The start of my new fruit orchard!

[Northernrose]

We moved here to Redding, Ca about 6 months ago and I'm finally getting a start on planting my dream fruit tree orchard for home use. I've been researching rootstocks, zones, and varieties until my head hurts. Since oak root fungus is a problem in my area, I have to be picky about what root stocks the trees are grafted to.

I'll probably special order most of the trees this fall so I get the right rootstocks and my choice varieties But, I went and bought some variaties on my long list that were available in pots from the local nursery.

The trees are still in pots until I can finish planning out final placement. There are so many varieties that I want, but these are the few I've found and bought so far:

Arkansas Black Spur-apple

Tomcot- apricot

Bing-cherry
Rainier Sweet-cherry
Utah Giant-cherry

Dapple Dandy Pluot
Flavor Supreme Pluot
Splash Pluot

Wonderful- pomegranate
Utah Sweet- pomegranate

Plus:
6 blueberry bushes in pots
A Cara Cara blood navel orange in a 1/2 wine barrel.
Black Satin blackberry in a 15 gal. pot
Fall Gold raspberry in a 15 gal. pot

I would post my wish list, but that would take all night to type it out

 

[vfem]

They all sound amazing! You must have gotten a good chunk of land for all those trees, plus more to come.

You can always share pictures!!!!!

 

[Northernrose]

Well I'm still working on collecting my fruit trees and vines for planting this fall through spring. I can't believe how many holes I'm going to have to dig Right now behind our carport looks like I'm starting my own nursery


* = trees on order for bare-root in spring.

Apples:
Arkansas Black Spur- tasted some local fruit
Honeycrisp
Niedzwetzkyana
Liberty*
Hauer Pippin
Sierra Beauty*
Hudsons Golden Gem*- tasted some local fruit

Apples to consider:
White Winter Pearmain- tasted some local fruit
Cinnamon Spice


Pluots:
Flavor King
Splash
Flavor Finale
Dapple Dandy
Flavor Supreme*

Plums:
Emerald Beauty*
Santa Rosa
Methley*

Apricots:
Tomcot
Royal Rosa
Harcot*

Cherries:
Utah Giant
Bing
Rainer
Sweetheart

Peaches:
Fay Elberta
Redhaven
Indian Free*
Snow Beauty*
OHenry

Nectarine:
Double Delight
Arctic Rose

Pomegranates:
Utah Sweet
Wonderful

Blueberries: in large pots or wine barrels
Misty
Southmoon
Reveille
Emerald
Sunshine Blue
Sharpblue
Top Hat
Duke
Bluecrop
(plus 4 unmarked "mystery" blueberries)


Grapes:
Blueberry
Eastern Seedless Concord

Berries:
Fall Gold rasberry
Black Satin Blackberry
Five Ollalie blackberries

Dwarf Citrus in 1/2 wine barrels:
Cara Cara - pink navel orange
Improved Meyer lemon
Satsuma mandarin

Others:
Fuyu persimmon
4 n One grafted Asian pear tree

 

[journey11]

Rootstock is soooo important. Good job doing your research! Sounds like it will be a nice collection. I've been wanting to add a few more peaches and apples to mine. I really need more room for all the things I want... Maybe I can put a few things on my dad's farm (surrounded by walls of razor wire to keep the dang deer out.) I wish I could grow pomegranates!!! Lucky you!

 

[lesa]

My goodness! You could start a nursery! They all sound wonderful- would love to see a pic, once you get everything planted. Keep us posted on what you liked and didn't like, as well. In a few years, you are going to be one happy harvester!

 

[Northernrose]

I can't wait until I get some home grown fruit I used to can, jam and dry fruit all the time. But, at the time my old neighbors had a fruit ranch and grew about 20 acres of fruit trees. I can't afford the farmers market fruit prices nowdays for just canning.

I would help my neighbors with the harvest and get all the fruit I could use. Boxes of cherries, peaches, apricots, and plums. We used to sit in the shade sipping lemonade and slicing up fruit for the drying racks. We dried hundreds of pounds of peaches and apricots every year for the farmer's markets. Great memories

The varieties I picked out should eventually provide my family with fruit from early May until near December right off the tree. The extra will go to my family, friends, neighbors and chickens Eventually I might take some to the local farmer's market too.

Trisha

 

[chicken stalker]

where did you order them from?

 

[Northernrose]

I got most from local nurseries, but I also ordered through

http://www.treesofantiquity.com/

and

http://www.davewilson.com/br40/sales_catalog.html

Dave Wilson has a "SOFT" or special order fruit tree program through participating local nurseries. You can pick and choose your rootstocks, size and type and have them delivered to the nursery closest to you. More expensive than just buying bareroot, but you get exactly what you want and not poor rootstocks and mystery fruit with generic labels. ie. just peach, plum etc.

Trisha

PS the FALL nursery sales were awsome this year with lots of 50-60% off everything including fruit trees.

 

[vfem]

We did most of our treats from the Arbor Day foundation. I have some beautifully hardy apple trees from them. We only got 4, but we are adding 6 more in the spring.

Next year will be the 3rd year + on all our trees... we did lose some peaches this past spring to heavy winds we got whipping through here, but the pears actually bore a few themselves. Not much I could do with 2 pears other then can 'em.

I am so thrilled to see all those trees on your list. You definitely did a lot to do this... I hope these will be a wonderful contribution on your land for generations to come!!!

 

[Northernrose]

I just can't make up my mind on placement. I have somewhat limited areas were we can plant due to leach field, pool and other. Plus, I wanted the trees to blend more into the landscape and not be all in a straight row. I have all the "places" picked out, but I keep switching out trees in my plan... apple here, no apricot, no maybe plum, oh what about a cherry... etc

I like the idea of using the fruit trees more like landscape/accent trees and group or space them to beautify the property. I do have to consider planting for proximity to pollenators, no messy fruit on patios/sidewalks, tree structure and size. I don't want to block the good views and I WANT to block some views of my neighbors property.

Luckly, the previous owners ran underground drip irrigation line to most of the areas where I am going to plant. I'll have to tap into the main lines with feeder 1/4 inch lines for either drip or microsprays for each tree. The best thing is that all the zones are on programable timers!

I'm also planning to make a chicken tractor. That way I can move some of my chickens around to help clean up the windfall fruit.
I already have a bunch of hardy board and plywood scraps left over from building a fort/treehouse for our kids.

I've waiting for this for nearly 18 years and I'm so excited to finally own our own land so I can