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love11
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Location: ohio

Are many of you growing fruit trees this year?

I'm excited my pear tree that I thought was dead for 1 mounth has come back to life and has recoverd and is growing faster then ever.

Like 1 inch a day growth.

So I started this pear seed inside in my room its a comice pear verity its not the red verity its the green carmal color one. I looked it up with some tree growers and they say that it grows in ohio fine and winters wont kill um so happy to see this.

I bought 15 bags of top soil that was 2$ a bag at lows organic top soil.

And I dug this giant hole in the clay that there was and its about 3-4feet deep and I filled the hole with the 15 bags of top soil so I got a plot set out for this one And I also use none dyed organic ceder bark for mulch to keep weeds off it.

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soil
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I have 20 fruit trees in my forest garden. they are doing great this year with all the late rains.

if you are growing from seed, chances are you wont get the exact same pear as the one you ate, and the tree will become very huge ( not dwarfed) other than that good luck!

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love11
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Location: ohio

got a camera I would really like to see 20 fruit trees

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Ozark Lady
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Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet

I have 2 that I planted, and they are in fruit.
I have dozens that are wild fruit trees and bushes, and they are in fruit too.
I am interested in starting my own fruit from seeds.
Can anyone share some insight on if it is worth doing or not?
I have heard that apples don't work so great that way, what do you all think?

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soil
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I have a few trees that I have started from seed. some to let go to maturity and most for rootstock for later on. peaches, nectarines, Asian pears, and a few cherries. cant wait to have a full size peach tree again.

most berries grow out from seed well and into good fruit though.

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love11
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Location: ohio

If you want to start a fruit tree make shure its a self fertal verity Then grow it in a container at first till its like 5 feet tall so you need atleast a 5 gallon container.

Organic soil you can use cheep organic top soil

And don't put the tree where the deer can eat it.

So if you keep it close to where the deer don't go like on a balcony or a porch somewhere deer wont go. Cus they will eat the whole tree if its lil sized at first I would wait to transplant it when the stem is thick like where if a deer takes a lil bite out of it that the tree will keep growing up fast.

gumbo2176
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Location: New Orleans

At one time I had 3 different fruit trees in my yard. Now, I'm down to just a nice size fig tree. That little thing called Hurricane Katrina took away my Japanese Plum and Satsuma tree but only caused about a 1 year pause in fig production as the tree recovered. Both the plum and satsuma were about 12-15 ft. tall and the Satsuma tree really produced the previous year yielding about four 5 gallon buckets of fruit.

The floodwaters topped out at close to 5 ft. and stayed in my area between 2-3 weeks before draining away. Bad enough with the flooding but it was salt water. I also lost a 25 yr. old Sweet Olive tree I had in my front yard that offered great evening shade to my front porch and it bloomed no less than 2-3 times a year. I can close my eyes and still smell the blossoms.

Now my vegetable garden takes up a lot of room in my back yard so there is little room for more fruit trees. Besides, I'll likely move in the next 3-4 years once my youngest gets out of college.

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lorax
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Location: Ecuador, USDA Zone 13, at 10,000' of altitude

I have Claudia, Mirabel, Dorado, and Korean Cherry plums, a durazno (peachpricot? I haven't found a good equivalent in English), an Ambato Red pear, and three citrus, which I strongly suspect of being four different kinds of lime (sweet, key, mandalime, and striped). Over my back wall, there are Capuli cherry and Altamirano figs, which I harvest because the lot is vacant. My neighbour has avocadoes and Andean black walnuts that fall into the yard.

I've also got a pair of bananas, which aren't technically trees, but we'll lump them in here. I'm starting a saskatoon tree soon.


In the permaculture garden, close to 300 fruit trees are scattered over 25 acres of forest. These include Arazaa, Borojo, Chonta (palm peach), Hungurahua (palm chocolate), Cocoa, Breadfruit, Jackfruit, Banana, Mountain Grape (actually a tree Fuchsia), Acai, and Suriname Cherry. I don't count Mountain Coconut or Tagua, as these are only secondarily for fruit (the first is grown for the milk, the second for ivory.)

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Anna63
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Location: Bauska

In Latvia this is great year for fruit trees. I have 3 of them, doing great

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sheeshshe
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Location: maine

This spring I purchased a Barlett pear (had to train it becuase it was growing straight up and narrow and didn't grow any growth until I brought the branches down to almost horizontal)

I also purchased a Stanley plum (grew like crazy at first)
Honeycrisp apple (pretty tree!)
Red free apple (this one I can't get anything to grow between the bottom branch and the top branch and there are like 18" of nothing in between!)
Redhaven peach (this one continues to grow even now) it is very happy!


I din't do anything to the soil since the local orchard told me not to. they said to dig a hole and stick it in. so I did. now to figure out how to organically take care of it fertility wise!

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I have several fruit trees that I'm trying to espalier against the fence -- 2 apples (Arkansas Black, Pristine), 2 pears (Magness, Seckel), and a persimmon (Prok), and 2 sweet cherries (Emperor Francis and White Gold). 3 dwarf trees that I'm trying to prune into Bush -- a Manchurian apricot/A. mume (Ume), a white peach (Carolina Belle), and a nectarine (the name of which escapes me at the moment :roll:). I have existing mature dwarf Enterprise apple tree, an unnamed mulberry tree, and 3 unnamed european plums.

I also have seedling peach/plum in a container, several seedling apple trees,

1 struggling PawPaw purchased as a seedling.

Oh, and I always forget about this one, but I have a Trifoliate Orange 'Flying Dragon'.

Then my "tropicals" : I have several seedling avocado trees (1/2 dozen?) and citrus trees (almost a dozen?) and a mango. And these aren't trees but I have several (4 I think) pineapple tops and pups.

For any outdoor fruit trees, I recommend a good protective collar made of hardware cloth to protect the trunk from base up to 18~20" or so (higher -- preferably fence the entire tree if you have heavy snowcover in winter) to protect the bark from nibbling rabbits and other rodents. If you have deer, I hear you DEFINITELY have to fence your tree. I'm also planting garlic all around the base of the trees every fall -- they're supposed to deter borers.

Last bit of advice -- mulch, Mulch, MULCH! :wink:

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sheeshshe
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what do you recommend mulching with?


do you put the hardware cloth down into the dirt at all?


I forgot that someone told me the other day that a local nursery has their trees on sale right now. I wanted to get a nectarine! 12.50 she said they were on sale for!!! man I want one bad, but I have no place to put it. hmmmmm

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Ozark Lady
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I should have pruned more, I should have removed more fruit.

I had heard of June fruit drop, so I waited for some to drop, intending to prune afterward. I didn't notice a fruit drop, and I honestly don't know how to select what fruit to keep and which to remove.

So, indecision gives you this:

[img]https://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww281/Ozark_Lady/100_2762_phixr.jpg[/img]

I think that is a few too many peaches, and size will definitely be hurt by it!

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Mmm looks good! I think it's easiest to thin fruits by starting with any damaged, iffy bug spotted, or misshapen fruit. Then remove any that is or is likely to touch its neighbor. Remove the ones that are or will press against the branch first.

My little peach tree had 4 fruits after June drop. 4th one fell off during drought, and I lost 1-1/2 more from not listening to myself. One had developed a rotten spot at the bottom where it was resting on a branch (that shouldn't've been there -- I.e. should've been pruned away) and another one looked perfect one day -- blushing, and I thought maybe I should pick it and let it ripen inside, then it rained and got REAALLY hot and humid, and next thing I knew, there was a giant brown spot. :x I have the 4th one ripening on the counter with the tomatoes. But the tree itself is TAKING OFF! with 3' shoots from this year's growth alone, so hopefully, next year will be a good one. (I just have to figure out how to prune them this winter....)

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farmerlon
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applestar wrote:... 1 struggling PawPaw purchased as a seedling. ...
(you may already know this)... Provide the PawPaw with a lot of shade or "dappled" sunlight for several years, until it is established.
From what I have read, the PawPaw will fruit the best in full sun... but, they can't handle the full sun until they are several years old.

I have four "first year" PawPaws going, and they are doing well so far. I put cages around them, and attached old cloth to that, so the young trees would be partially shaded. I plan on removing the cages in a couple of years, when the trees start to outgrow them.

We'll see if that does the trick. :)

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sheeshshe
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pruning... ahhh, pruning LOL! :) my local orchard here that we got the trees from recommended this site to me for pruning: https://www.gardening.cornell.edu/fruit/homefruit/3treefruit.pdf

I bet there are lots of different ways of pruning though!

CherA
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Location: Chelsea-Revere-Everett

Hi, I;m new and in New england. My fruit trees eg apple has its own fungus disease; I have forgotten the name of it but it is multicolored like yellow and red etc. the fungi that is...on the leaves.
The ornamental peaches are full of peach tree fungus..and are so high up to spray. How can I remain organic and help these trees get rid of the fungi?? I also have it black and yellow fungi spots all over the roses for past few years. This yard is not the place for roses.
very lucky no swuash or vine veggies have it or at leastn ot yet. I have plenty of those tiny white whatchamacallits tho. I treat with soap and water but want to keep organic. Does this mean I am no longer truly organic? I have not had to use it on everything thank goodness.
But the Jap beetles ate every bit of mymini bok toy (choy) thatI grew for my parrots. I didn;t know what to do as birds can't handle additives...what should I do for next batch?
I know this was meant for fruit trees but fungus is on those and other things and teh Beetles are probably off topic so sorry. I will eventually find teh place t address that one. About the fruit trees, any help? Thanks Cher A

nullzero
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Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 5:39 pm
Location: SoCal

I am growing about 30-40 fruit trees all in containers.

4 apple trees
2 mulberry trees
2 cherimoya trees
3 jujube trees
6 citrus trees
2 avocado trees
1 white sapote tree
1 mango tree
7 pomegranates (2 dwarfs)
1 persimmon
1 peach
1 loquat
2 yellow strawberry guava trees

A few other trees I can't recall at the moment. Its been a good learning experience. So far fruit production has been on the lower side (mainly due to age, most are 2-3 years old). My most productive fruit trees are the yellow strawberry guava trees, these will fruit most of the year with tasty fruit slightly smaller then ping pong balls. Another winner in the container setting is the Bonanza Peach (genetic dwarf).

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engineeredgarden
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Location: NW Alabama

I have a backyard orchard myself, which consists of:

3 blueberry bushes
2 keifer pear trees
2 plum trees
2 apple trees
3 muscadine grape vines
1 fig tree

The plum curculio destroyed every single plum this year, and I sprayed dilligently

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Sage Hermit
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Location: Finlaysen, MN Coniferous Forest

Plum trees

Mine did not produce fruit this year. :?: :?

ronbre
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Location: Michigan

I am growing tons of fruit and nut trees in my food forest gardens. I have 3 full size older apple trees that were grown from seed and they did quite well, I have 6 pear trees, about 10 dwarf apple trees including one pole variety of crab apple, I have 2 sour and 2 sweet cherries as well as ornamental and wild cherries, several peach and plum trees as well as a fruit cocktail tree, have lots of berries including mulberry and elderberry and others, and have a lot of baby nut trees, 3 kinds of walnuts, 6 hazelnuts, halls hardy almond, 2 hickories, 2 chestnuts, had pecans but they died here in the far north cold.

I also have just planted some service berries and mountain ash..I'm sure there are others that I forgot to mention

garden119
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Location: Ohio US

I'm growing a pear tree and a peach tree and I want to add more I think maby a pawpaw if there self fertile and maby some other fruit berring tree

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Vorguen
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Location: South Texas

soil wrote:I have 20 fruit trees in my forest garden. they are doing great this year with all the late rains.

if you are growing from seed, chances are you wont get the exact same pear as the one you ate, and the tree will become very huge ( not dwarfed) other than that good luck!

I have been very curious about how this works... is there any way you can help me understand?

I know how Hybridization works, and often the seeds are sterile, but I often wonder how you get a seed of a different fruit from another fruit etc...

my wife planted an orange tree ages ago, and everyone told her the oranges weren't going to be the same thing and that they would be bitter..

the tree grew to produce some of the sweetest oranges ever

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kimbledawn
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Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:18 am
Location: Memphis

We are just starting with trees. We have two apple, one peach, one plum. I have pawpaw seeds but I haven't started them yet. We also have two blueberry, two rasberry, two blackberry and I traded for a marionberry.

tomc
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Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

applestar wrote:1 struggling PawPaw purchased as a seedling.
I like paw paw, an' fwiw too many dandy trees that are supposed to unsuited as bonsai come along just fine in tray culture. Except paw paw. :(

This ebony family tree has honkin big tender leaves, and ultra tender feet that will not tolerate root pruning. So I had'ta settle for them as landscape planting. Pick and prep your plant-out site carefuly. You will not be able to move it once planted.

Mine did overwinter fine in central NH. They are not self-fertile so like hazelnut, it takes two (or more) to tango. If you grow on Ohioan-clay they are indigenous here, but don't like standing water.

Pester me in the fall and If any of the current crop germinate I'll see about getting you a mate.

tomc
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Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

Vorguen wrote:I have been very curious about how this works... is there any way you can help me understand?

I know how Hybridization works, and often the seeds are sterile, but I often wonder how you get a seed of a different fruit from another fruit etc...

my wife planted an orange tree ages ago, and everyone told her the oranges weren't going to be the same thing and that they would be bitter..

the tree grew to produce some of the sweetest oranges ever
Germination issues:
Tree seed of temperate zone trees, if freshly planted have a fair to good germination rate. *If* you paint inside the lines woody plants demand. Mike Dirr in: Manual of Woody Landscape Plants has an elegant description of the inhibitors that keep tree seed germinating only at optimal times. Often this means a winters nap in the cold and thaw cycle of nature has to happen. Not a freezer or dried.

Cold stratification can be as elegant as in a cold frame in a germinating pan, or as low-tech as stuck inna pot of dirt and bermed into the garden with a plank on top till spring rolls back around.

Temperate zone tree seed is not a tomato seed that will spring to attention and grow as soon as heat, warmth, and moisture are supplied.

A minor number of Japan maple cultivar seed ARE sterile. Bloodgood (JM) seed is only sterile if you dry them... Even rugged crab apple seed will only tolerate a few months drying before seed is no longer viable.

Variability
*If* you demand fruit quality equal to, or better than the parent; then your odds may be as poor as 1 in 100 grown. If your making apple sauce, fruit leather, or cider, then just about any apple tree that makes fruit, will feed the posse at home. A few will seem exceptional to you and may become a tree you want to graft other examples of.

John Chapman made his living collecting pomace (the goo left over from cider) and planting out as a straight run every seedling it produced.

The funkiest feral pear will make a fruit, and if kept pruned can be hand collected. it may well be too grainy to be an exceptional dessert pear. it'll still cook out for pear butter fine.

I've had a southern arborist sneer at a stubby northern hearty pecan, he still jammed my pralines into his pie-hole fast enough with those 'inferior' nuts in it.

Pruning
This is more true of apple, prunus, and pear, but if I can keep a crab apple blooming and setting fruit at less than two feet tall, just how tall a standard tree on its own feet has to become is a lot less clear than some folks who sell trees on dwarfing rootstock might have you beleive.

As smarty-pants as this post sounds. An' I'll grant it does. I've grafted apple and not much else. I've listened to arborists who claim prunus and nut trees can be grafted. maybe their right, I dunno.

If there is a problem with growing your own fruit or nut trees out from seed it has more to do with the delay between generations. It is the only excuse I can find to justify using dwarf rootstocks, they come into production a few years faster than standard trees do. They die of old age sooner too.

tomc
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I'm bumping this back up to the top of the page. In hopes that voruen reads my last post.

ruggr10
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Location: Brunswick, Maine

Planted last year.

Fruit Trees
1 Nectarine
2 Plums (Burbank and Santa Rosa)
1 Weeping Mulberry
1 Black Tartarian Cherry

Berries
9 Blueberries
2 Elderberries

This Year So Far
3 Beach Plums (Wild Goose, Dunbars, Bounty Canada)

On the Way
2 Apples (Candadian Strawberry, Frostbite)
4 Honeyberries
3 Aronia
1 Pink Blueberry (I love telling people this one)


Wanted
1 Peach
1 More dark cherry. My black tartarian is supposed to be self fertile but I don't trust that.
Hardy Kiwis



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