Anyone know of a good book on how to start and maintain your fruit trees? Something like "Fruit trees for Dummies" Thanks
Fruit Trees
Comments
10/06/2006 - 12:40
Fruit trees
Now THAT'S a big question!
I live in the "Apple Capital of the World". Our area is mostly apples,
cherries, pears, and peaches. Grew-up around, and in the fruit
industry. It can be a lot of hard work.
You will need enough trees to make it worth the effort and expense
of your tools. You will need a lot of land to maintain proper spacing
between certain species, and the big one; an applicators permit.
You might be able to save some trouble by going totally organic, but
fruit trees are a lot of effort. I had a small cherry orchard many years
ago. My biggest headache was size. I was just too small. This may
sound rediculous but to be effecient, and worth the trouble you actually
need to produce about sixty tons/year, and no, that's not a big orchard.
I know this is not what you wanted to hear, but five fruit trees in the
yard just won't work well. People who are about the same size I was
complain of the birds (they will devistate a small orchard), tractor
rental (you can't buy a tractor with only 20 trees, the expense per
tree is too high), application (applicators won't bring their sprayers
by your place for just a few trees), pickers won't work for you (it's a
lot of work to pick just one mature cherry tree, and no one will come
and pick if you can't guarantee a full season of work) and on the list goes.
A guy I work with has a small pear orchard. Too much hard work and
high expenses. He's too small. makes enough to pay the taxes and
equipment, but I think that's about it.
Another guy I work with (if you call what he does "work") asked me
about a cherry orchard. I think it was less than 160 trees. I told him
to buy it if he can just keep his head above water for several years and
then sell the land at a profit, but with a small orchard he is taking a big
risk.
Well, not at all what you wanted to hear. I can ask some of the successful
growers I know what they would recommend for small scale production,
they may be of some help. A few people around here have a cherry
tree, or a pear tree in their yard. Most people have cut them down
because of the fines for spreading disease or pests, can't spray a single
tree, or are just tired of the mess and maintenance.
The easiest method I know of for good tonnage, and variety is to do
what I have done.
Glean.
I have had tons of apples, elderberries, and cherries offered to me
totally for free. The free pears, grapes, and plums have been in the hundreds of
pounds, and I have always had to pay to pick my own peaches. A few
years ago I was offered eight tons ( I only took two tons) of very nice
picked, and packed asparagus.
Sorry to have been a wet blanket but my experience has been that
gleaning is much easier. Maybe I should write a blog on how to glean, what equipment is needed, and how to preserve the gleaned foods.
Just gleaning and preserving can keep you busy for many hundreds of
hours each year.
Steve & Ellsworth, feel free to jump in and delete or edit my respose.
I may have come off as a little harsh. Just tried to present my experiences and a view of what friut trees can be like.
Now, if you want to raise chickens....
-Rick
10/06/2006 - 15:52
Fruit Trees
I like this book it has everthing in it. Practical advice,how to buy land ,bake bread,raise farm animals,milk a goat,cook on a wood stove,grow herbs.From giving birth to caring for the dead.Planting fruit trees to canning everthing! THE ENCYCLOPEDIA of COUNTRY LIVING.Can you tell I like this book
10/06/2006 - 19:58
Fruit Trees
I live jest over the hill from you [Snohomish] and have too pear trees,three pie cherry trees, five apples,one nectarine, one filbert,one english wallnut, three blue berry, three kind's of rasberry's and about fifty strawberrys,three kind's of grape.This book really help's.Almost nine hundred pages,about $30.00
10/23/2006 - 14:46
Fruit Trees
Coming from a 10 acre apple orchard in Indiana with a Family orchard of Cherries and peaches in Bridgeport Washington, It takes a lot of work. For a beginner, it will be hard learning how to prune/spreading (different trees require different pruning techniques), spraying (same thing), picking, and general maint on it can be overwhelming. I plan on having a little of everything over 2 acres. For the seasoned vet, it can be easier to manage... But I am not doing this to make a profit.
What advice I would give it to try things in little quantities to see what you like and don't like. You might want to raise Rainer Cherries but in Indiana, it is too hot and humid for them and they look like scorched balls of clay on the tree. Ask your local ag pro at the extension office for fruit that works in your area.
10/23/2006 - 22:11
Fruit Trees
Here's some stuff for Washington state. http://agsyst.wsu.edu/vegtble.htm
If you click on the "Alternative Fruit Crops" link it takes you to a page that has a few pamphlets you can download for free.
Jeff
10/31/2006 - 03:59
Fruit Trees
Squirt,
I have always had one to three fruit trees in my back yard. After the first couple of years I've found them to be pretty maintenance free except for the occasional watering when it gets really hot and dry. I'm sure I could get more involved if I wanted to, but I get what I wanted out of them - fresh fruit. If you pick out your trees carefully, you can keep from becoming a slave to your garden.
Not sure if you've ever heard of Jerry Baker? He's on public television and has a few good books on gardening. Very helpful. Go to Jerrybaker.com for free information and books to buy.
Hope this helps.
(No offense to Tony or Buchanan, I just don't think most people want a complete orchard for profit, but a tree or two for personal enjoyment.)
Joined: 2006-07-05