Welcome Brendan. Lots of great people here with a lot of wonderful helpful information.
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Hello, my name is Robert. I too wish to thank Scott for this forum. My family and friends have been getting tired of all the talk of fruit trees, so it is great to find an outlet. By way of history, we moved to a small town of 300 in western Oklahoma (zone 7a) about 30 years ago. We started gardening and raising chickens. Our gardening techniques have evolved and now I hybridize irises as well. Somehow our yard went from grass to a treescape full of flower beds; yet only the 3 original fruit trees, (a plum and 2 apricots). Two years ago, with the addition of some property, we started our orchard. Last year it was up to twelve trees. That was when the deer found it. All but two trees were severely girdled. After watching the DWN orchard videos, I took the chance and cut all of them off below the damage. Happily, almost all of them have signs of life this year. One day I did a ābackyard orchardā image search and found a picture of a tree that looked like mine; a stick with a leaf bud. It led to this site and a long discussion of rootstock. Since then the knowledge just keeps pouring in. So, thank you again for this forum.
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Welcome!
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Hi, my name is Shannon. I am from Michigan. About 6 years ago, my husband suggested we buy a farm. I admit I thought he was nuts but it turned out to be the best decision weāve made. We now own 11 acres in the middle of corn and soybean fields in southern Michigan (zone 5b).
Over the years weāve been trying to get a market garden and orchard established. We have several apple varieties planted (Northern Spy, Newtown Pippin, Chenango Strawberry and Ashmedeās Kernel). This year we are planting peaches and pears. The extension office had paw paws this year at the annual plant sale so we got 10 to try out. Weāve planted some blackberries and raspberries. Last year we planted a patch of alpine strawberries.
It seems every year we discover something new on the place. Weāve discovered a bunch of black walnut trees, 13 of which are producing. Weāve discovered some apple trees as well. Three seem to be something like a McIntosh but the fourth we have no idea (yellowish green, sour and ripens in June). We found two gooseberry bushes last year. We have tons of mulberry trees and a couple of shagbark hickory trees, one of which is producing.
Itās been an exciting adventure. I am looking forward to learning more from all of you. Farming is in my husbandās blood (he spent the first years of his life on his grandmotherās farm) but Iām learning from the beginning.
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Iāve noticed that my friends and familyās eyes glaze over when I talk for more than 30 seconds about fruit trees. With gardening in general they hang on a little longer. The knowledge here seems to never end.
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Believe me, youāve found your kind here 
At one time or another, your spouses, family members, dear friends have rolled their eyes upon hearing us going on and on (their collective opinions) about our fruit trees.
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Hello everyone. I really donāt think I introduced myself so I apologize. I just jumped into the reading and asking questions. More reading than actually gardening. LOL. My name is Chris. I live in Utah I believe is zone 7A. Thus far I have 19 fruit trees. I am such an evens number guy so I might have to just plant one more tree to make it 20. haha. All trees are between the ages of 2 to 3 years old. Four semi dwarf apple, Four standard peach, two standard nectarine, one persimmon, three dwarf pear, one dwarf apricot and three plum. I live on a half acre property and have a 20 x 60 garden as well. I have been gardening for roughly 10 years and working with fruit trees for only a few years. Our last house had 2 mature fruit trees so planting new fruit trees and grafting is all new to me. My wife and I have four crazy kids that can eat an entire pantry of food in a day. Ugh. So Iām hoping that the fruit and vegetables I get off the land will help with some of that. The house we are currently living in we just built two years ago. I am now finally going to install Lawn 
. The very first thing I did with the yard was plant fruit trees. Then everything else. It has taken a while but it will all look good when it is done. 
I am really glad I found this website because you are all very knowledgeable. And helpful. Thanks for all of your suggestions and I appreciate you teaching me.
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Welcome, Chris.
Are you the one who mentioned about installing a sprinkler system? I read about it but canāt remember which thread or which member.
If itās you, Iād hope you wonāt do it. Sprinkler and fruit trees in a lawn is not a good mix.
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Not me. I am probably going to do shredded wood from Lawn tree service is underneath my trees and potentially drip arrogation under that. Right now I am just watering them by hand.
The way Iāve done my trees is I have lined them up on one side of my backyard. Along the back fence and on the other side of the backyard. There is roughly 5 feet on one side and 6-8 on the other. My backyard Fenceline his crooked so I just tried to straighten it with the trees. So it is not as noticeable. Hereās a picture to help Pic.
South side yard
West side
North side
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Hi, everyone. Iāve just recently found this forum, and Iād like to thank everyone whoās been posting such useful looking info. Iāve been vegetable gardening for years. In 2017 my husband and I moved to a new house with lots more sunny space and I started planting fruits for the first time. There was a wonderful mature red mulberry tree on the property. That fall we put in pears, peaches, figs, blueberries, muscadines, blackberries, raspberries, boysenberries, and a pomegranate. Last summer we got to taste a few figs and raspberries. Hoping for lots more this year. Weāve also just picked up an Issai hardy kiwi.
I feel like Iāve jumped in the deep end, but I also keep thinking of more fruits Iād like to try 
! Eventually Iād also like to learn how to graft, but donāt quite have time yet.
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I had not even considered grafting but these people will make you!!! Then in a while youāll be āmakingā the other newbies!!!
Welcome!
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k8t, you are so right!
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Ha, ha!, well I think it would be fun to learn. Iām still a bit intimidated by it, though. I could probably start with pears, since there are lots of wild callery pear seedlings to work with around the edges of our lot. Thanks!
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Hello all, Iām finally official and signed up. I was on GW way back until it changed. Have been active on some of the fig forums over the past handful or so of years. Spending far more time here and enjoying the wealth of information available. Thanks so much to you all.
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Welcome Calvin!
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Thank you!
Hi, I grow fruit trees with my papa, I have an apple tree that has seven types of apples on it and I grafted my first peach last week. I have seven chickens we hatched and are raising. Just starting to learn about trees. I have a plum tree growing from seed that I saved this winter.
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What kind of plum was it?
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Plumgrower is my grandson, it was a Japanese plum from the grocery store to the best of my knowledge. He washed the seed off at school and brought it to me to show him how to make it grow
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It never ends. There are so many fruit trees available. Welcome to Alabama. Iām located about 20 miles east of Birmingham near Logan Martin lake.
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