Here’s an example of why it can be done. 4 trees in one hole: Oak, mamonsillo, gumbo limbo and tropical almond, and all thriving!!!
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My last planting of stone fruit on K1 was 5ft by 18 inches. About 80 trees in a part of my greenhouse. I doubt stone fruit have ever been planted much closer. I actually got fruit from those trees. Good fruit. Within 5 yrs they were thinned to about 5x3ft.
I’m doing the third planting now in the GH. It’s 3x7ft on lovell, nemaguard, citation, etc. We’ll see how that goes.
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Your greenhouse builds are always fascinating to see so I’m looking forward to the post on this latest version. Were the 5’ rows just too tight? I see you are now increasing to 7’. Any major changes to the varieties you’re going with this time?
I know you are also planning on mangos as well so I can’t wait to see how you integrate those as well. I’m planning on those myself and working to graft a few different varieties although they will eventually be inground outdoors and I’ll just have a structure in place to cover and heat during the occasional frosts.
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7 is too tight esp on the more vigorous rootstock I’m using this time. But it will work and with time some trees will be taken out. The first planting as 8x4ft. That worked for 9 years. This one will as well.
I’ll need to start renewal pruning almost as soon as I get a good crop.
That’s what I’d do with mango in Del Rio or points east into northern FL. Just have a structure over them to avoid freezes. The rest of the year uncovered.
What I’m told is that mango bloom too much at the expense of vegetative growth in areas with long stretches below 60F in winter. That could be used to ones advantage if they want to heat enough to manipulate that response. I could get below 60s as early as Sept or as late as Dec if I heat enough.
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Thanks for the mango tip. There is someone about 30 miles north of me who grows quite a few. That area is probably a few degrees colder throughout most of the winter than me and after visiting the yard, I don’t see too many issues with vegetative growth so hopefully it will work well for me also. He has a protective structure that only is covered during freezes also and that has worked very well so far.
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