, but you must get some pretty insane amounts of fruit
I sell some and give some away. Not as much extra as it might seem. Replanted recently and haven’t had any to sell for two yrs.
I’ll be planting my first fruit trees this week. So I don’t have anyone telling me I’m crazy for having too many trees yet. What I do have though are friends and colleagues that are tired of hearing me talk about the trees I ordered or the grafting I want to do. Lol. I’ve made it a point not to mention it around them unless they ask me about it.
1 Like
I only have 9 trees here in the city, I may add a couple more, but no more than that. I just gave one away too. I need some light for other fruits and veggies, so I do not want to add anymore. The return on them is rather poor so far.
Ya, it seemed from your pictures that you keep the trees pretty Damm small. Rearing your posts makes it sound like you are constantly rotating your trees, planting one and pulling out another. You also seem to have a nearly year round picking season
Id imagine your fruit commands a premium price. Much higher quality than what can be purchased elsewhere.
I used to get that word obsessed a lot.
Now a lot of people are thinking, " Organic fruits and vegetables are expensive. I’d love to have that, but I can’t imagine what kind of work it would require to get that."
I think a lot of people start to think, “How can you save up so much money? You don’t make very much?” It’s hard to go out for dinner when they charge a lot and they can’t make food that is tastier or anywhere close to as healthy as my wife can cook and I can grow.
What I get more is, can I have a tour of your yard, or will you bring one of those plants over and plant it in my yard? or Can I have the fruit that you have figured out how to grow in your yard?
John S
PDX OR
1 Like
Well… expecting some ice tonight… thought I’d bring in my temp and permanent potted trees…
That doesn’t include my order from Grandpa’s and Raintree this year. I still have 12 peaches/nectarines out back.
I may have a problem? Right now I’m unsure…
Lol!
1 Like
The only problem I see is how much trouble it is carting around so many pots and keeping them watered during the summer. I used to do that and have sworn it off. At least as the permanent destination. If there is somewhere which isn’t ready yet, I’ll grow the plant in a pot for a bit (like jujubes this year). But I won’t buy something planning to keep it in a pot forever.
Now, if I had no yard at all, I’d of course be open to it. But in-ground trees seem much easier to care for and more productive. The other exception is for tropical fruits. But, I’m trying to limit myself a bit there as well, since there is only so much space near the south facing windows in the living room 
1 Like
Jimmy,
Perhaps I am obsessed-but I tell you, I am happily obsessed! I love growing stuff. I have a job that I go to everyday and it is fulfilling but I love coming home and heading straight to the backyard to see what is newly going on and developing in the garden. I have a 3rd of an acre and I enjoy adding fruit trees to the land. I have peaches, pluots, plums, apricot, nectarines and I so want to add a couple of cherry trees. Altogether, I have about 22 fruit trees with the majority of them being peaches. In my location, I am told that sweet cherries do not grow well here in metro Atlanta GA, but I am happy with what I have. And I tell you Jimmy, you cannot purchase any fruit that taste as good as what we grow at home- some Farmers Markets do come close though-but their stuff usually comes from locally grown locations. I don’t care about how pretty and perfect the fruit looks, I care more about the taste and quality. I love ripe fruit and I share what I have and freeze the rest and make desserts out them! Yes, I guess I am obsessed but I am at my happiest-gardening and growing stuff!
2 Likes