Since I lost out on the harvest period of this hobby I’m sort of chomping at the bit for next year. I figured that I am not the only person on this forum doing the same. I already put in a scion order for next spring even though I’m not sure that I’ll have the capacity for them.
I will be removing my box store Granny Smith due to failure to thrive and replacing it with a Black Oxford whip on G890.
2025 will also be the trial of Ponca blackberries. My Black Satin have failed to impress.
I will be spraying for PC earlier this year. Sp24 I waited to long and took a lot of hits needlessly. Aside from that my need to combat varmint theft needs to be stepped up.
Last year i said i was going to calm down a little…
About 50 trees will be added this fall and next spring.
End goal is to have a walkabout every day from the beginning to the end with something flowering or fruiting or something going on at all times. Early and late production stuff.
my goal as well. the 1st time i told the wife i was going on a walkabout, i had to explain myself. always adding to and removing stuff that hasnt done well.
Just editing the 2025 buy list. 58 targeted. Plus another ten mostly rootstock use projects. But now we have to rebuild our citrus collection that was mostly wiped out. A bit perturbed with grapes. They do great then just stop growing. I need to check; but I’m pretty sure the Nanking Cherries are kaput.
Blueberries and Blackberries continue to perform. As well as the 21 figs. I’m not sure it’s possible to kill figs here. Need to find a spot for the drama filled PawPaw. Everytime you walk by it; it is in a different condition. Not sure I like that.
Scion and rootstock wish list is made out. Will transplant about 20 apples from nursery to orchard and 7 potted plants ( persimmons and mulberries and plums). Then graft as many native persimmon rootstock as bud out and are > 1/4" in diameter. Then figure out what damage the drought did to the apples (50-ish) and pears (11). Also start hazelnut and chestnut seeds (total loss)
I completed my ordering of trees for fall and spring planting this week. Trees at Adams County Nursery and Cummins are selling out already. 34 apples and 7 peaches ordered. Not doing Frankentrees as I plan to direct market my fruit as part of my retirement income when I retire in January 2028.
Subsoiled the orchard expansion on Sunday just before the 3 inches of rain yesterday. Going to pre-dig all the holes once it dries out. Last winter was so wet I had to heel in the trees. Finally had to cover the holes where trees were going with tarps ahead of rains to get it to dry out.
My theme next year is exploring the limits of season extension in NJ: Rich may and “early Flavorich” peaches for June, August Prince + Victoria peaches and Duchess pear for September, Dana Hovey pear and Autumn Prince peach for October.
The hardest part is shushing the part of my brain that thinks I’ll also be harvesting those things in 2025. Here’s to 2030
grew out 20 Dunstan chestnuts, 25 d.e.c persimons, 5 butternuts 10 hybrid hazels and 10 siberian peach this spring all from seed. now to find space for it all.
I have a few fruit varieties that have done well for me and I plan to graft in more of these. Pink Lady, and Sundowner apples have produced well so they will get more limbs grafted in. Dripping Honey and Korean Giant excellent tasting pear will also get more limbs grafted in. For a couple of years now I have and will continue adding different hazel varieties to improve cross pollinating the flowers. My problem with muscadines is that they produce an over abundance of fruit each year and I need to remove some of these but I am having a hard time thinking about removal of some of these.
I have a few over 100 persimmon seedlings that will need grafted/moved next spring, but the area I plan on putting the majority is covered in brush, so that needs dealt with. Would like to get a bundle of apple rootstock to graft and sell a portion to people I know. Have a couple hundred pawpaw seed collected from wild that I want to get started then plant along a creek in the pasture. Want to try some hazelnuts. Have 9 pecan trees to graft and plant. Want to try grafting che to some hedge trees. Plus some more, basically more than I can probably handle, but want to make it cheap or free where it’s not a big loss.
Why not try some nectarines and pluots? Both would provide excellent fruit that people in the eastern US are not very used to. Flavor King and Flavor Grenade both produce excellent quality fruit with unparalleled eating experience.
I lost money on nectarines back in the 80’s and 90’s. Ending up having to wholesale them to grocery stores and picking up the boxes of unsold fruit they didn’t sell. Never be anymore nectarines on my farm.
