I was hesitant about planting a baby Nikita’s Gift persimmon this year. I’m old, so wondered if I’d see any output, if it takes 5 or 6 years to produce. I had a Green Gage plum that took 9 or 10 years to produce well. Then it got black knot and had to be cut down. Anway, as you get older, do you keep planting trees until you kick off. (Providing you have the land.) Or are you more judicious planting if you are old and worry you won’t see any output from the tree?
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I know I will keep planting fruit trees. I think of that on all the M111 plants. But I do not dwell on it. Someone will enjoy them.
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Look up Jeanne Calment, the longest lived woman ever. She signed a life estate with an attorney and he’d already paid twice the value of the apartment when he passed in 1995 and she outlived him. The French courts then went on to agree his estate had to keep paying her until she died and she lived to be 122 years old - the oldest verified person on record. I can guarantee if the attorney thought she’d live that long he never would have signed it. It’s an extreme example but you never know what life is going to throw your way so enjoy it while you’re here. Even if there is zero productive value if you like putting in trees then do it. I would never worry about leaving “too much”, someone else will have them. The only exception might be if you’re estate planning and the decisions you make today impact your son/daughter etc down the road. If that’s the case, yes, I’d think about what I was putting in and why. Parents never want to make it harder on their children.
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I hope I die with a shovel in my hand. Not ending up in a nursing home with dementia like my father and brother.
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I did not plant my first fruit tree till I was over 65. Now I have 22. I started with the motto “ I may never see the fruits of my labor, but I enjoy it “
Starting to get some fruit now, but mostly fighting raccoons squirrels and birds definitely a learning experience and a challenge . I love it
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I am older but I have planted fruit trees because I wanted to enjoy my own home grown fruit. I started 10 years ago.
I am pretty much out of room now to plant any more fruit trees. What I am doing now is replacing the fruit trees, mainly apples, that are not productive. I just took out 8 apple trees and planted 8 more this year. Most were planted 10 years ago. The ones I took out were all not producing very well. Enough is enough , if they are not producing fruit- out they go.
I am planting fruit trees for my enjoyment. Most are all heirloom apple varieties. Just trying to keep these heirloom varieties going. I have no idea what will happen to them if and when I pass away.
I had a next door neighbor that had a lot of fruit trees and grape vines. He moved to be closer to his family. The first thing the new owners (flippers) did was tear out all his fruit trees and grape vines. So you have no idea what new owners will do with your property. Enjoy what you plant while you are there.
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I’m 80 and have planted ~100 in the last year. And I don’t even digest high sugar fruits very well. May have to give them up. But I can’t think of anything better to do at my age.
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If I just want apples I can buy apples. But I want to grow apple trees. I’m grafting EMLA 106 rootstocks with Wealthy, Karmijn de Sonnaville, Rubinette, and maybe Ginger Gold. I have no idea what I’m going to do with most of them. I’m 74 now and have no idea how much longer I have, but so what? Maybe I can adopt them out and get to keep an eye on them somewhere!
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Oh, and there’s also half a dozen apricot seedlings I’m playing with, hoping to make a low edible hedge along our fence row.
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I’m retired and 74 years old educated as a civil engineer and spent over 40 years in that practice, military and civilian. Growing fruit now is one of my favorite pastimes. I am fascinated by nature and the abilities of plants to live and thrive in the most challenging environments. Grafting is one of my most favorite hobbies as I learn what works and why. Now I focus more on what I need to change to manage the various varieties I grow as I grow older. No one knows what the future holds, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln Quote
Enjoy it while you have it!
Dennis
Kent, Wa
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I want home grown or wild apples as I don’t have to peel them. They apply wax and crap to storebought apples. I don’t mind some natural wax, but don’t want any additions.
Peaches even worse. They buff the fuzz off when green and apply fungicides and some wax. Plus they are tasteless rubber.
Growing trees is not my hobby. Just want some non gmo, natural food. Also, the store-bought fruit is too $$. I get hundreds and hundreds of Asian pears. So many I just juice them as well as give them away by the bag full.
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Besides bringing back Georgia Origin Apples; I want to establish a better knowledge base on some of the more obscure types. Some have very little description other then name and place of origin.
Do you keep planting trees until you die? Yes, the one who passes on with the most trees wins.
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That’s right! New owners have new ideas. Most like grass.
I’ve had lots of problems with apples producing decently. I had read some apple trees produce every other year. For me it seems more like every 3rd or 4th year. One Empire apple took about a decade to produce a decent crop.
I was debating whether to plant more peaches. But they are more or less all producing fruit, even when young. So, I was surprised by that. I’m glad I didn’t hesitate over age and just planted them.
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Digging trees is good exercise. Especially banging in the T-posts for fencing to keep the deer away.
I would be stunned if the next owner of my property didn’t rip out all my 23 fruit trees before the ink was dry on the deed. So I have no illusions of planting for posterity.
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I have no kids, nieces or nephews. So some lucky cousin will get the farm inherited or bought from me or my wife. Since I am about 70, the apples planted in 2024 and 2025 should be looking good by the time I pass assuming nothing comes up unexpectedly to send me to my grave early.
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I planted several last spring, this spring and summer… and a kip parker mulberry at my daughter & grand daughters home site this morning.
That was the last one for this year.
I have 2 wild persimmon rootstocks prepped mulched looking good that I will graft to next spring.
@fruitnut … you might try doing some fishing or hunting… good sports, get a little exercise, enjoy the great outdooors and good eats.
TNHunter
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Sad but probably true. Been having the same thought about when i go.
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Every tree you plant is a risk that you will spend effort without reward. The tree could die the next year, or you could have a series of bad spring frosts, or drought, or (where I live), there’s a pretty solid chance of losing everything in a wildfire. Or I might end up having to sell my place for some reason; bad financial decisions, other big expenses I can’t meet, moving closer to a family member that needs help, etc.
And this is likely too. Even if the next owners of my property like the fruit trees and intend to keep them, they won’t have the same vision as me and will neglect or change parts of it.
I’ve been working on my fruit trees for a couple of years now and have gotten exactly one apple, one peach, and one fig so far. What I can say from all that effort spent is that working toward my long term vision for my property and watching my trees grow has been plenty rewarding already. But I do plan to start getting a lot more fruit starting next year.
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