wow! great looking orchard! you’ve been busy! i just found some pears that can grow here. put in a shipova pear on aronia rootstock and are looking to put in some more next season. grafted a few varieties to my mtn. ash. I’ve found some persimmons that will grow here but they take a long time to fruit.
Awesome! I have about 10 paw paw and 10 american persimmon seedlings in deep pots right now. I grafted 4 of the paw paws this spring (2 Mango and 2 prima 1216). I’ll put them in ground eventually.
I’m doing both seedling pawpaws and grafted. That alley I’m doing all seedlings from Lucky P’s gene pool “Mango, PA Golden, Sunflower, Overleese in the mix. Understocks are named-parentage seedlings from Corwin Davis’ nursery - Tollgate, Prolific, IXL, etc.”
Wow, looks great Dax! Lots of hard work right there, can’t wait to see a picture of it in about 5 years. Dang rabbits, I lost one of my trees to them this year too. I’ve thinned the rabbit population considerably, but I’m afraid I will give up on controlling their population way before they give up. Mine are protected now too.
Chuchupaka after another 3 ft. of poultry fence added to bring above deer browsing height. The reason for the photo is to show that initially as I plant trees in the 1-2’ tall range that all I do is use any upright support for poultry fencing. IN this case, I had used part of an old tomator cage to apply poultry around. Now it’s 5.5 feet or taller and is ready to be trained to branch at at least 5.5’ or I like 6 ft. . . . all my trees are grown with the least number of branches necessary when possible to retain/grow a tree to 6’ to begin its’ journey branching (from there forward) . . .
Photos tonite December 15th 2021. 3-years of a bench graft. These were grafted indoors inside my basement winter/spring 2018 and put out mid-July only months after they were grafted .
As I read posts about low-maintenance fruits, I’m struck by how pest and disease pressure varies by location. Apples are a good example. I give them a precautionary spray once a year with a fungicide/bactericide and that’s it. I’m not sure they need it. I’ve yet to have any serious pest problems - no need for bagging. But other members here are engaged in year-round discussions of apple care. My persimmon is the same way with regard to spraying but the fruit absolutely must be protected from rodents and birds. Our avocado is ignored by pests and diseases. Fireblight is a serious problem here for pears but insects, birds, and rodents are disinterested so far. My pit fruits are a step up, requiring winter and post harvest sprays plus animal guards.
I just added powdery mildew and white pine blister rust to my place. I know that much. I’ll have to see how it goes. I’m quite interested in honeyberries. We’ve figured them out in my IL zone 5b.
I think they’re delicious. I’ve tasted several and I like all of them. All of the late-blooming are the ones that are worth growing here. All Dr. Maxine Thompson’s selections which are pure Japanese genes. Strawberry Sensation.
While the rest of the world south of me (KY, TN) or whether the Eastern Coast where MA is zones 6 and 7 and things of this nature, every year I watch them break dormancy while my trees keep thinking about it. Everybody is hammered once, maybe twice before my trees wake up. Then I have a slimmer chance of frost than all everybody else.
I’m also aware that netting is going to be a large part of my life if I plan to keep a lot of this fruit, however, I’m in it to share with wildlife. I hope planting enough shrubs will feed me, &, them.
