Follow up Visit to Scott Smith Orchard! Part (2) & 2A

such a well tended , neat orchard for such a small area. now i know i can fit more in my .75 acre. good job Scott!

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Just seeing this thread for the first time! I am in awe of it all :fearful: Everything looks so well kept and manicured :+1: I have much to aim for if I ever want something to look that great :blush:

Thanks for taking all those pics @Naeem and great to see your orchard @scottfsmith

A great thread!

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It was nice to visit with you today, Naeem!

One thing you can see in the pictures is how the fruiting branches are all high now … this is what I have been working on for the last couple of years. Also any young tree has a ring of deer fence around it, which worked really well this last growing season. I am looking forward to thumbing my nose at the deer this year :grin:

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Thanks for posting those pictures. Maybe it will inspire me to get my orchard into better shape. What a showpiece!

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Wow, unbelievable orchard Scott! And thanks for posting the pictures Naeem. I feel inspired to do a better job and to be more ambitious with my (much smaller) orchard.

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I agree with you 100%. After visiting and observing I will be able to better plant and take care of my plants. Scott did excellent job managing and taking care of whole orchard.

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@scottfsmith what direction are the slopes your orchard is planted on?

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It is a steep south-facing hill. It makes it very hot in the summer, I feel like I am more like a North Carolina climate as far as how hard it is to grow heat-sensitive fruits.

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I live next to the woods (Patapsco park), hence squirrels raid my garden daily. What types of traps do you use? Metal ones that capture them and you can relocate them?

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How wonderfully neat and lush!! Thanks for posting this!

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Wow this is so inspirational. I hope I can grow an orchard like this in Maryland!

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Hi @ATECMDbackyard , Where in Ellicott city are you? I am in Shady section close to the YMCA, and target between old Columbia Road and Montgomery Road.

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Hey @kakasamo great to hear from someone in the area! I live right off Centennial lane near Centennial high school. Chateau Ridge lake community. What have you grown successfully in this area? Would love any advice as well.

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Oh that’s awesome. I have a grown some pomegranates, figs, blueberries, raspberries, and Carnelian cherries.

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Wow that’s a lot of good looking fruit! Looks like a good harvest!

What pomegranate variety did you get? I would like to grow one here, not sure which ones can survive in ground though. Im also thinking about starting some figs, debating on doing it in ground or a grow bag.

By the way is that a reflective plate? How much do you think it helps? I would like to extend some areas in my yard in terms of daylight hours.

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I have a number of them, the ones that actually produce fruit are my Russians: Desertnyi, Salavatskyi, and Russian 26. I have a WonderfulThat I keep in a small pot, it was originally sold as a bonsai from walmart.com. That one produces as well, but the fruits are minuscule. I am tempted to put it in the ground,

I grow them along my most south facing wall, that is somewhat sheltered, and quite close to the house.

I do have a Heliostat and I really enjoy it. It is very advanced, brilliant device from Wikoda, In Massachusetts. However, I use it to broadcast a beam of sunlight into my north facing kitchen, so I can Enjoy looking at my basil on the windowsill as I watch dishes in the winter.

BTW, @naeem is also local to you and me, and he’s my inspiration along with Scott. Naeem is extremely knowledgeable and very successful at growing a lot of fruits, especially figs!

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Great I will try to get some of those varieties. I’ve seen salavatski online a couple of times. Beautiful fruit and pictures from your garden. I will try to find a good spot for them in my yard.

Wow, I will need to look into the heliostat. Would never have known about this without your post. Learning so much here

Yes I have seen Naeem’s figs posting and he is really inspiring me. I think I need to get a shed up so I can overwinter them in pots for the warmer varieties. I still debate about whether to go in ground for the hardier varieties. So great finding people in the area with this hobby!!

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