Hi. I am kind of new to gardening. I've always kept houseplants, but this is the first year that I am really trying to grow, well, everything.
I live in Alabama, zone 7-8
I work at a grocery store and manage to get tons of seeds out of stuff we throw away. (shh.. I'm not supposed to do that...)
So now I have a TON of stuff growing and have no idea what to do. Whoops...
Here are some details about my lot:
I do NOT know the soil type. How do I find this out?
I live on a 7 acre land, and I have 2 acres of open, level ground that is in 100% direct sunlight (it's the east side of the house) Is this good planting for fruit trees?
Do fruit trees pose a threat to water lines and septic tanks?
*My peach tree is 18 inches tall. When should I plant it? I have no idea what kind of peach it is. Will it bear fruit?
*I managed to germinate an avocado. It is now 5 months old and 8 inches tall. What are the chances of it bearing fruit? Will I have to keep this one has a houseplant, since it is tropical?
*I can't get my cherry seeds to germinate. Why? they've been in dirt that I keep moist for over a month, and nothing.
*Will I be able to grow an apricot? I have 10 apricot stones in a baggy of sand in the fridge. Will it bear fruit? Can apricots and peach trees pollinate each other?
*I have a 5 inch tall Cameo Apple tree. How big should it be before it is planted? Can it pollinate with apricot and peach trees?
*Assuming all conditions are right, how far apart should I plant the apricot, peach, and apple tree?
*I have 3 cantaloupes growing. Will they bear fruit? They are all 3 about 4 inches wide, 2ish inches tall. One is in a pot, 2 are in the ground.
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applestar
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I have found that fruit tree seedlings are subject to being nibbled on by mice and other rodents, and chomped down by rabbits, groundHOGs/woodchucks, and deer. So unless you can build a cage around them to protect them on site, it's easier to keep them in a protected place in containers for the first year. They need to be potted in well-draining soil mix (I use about 1/3~1/2 soil, then mixture of compost, sand, and composted bark mulch plus a bit of dolomitic lime, greensand, and rock phosphate) in 3-5gal containers.
If they are currently indoors or in a shady spot, gradually acclimate them to a sunnier location outdoors that gets 6hrs or more sun.
Now, fruit trees typically need well draining soil. We'll address their permanent location later. Most fruit trees grown from seed on their own roots will take some years to grow to maturity and fruit.
I believe most peaches, nectarines, and apricots will self pollinate or different trees of same variety of same fruit can pollinate each other but not different fruit trees.
Apple trees need to be pollinated by another apple tree or crabapple tree that flower and release pollen at the same time. There are charts you can find on-line. But BECAUSE they need to be cross pollinated to bear fruit, the seeds from the Cameo apples will not grow into trees that will bear the exact same Cameo characteristic fruit.
Most temperate area fruit seeds including herry seeds need cold stratification (environment simulating winter months) to germinate. Sometimes, the lengthy storage of the fruits in the refrigerated conditions is sufficient.
There are varieties of avocado that can tolerate something like 25-27°F in winter while dormant, but without knowing the variety of the avocado you got the seed from, it's safer to assume it won't survive freezing temperatures. Uppot it in 1 gal container for now. A commercial Citrus soil mix is supposed to be ideal but I just use the same mix described above MINUS the lime as avocados like slightly acidic soil. Avocado leaves and bark scorch easily so it's best to be very gradual about acclimating it to the sun and to keep it in a location that gets noon shade. I like to start off in dappled shade under a tree.
Canteloup should grow fine but you need a very big container for the root system, and they will grow long vines that sprawl (or can be trellised and fruits supoorted in slings -- but it doesn't sound like space will be your problem
) It may also have been cross pollinated and not bear the same characteristic fruit.
OK, I guess that'll do for starters.
If they are currently indoors or in a shady spot, gradually acclimate them to a sunnier location outdoors that gets 6hrs or more sun.
Now, fruit trees typically need well draining soil. We'll address their permanent location later. Most fruit trees grown from seed on their own roots will take some years to grow to maturity and fruit.
I believe most peaches, nectarines, and apricots will self pollinate or different trees of same variety of same fruit can pollinate each other but not different fruit trees.
Apple trees need to be pollinated by another apple tree or crabapple tree that flower and release pollen at the same time. There are charts you can find on-line. But BECAUSE they need to be cross pollinated to bear fruit, the seeds from the Cameo apples will not grow into trees that will bear the exact same Cameo characteristic fruit.
Most temperate area fruit seeds including herry seeds need cold stratification (environment simulating winter months) to germinate. Sometimes, the lengthy storage of the fruits in the refrigerated conditions is sufficient.
There are varieties of avocado that can tolerate something like 25-27°F in winter while dormant, but without knowing the variety of the avocado you got the seed from, it's safer to assume it won't survive freezing temperatures. Uppot it in 1 gal container for now. A commercial Citrus soil mix is supposed to be ideal but I just use the same mix described above MINUS the lime as avocados like slightly acidic soil. Avocado leaves and bark scorch easily so it's best to be very gradual about acclimating it to the sun and to keep it in a location that gets noon shade. I like to start off in dappled shade under a tree.
Canteloup should grow fine but you need a very big container for the root system, and they will grow long vines that sprawl (or can be trellised and fruits supoorted in slings -- but it doesn't sound like space will be your problem
) It may also have been cross pollinated and not bear the same characteristic fruit.OK, I guess that'll do for starters.
Last edited by applestar on Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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hendi_alex
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Most fruit trees are grafted, so when planting seeds (while the plants should fruit) there is no telling what kind of fruit quality each will have. I would assume for some trees like peaches which are susceptible to soil born disease and nematodes that the understock is perhaps also selected for resistance to such problems.
Fruit trees pose little risk to septic tank issues at least as compared to larger trees like oak trees and maple trees. Maples may be about the worst to send surface roots looking for any water source. But I would not plant any tree within 25-30 foot of the septic tank or or the septic leach field. Roots can plug any of those lines.
Zone 8 is marginal for apple and cherry trees as it doesn't always provide enough chilling hours for the plants to set fruit the next season. Zone 7 however will almost always give enough chilling hours for fruit production. Most cherries will only fruit in zone 7 and lower, though there are many varieties available now that are specifically bred to produce fruit as high as zone 8. I think the chances of getting such a cherry tree from seed is pretty remote however. Cherry pits are very hard, perhaps if you take a file and etch a small hole in the seed, the seed will sprout in a couple of weeks.
While avocado trees are tropical, they can withstand temperatures down into the upper 20's without suffering damage. Most of the trees get quite large, as my oldest one from seed hit at least 10 feet before I topped it. So you may need to eventually top the tree and may need to prune the root ball in order to indefinitely overwinter the plant in the house. I've had three large trees in pots, only have two now, and while one bloomed one season, none has ever fruited for me.
You can plant a tree outside at any size, provided you keep it watered thoroughly during dry periods, for the first couple of years. I prefer to keep my tree seedlings in nursery pots for 2-3 years before moving them into the ground, but there is no real rule to that effect.
Cantaloupes will likely bear fruit, but the big vines are fairly heavy feeders, so IMO would do better if in the ground. Only allow two or three fruit to mature per vine.
Apricot and peach trees are fairly small mature trees, so 20-25 feet apart would likely be o.k. Most standard sized apple trees get pretty large so I would say at least 30-35 feet between them and another tree. Keep in mind that all of these fruit trees have differing spray requirements and you would not want to be spraying the apple tree and have the spray contaminate a peach that was ripe and ready for picking.
If you really want a small fruit tree orchard, you may want to consider slowly accumulating grafted, named varieties that are chosen to do well in your area. It is really easy to get lots of frustration and little fruit, especially when you are growing in what is likely a marginal area for apples and cherries. IMO small fruiting plants such as blueberries, raspberries, black berries, and strawberries give much greater reward with much less work and frustration, in zone 8 and above. The American pears however, are very easy, require no spraying, and produce a reliable crop most every year. So those make an excellent choice for the zone also.
Good luck with your various experiments.
Fruit trees pose little risk to septic tank issues at least as compared to larger trees like oak trees and maple trees. Maples may be about the worst to send surface roots looking for any water source. But I would not plant any tree within 25-30 foot of the septic tank or or the septic leach field. Roots can plug any of those lines.
Zone 8 is marginal for apple and cherry trees as it doesn't always provide enough chilling hours for the plants to set fruit the next season. Zone 7 however will almost always give enough chilling hours for fruit production. Most cherries will only fruit in zone 7 and lower, though there are many varieties available now that are specifically bred to produce fruit as high as zone 8. I think the chances of getting such a cherry tree from seed is pretty remote however. Cherry pits are very hard, perhaps if you take a file and etch a small hole in the seed, the seed will sprout in a couple of weeks.
While avocado trees are tropical, they can withstand temperatures down into the upper 20's without suffering damage. Most of the trees get quite large, as my oldest one from seed hit at least 10 feet before I topped it. So you may need to eventually top the tree and may need to prune the root ball in order to indefinitely overwinter the plant in the house. I've had three large trees in pots, only have two now, and while one bloomed one season, none has ever fruited for me.
You can plant a tree outside at any size, provided you keep it watered thoroughly during dry periods, for the first couple of years. I prefer to keep my tree seedlings in nursery pots for 2-3 years before moving them into the ground, but there is no real rule to that effect.
Cantaloupes will likely bear fruit, but the big vines are fairly heavy feeders, so IMO would do better if in the ground. Only allow two or three fruit to mature per vine.
Apricot and peach trees are fairly small mature trees, so 20-25 feet apart would likely be o.k. Most standard sized apple trees get pretty large so I would say at least 30-35 feet between them and another tree. Keep in mind that all of these fruit trees have differing spray requirements and you would not want to be spraying the apple tree and have the spray contaminate a peach that was ripe and ready for picking.
If you really want a small fruit tree orchard, you may want to consider slowly accumulating grafted, named varieties that are chosen to do well in your area. It is really easy to get lots of frustration and little fruit, especially when you are growing in what is likely a marginal area for apples and cherries. IMO small fruiting plants such as blueberries, raspberries, black berries, and strawberries give much greater reward with much less work and frustration, in zone 8 and above. The American pears however, are very easy, require no spraying, and produce a reliable crop most every year. So those make an excellent choice for the zone also.
Good luck with your various experiments.
