27 individual, a couple drafted, I have a small house though, so a bigger yard than most people who live on a lot my size.
3 Likes
I had some reach 8 inches in about 8 yrs. Those were the initial trees planted 4x8ft. I’ve mostly used Citation, K1, and Lovell.
1 Like
Arctic Glo is supposed to have red flesh, not just were the flesh meets the pit. I think it is also cling stone. Are you sure this is Arctic Glo that you have in the picture?
Actually, You’re right! I went back and checked my chart and this is Arctic Jay!
What! Is that girth or diameter?
1 Like
diameter
Steven,
What is the reason for your continuous switch-out of varieties?
Are you removing those: (1) that are just not working/thriving in your environment, (2) that disappoint the tastebuds, (3) to make room for new varieties that bear looking into.
Is what you are doing part of a structured personal study or experiment?
Have you come accross any variety that you like so much that you have kept and never plan on removing.
Whatever it is, it is definitely one of the coolest setups I have seen.
Mike
The initial trees got too big. I probably should have kept them and worked harder on renewal pruning. Then I just had a lot of changes in plans. The last being a foray into the fig nursery business. That’s been a lot of work for someone my age. But it’s been fun working with the customers. And I’ve made some good money.
4 Likes
Eight inch diameter trunk… that should be able to support a 12’ x 20’ tree. What overall tree size did you try to maintain? Did you remove whole branches for replacement when they get large, like spindle apple tree management?
The trees were about 4x8x8ft tall. With a 300 day growing season they grow fast. I can’t say that I really did much renewal. Or I’ve forgotten. Peaches and nectarines don’t grow back well on branches more than say two yrs old.
I’ve got 2 yr old figs with a base diameter approaching 4 inches. They remain a single trunk with no freezes.
I think any fruit grower would like a greenhouse like mine in this climate. It transforms a nasty, freeze prone climate into a perfect one for fruits.
1 Like
Working on around 1/10 including the house and front yard. Here’s my setup with my varieties. Everything has done very well, minus the Fuyu persimmon. It’s had issues this summer. I think I underestimated just how large blackberry bushes get. My Prime Ark Freedom have gone from bareroot 2 inch sticks to 6 or so foot lengths on multiple canes and that’s after pruning to make them bush out more. I’m guessing next year will be an amazing year for blackberries between 5 Prime Arks and the 6 Nachez, Osage, and Quachita.
1 Like
I see you’ve got immortality herb (Jiaogulan). Do you make tea from it? Any review on whether it lives up to the hype?
I’ve got two now myself and I’ve found that its quite a good grower, but I haven’t really tried taking it yet.
Scott
Makes a tasty herbal tea as long as you don’t leave it too long in the water(will go bitter). I feel no different after drinking it. I usually throw it in with the lemongrass for about 2 minutes or so.
1 Like
Same here, I have all the ones you have except Natchez, but also Triple Crown and Prime Ark Traveler. All planted this spring. The UArk plants are huge, especially the Freedom, my Traveler actually has set some berries on the primocanes. I have two canes on the Freedom plant that are way over 5ft, but no fruit on them, oddly. I gave each plant a 5ft berth.
I really need to get them on a wire trellis, particularly the five Triple Crown plants as they’re on the ground. A couple of the canes actually started to tip root! What kind of trellising are you using, and have any of your Freedom’s set any fruit?
1 Like
…yeah. I didn’t trellis them. They’re just hanging around with a bit of support from neighboring plants. I’m going to pick up a couple of T posts and run some wire when it gets cooler.
How are everybody’s plants doing this year?
I think I’m close to maxing out what i can plant on my lot; well, i have a Blue Spruce abd a Honey Locust I could take out and replace with fruiting plants but my kids like those trees so i probably won’t. There are also the neighbors’ big willow and rie if poplar trees that overhang my yard so I have a lot of shade to deal with. My lot is .27 acres including the house.
I have four apple trees, two peach, 6 nectarine, 2 jujube, 6 cherry, 2 young walnuts and 3 young pecans (will probably have to cull some of those as they get bigger) 1 almond, 3 mulberries, 4 pears, 4 pistachios, 2 plums, 1 pluerry…um I may have an unhealthy addiction to planting trees.
I also have grapes and a bunch of berry varieties and I’m trying to grow figs and pomegranates.
1 Like
I plant vegetables in the parking strip in front of the house, mixed in with my roses and other flowers.
1 Like
I started to remove things I am not happy with for few years in a row. This year I cut down 80% of the bush of my Crimson Passion cherry as “non-producer”. If last 20 % will not do anything next year, I will remove it as soon as I see it is not going to flower again. We cut last possible big trees last year, now what left is just spreading to the neighbor’s yard. She is not much enjoying yard work, but feels obligated to keep things somewhat neat. So she always gladly agrees, if I ask her if I can plant something on hers side of the border(meaning, I will be taking care of a spot that before was her responsibility.) Our border is a drop covered with some bushes, hostas and mostly weeds. I gradually trying to fill it with good low maintenance things to suppress weeds and ivy. But I hesitate to plant anything really important there, as who knows what happen later. So I only move my decorative plants there. I am reducing my garden as well, switching to most producing varieties, so I can have more produce from smaller footprint. We’ve also rebuilt some terraces using cinder blocks and I plant small veggies like carrots, lettuce and radishes in blocks. Vertical planter for strawberries is not worse it though - we’ve built one, but plants are not thriving there. I am waiting for everything to be planted out to make and post a set of pictures. I would like to see other small yards pictures as well.
1 Like
Available space maximization: here is my parking strip; it’s a mix of ornamentals and edibles, including roses, strawberries, cabbage, filberts, peppers, perrennial and and annual flowers, milkweed for the butterflies, and (on the side not visible) a recently planted fig.
5 Likes
How old is your Red Dragon contorted hazel? I just replaced my (deceased due to blight) traditional contorted hazel and love how yours looks.
Scott