orchard location and have an expert help you pick out trees that would work best in that location.
The Buzz on Pollination
Make sure, if needed, you provide pollinators for your trees. Some trees are self-pollinating, like most varieties of peaches and nectarines, but others, like apricot trees, require another tree of the same type for pollination.Be sure that you match your tree with the correct pollinator. Just because you have two apple trees does not mean they are pollinators for each other. Check with either your Extension agent or the nursery where you purchase your trees to be sure your have the right varieties.
Tyoes of Fruit Trees
While you choose various types of fruit trees, you should also look at the kind of varieties within each group. Apples have early harvesters and late harvesters, fruit that is excellent for eating, and fruit that is better for cooking. There are some fruits that store better than others. Decide on your needs and get a variety to extend your harvest.
Look for Healthy Tree Stock
You will want to purchase trees that have a straight trunk and no low branches, with branches evenly spaced around the tree. If you’re selecting a bare-root tree, you want roots of quality and quantity. Roots should be numerous and healthy, as opposed to few and scrawny. If a tree has a cluster of branches or only one branch, those will not become good producers. You should also avoid any trees with a curved or bent trunk.
Planting Your Fruit Tree
Once you have decided about the size of the tree and soil type, it is time to plant your fruit tree. Soak the tree roots before planting. Dig a hole that is about 10 inches wider than the size of the root ball of the tree and deep enough to completely cover the roots. Be sure the graft union or graft line of the tree lies slightly above the level of the ground. The graft line can be identified as a diagonal scar on the trunk or as a lump a few inches above the soil level mark on the tree.
After digging, loosen the soil around the hole, so that the tree can easily expand its roots. Put some soil at the bottom of the hole in order to make a mound in the center. Carefully place the root ball of the tree on top of the mound. After placing the tree in the hole, fill it up with soil. Gently firm the soil around the tree and then water to settle the soil around the roots. Apply a layer of mulch or organic material like compost or leaves around the baseof the tree to help retain moisture, ensuring that you do not place the material near the graft line of the tree.
Check with your local nursery or county Extension agent to find out when fruit trees should be planted in your area.
Berry Bushes
It’s a good idea to have several varieties of berries in your garden, as well as a thriving fruit orchard. Strawberries will bear in June, raspberries in July, and blackberries and grapes in August and September. You can have fresh berries all summer long!
Strawberries have a history that goes back more than 2,200 years; they grew wild in Italy as long ago as 234 B.C. The first Europeans to land in Virginia found strawberries there when their ships arrived in 1588. Early settlers in Massachusetts enjoyed eating strawberries grown by local American Indians, who cultivated the fruit as early as 1643. After 1860, strawberries were widely grown in many parts of the country.
Strawberries
Plant your strawberries in a sunny location for the sweetest berries and the healthiest plants. If you have a spot on a south-facing slope, that would be ideal. Strawberry plants are usually planted in early spring in the north, but in the south, the fall works best. Strawberries love fertile, slightly acidic well-drained soil. If your soil is a heavy clay, you might want to consider raised beds for your berries.
Select plant varieties that do well in your area. Ask your local Extension agent or a good local strawberry grower which ones do best. There a two basic types of strawberries,
The Buzz on Pollination
Make sure, if needed, you provide pollinators for your trees. Some trees are self-pollinating, like most varieties of peaches and nectarines, but others, like apricot trees, require another tree of the same type for pollination.Be sure that you match your tree with the correct pollinator. Just because you have two apple trees does not mean they are pollinators for each other. Check with either your Extension agent or the nursery where you purchase your trees to be sure your have the right varieties.
Tyoes of Fruit Trees
While you choose various types of fruit trees, you should also look at the kind of varieties within each group. Apples have early harvesters and late harvesters, fruit that is excellent for eating, and fruit that is better for cooking. There are some fruits that store better than others. Decide on your needs and get a variety to extend your harvest.
Look for Healthy Tree Stock
You will want to purchase trees that have a straight trunk and no low branches, with branches evenly spaced around the tree. If you’re selecting a bare-root tree, you want roots of quality and quantity. Roots should be numerous and healthy, as opposed to few and scrawny. If a tree has a cluster of branches or only one branch, those will not become good producers. You should also avoid any trees with a curved or bent trunk.
Planting Your Fruit Tree
Once you have decided about the size of the tree and soil type, it is time to plant your fruit tree. Soak the tree roots before planting. Dig a hole that is about 10 inches wider than the size of the root ball of the tree and deep enough to completely cover the roots. Be sure the graft union or graft line of the tree lies slightly above the level of the ground. The graft line can be identified as a diagonal scar on the trunk or as a lump a few inches above the soil level mark on the tree.
After digging, loosen the soil around the hole, so that the tree can easily expand its roots. Put some soil at the bottom of the hole in order to make a mound in the center. Carefully place the root ball of the tree on top of the mound. After placing the tree in the hole, fill it up with soil. Gently firm the soil around the tree and then water to settle the soil around the roots. Apply a layer of mulch or organic material like compost or leaves around the baseof the tree to help retain moisture, ensuring that you do not place the material near the graft line of the tree.
Check with your local nursery or county Extension agent to find out when fruit trees should be planted in your area.
Berry Bushes
It’s a good idea to have several varieties of berries in your garden, as well as a thriving fruit orchard. Strawberries will bear in June, raspberries in July, and blackberries and grapes in August and September. You can have fresh berries all summer long!
Strawberries have a history that goes back more than 2,200 years; they grew wild in Italy as long ago as 234 B.C. The first Europeans to land in Virginia found strawberries there when their ships arrived in 1588. Early settlers in Massachusetts enjoyed eating strawberries grown by local American Indians, who cultivated the fruit as early as 1643. After 1860, strawberries were widely grown in many parts of the country.
Strawberries
Plant your strawberries in a sunny location for the sweetest berries and the healthiest plants. If you have a spot on a south-facing slope, that would be ideal. Strawberry plants are usually planted in early spring in the north, but in the south, the fall works best. Strawberries love fertile, slightly acidic well-drained soil. If your soil is a heavy clay, you might want to consider raised beds for your berries.
Select plant varieties that do well in your area. Ask your local Extension agent or a good local strawberry grower which ones do best. There a two basic types of strawberries,
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