I’ve never been too interested in labeling myself or much of anything else. We have a mix of 80 plus fruit trees plus a separate PawPaw patch (do like the sound of that) plus several citrus, figs and a couple of olives in containers. I also plant nut trees every year. I like lots of plants but try to plant things that feed humans and animals. I’ve planted a bunch of small fruit for wine, mead and jam. I started with pawpaws just to entice butterflies. We also have a few cows, pigs, bees and too many chickens and won’t get into the dog numbers. I worked in healthcare for 50 years, now retired and happily get to do what I want to! We give a lot of food away mostly because I don’t want to deal with sales to the public.
3 Likes
I don’t say I have a home orchard because the animals get any fruit from my 5 trees before I can get it. I consider that I am unsuccessful at growing fruit trees: and can’t seem to get them to fruit despite having supposedly compatible varieties and providing reportedly appropriate pruning, and supplying supposedly appropriate native bees for pollination.
I usually tell people I’m a micro farmer. It’s an easy way to say I’m in the game but not running with the big boys.
I’ve been backyard breeding chickens and turkeys for 30 years and now I’ve added fruit trees to my hobby, life is good 
2 Likes
Not yet.
This project began in 2008, with the limited goals of growing a few apple trees & one stone fruit. The disappointments of that purchase drove me to go both deeper & wider in goal setting.
Deeper knowledge helps me address the many variables that come into play in growing consistent fruit in this situation. That quest has led to reading many books & taking notes on the habits of those cultivars that inhabit this yard. The trees teach me, as do you all.
A wider approach has made me flexible in choosing species, cultivars & practices. What succeeds so close to desert? How can I preserve the harvest?
In many minds, caring for 10 apple trees, 3 plum trees & grafting more for gifts and sale makes me a home orchardist. Since some of these are still little more than whips & haven’t proven their worth in this setting, I feel apprentice status applies to me.
Maybe I’ll never feel qualified to earn the title. Maybe the weight of public opinion will sway me. In the meantime, isn’t this fun?
2 Likes
yes
1 Like
Sometimes the trees show us up. I had one really big Hative D’Argenteuil stick left. And read it was a poor root by cutting variety.
Be darned if it has not leafed faster then any other new fig tree. Rooted by cutting. Faster then the 2 grafts in fact.
1 Like
I never actually answered your question so I say your trees, your property and your hard work so you should call it whatever pleases you.
I consider myself a below apprentice orchardist. Im my opinion its not just a matter of having multiple trees but successfully harvesting fruit from everything you grow. That does not include newly planted sfuff or when bad weather strikes. An orchardist should identify diseases, micro and macro nutrient deficiencies and such. Essentially a professional plant, shrub, bush, vine ad tree expert. Most of us here wish we were at that level but most of do this out of passion or need. Especially those of us, including me, that continue even after constant failure. We didnt have anyone teach us or show us. We kind of screw it up and found out what not to do. Then when we research we get mixed results. What works in one environment doesn’t apply to yours.
Experience is key but having to wait until next year just to screw it again and wait another year is frustrating. However, with time and patience you eventually get there. Maybe when I’m 100 years old I can finally call myself an orchardist because I doubt I will ever harvest something from everything.
Yes, I was a board member and longtime volunteer at the Home Orchard Society. I still volunteer at the website. When people ask me what I do in my semi-retirement, I tell them that I have an orchard. Then they understand that I have stuff to do. I guess that makes me an orchardist. I tell them that I share ideas on websites such as this and they say “cool!”. I think they want to do what we do, but it is a committment to action, not dreaming, that makes this happen. Several people have decided that I should give them fruit. I tell them that I am happy to share plants with them and teach them how to grow food. Most lose interest at that point. That’s why I like you people.
JohN S
PDX OR
6 Likes
Based on my sorry results over the last 9 years, I’d call myself a glutton for punishment.
9 Likes
lol! me too!
3 Likes
im lucky i guess as i have several neighbors that have shown interest in what im growing in my front yard and ive converted by just sharing some plants ,cuttings and bulbs. when they find out that alot of stuff i grow comes from all over the world, it really peaks their interest. sadly most are in their 40’s and older. the younger ones ive talked to show little interest except my kids who where raised in a garden and home orchard. now im working on my 2.5 yr. old grand daughter. ;).
2 Likes
I do bring trees and bushes to some nearby school gardens, with an enthusiastic response.
JohN S
PDX OR
Most folks eyes glass over when I describe a bare minimalist care regiment used in fruit growing. Combining observation with season dates gets you surprisingly far though.
2 Likes
No amount of trees would make me an orchardist. I’m just a hobby gardener.
Im more of a spazy addict than anything official sounding
I never even call me by my name…
For some reason, the term “steward” comes to mind, but that seems a little too lofty. I usually tell folks that I like to plant trees, and that I have a lot of fun growing persimmons and other fruit trees from seed.
1 Like
I’m a wanna be orchardist, but any objective look at what I’ve planted vs what has died and I would be labeled a mass murder of trees. For the 80 or so trees/bushes/vines I have growing I’ve probably killed as many.
D
1 Like