Planted some trees today instead of cutting them down

Planted a dozen fruit trees today! I hope to add another dozen next year.

 

I have been meaning to do that for 20 years now! Oh, and also to get an asparagus patch going! What kind did you plant?

Gary

 

4 HoneyCrisp Apple
2 Van Cherry
2 RedHaven Peach
2 Bartlett Pear
2 Stanley Plum

I want to double them.

 

We lost our red havens to the bitter winter, our catalpa too. Replacing them this year, might get a couple cherry trees too.

 

I've grown some fruit trees that came along after several years. Then mother natures says, " ha, ha, trying to trick me." Frozen out. I recommend contacting the local extension service and find our what varieties are proven to survive in your area.

 

Funny thing is that the red haven peach trees are proven to survive in both Iowa and Minnesota, I live 10 miles from the border. I think if they had been established they would have made it. Also, hardest winter in over 40 years didn't help.

 

True, We have had two, "Once in 500 years floods" in 50 years. I had what was to be a very hardy walnut tree growing. It got up over 20 feet tall and had started to fruit, then bam. Half of it froze. It grew back over the next five years, then bam again. This time froze right to the roots. Close to 20 years invested. I have given up. Mother Nature will alway have her way. This past year, many of my rhododendrons froze to within two feet of the ground. Even my rose of Sharon froze. None of my forsythias bloomed, and my flowering plum and cherry failed to bloom. Last year they were all spectacular. The old fashion roses and the common lilacs came through just fine.

 

Our methley plums both look great, and of course the mulberry tree is stronger than ever. Get the new catalpa next week, and going to price fruit trees while we are at it.

 

We planted two apple trees and a cherry tree yesterday. I wish we started doing it years ago.....

 

Beautiful place you got there

 

The area I am planting the trees is about 3-acres. Eventually I want the whole thing filled with trees. Plans for some nut trees are on my list too. I also have a 5-acre field out back I want to turn into a large garden. This will take a long time to do but it's what I enjoy. I use all my free time to work this place into a homestead.

It is a long term goal. I am hoping to grow enough here to not have to buy so much food. Edible landscape makes more sense to me than ornamental. Then again it's a lot more work! I love it though.

 

My wife and I want to do the same thing

 

5 acre garden! Man, that is huge, enough to feed several families. I hope you get the equipment to do it up good. Do you have access to a good water supply?

 

Used Henry to rip out the two dead peaches and dead catalpa. On my way to pick up the replacement catalpa, already got two different peaches (ranger and reliance) and an extra plum for better pollination (Santa Rosa to pollinate my methleys). All the dead trees were warranty replaced. Also got two pink lemonade blueberries and one sunshine blue blueberries. Yep, we've got one of those edible landscapes too!

 

I bought 6 blueberry plants. I'm planting those where I would have had vegetable crops. I'm slowing down a lot on the gardening. Just the things we really like fresh. The rest we can get at our local farmers market.
Just love things like fresh garden greens, tomatoes, cukes, and string beans. A few summer squash for the wife.
Our son came over this evening and tilled up my garden spots. He already had worked a full day. .

 

Deer LOVE fruit tree branches so watch out for that.

 

Mice like to nibble off the bark near the base under the snow. It is a real fruit tree killer. Need to wrap them every year until they near maturity.

 

Joe, you might want to wrap the trunks for at least a couple years, like lukem and Larry mentioned.
I'll try to take some pics, but out apple trees got the bark chewed off pretty good this past winter. The deer and wabbits were hungry.
The newest one has been turned into a stick twice now, and I don't think it's coming back this time.

 

I put in a few blueberry bushes about 10 years ago. And that's about as many berries as I've eaten. There always are a pile ripening up but then the chipmunks eat them all.

 

Don't let the Agenda 21 folks catch wind of you wanting to be self sufficient. End political rant.