Every Thursday we like to post a picture of something we've found online that inspires us to do something similar at the farm.
Sort of our own blog bulletin board so that we can eventually look back and someday, hopefully anyway, recreate it...enjoy!
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| Backyard Orchard |
This is one of the first pictures we ever found online that inspired us to have a backyard orchard. Sure it's all apple trees here but we envisioned something similar with a variety of fruits. Of course these lucky people get to plant right into the ground and still get lots of fruit but hey, we figured out a way (hopefully anyway) to get them growing (raised beds) and we'll soon be on our way to recreating a similar scene.
If we could get something similar, trees loaded with fruit in a few years, we'd be ecstatic...not to mention we'd have recreated another one of our inspirations. That means one more down and dozens to go, ha.
Be inspired!
i planted an orchard when i originally did my lower garden project. i didn't want to spray and i grew the saddest apples ever!
ReplyDeleteAwww, that's too bad. But I guess the trees are still there? Do they still produce apples?
Deletejaz,
ReplyDeleteSpray with a homemade spray. Whir garlic, onion, and jalapenos in a blender with a cup of hot water. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
I use a hand sprayer. But, you can use one with more than two-cup capacity. Put the liquid with water, about 1 to 5 ratio. Add tsp of Dawn and tsp of canola oil, shake and spray. You will not kill the bugs you do not want. You will repel all bugs, including those you do not want on your apples. I measure nothing, just put some of it in the blender.
I have sprayed this on tomatoes, basil, and peppers with great success. My friend mixed large batches and sprayed their fruit trees. You can even use the blender on your own food after this. However, you may want a dedicated blender if you take it to a location not in your house.
Thanks for this info, I will have to hold on to this "recipe". Thanks!!!!
Deletejaz,
ReplyDeleteI forgot the say to strain it the next morning and store in refrigerator. Make sure you strain it fine enough so that residue will not clog the sprayer.
Oooh, I like that you can store it in the fridge too. Thanks again!
DeleteOnce your fruit trees get well established you can remove your raised bed frames and reuse them for your next batch of fruit trees.
ReplyDeleteI thought about that, we can envision a time when they could just be humps in the yard and we could reuse for something elsewhere! Cool!!!
DeleteApples and peaches will reward you soon.
ReplyDeleteFrom your lips to Mother Nature's ears!!! ;-)
DeleteWe started a small orchard with raised beds a few years ago. We did the raised beds because of our awful and rocky soil. One thing we have found is that the raised beds can warm up prematurely and the trees can blossom too early with killing frosts still coming or before there are bees. The spraying and pruning are essential as is even watering. We planted asparagus in the raised beds with the fruit trees and when they go to seed, they help shade the ground for the summer. We have a six foot fence around our orchard and the deer come and try to find a gate open - it has happened just once. The birds eat more of the fruit and they don't care to wait until it is ripe!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I will remember about the soil heat up early...though our freezes/frosts are few and far between in early Spring. But we'll definitely have to remember that next year.
DeleteAnd aspragus? WOW! That's brilliant! I've been wondering about companion planting and even just having some nice flowers for color, but dang, asparagus would be great since it's a perennial. Of course, we'll have to watch out for deer (and rabbits) so they might like asparagus too, ha.
I am so excited for you and your orchard-in-waiting. It's going to be so much fun for y'all, walking though it and watching it progress. One of my favorite things is to walk through my orchard, smelling the wonderful blossoms and seeing the baby fruit grow. Right now, my oranges are blooming and it smells heavenly!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Can't wait to get the trees in. Blossoms smell so wonderful, especially citrus. You are lucky! Funny thing, all this work is for the stone fruit and apple trees. The citrus I haven't worked on yet.
Delete1st Man,
ReplyDeletePretty orchard picture! Can't wait to see your tree's in the ground.
Once in our place we're going to try to plant large tree's (which will cost a little more money) in hopes of having fruit a little sooner. We will also plant some dwarf tree's as well.
They'll be in soon (not this weekend but weekend after). So you're going to get the big trees. Lucky!!! That will be nice. So excited for your property. And a cellar is on our list so if you get one first, we'll have to see how that goes and what you get. ;-)
DeleteOOOHH, that is soo lovely!!! In september I made a post on our applesafari, we have several orchards down south in Sweden, bursting with ripe fruit. This looks very nice indeed, I mean, there is hope for the future in every appletree you plant. I was wondering if you make your own applejuice? We have a farmer here who owns an enormous machine that handles tons of fruit and we go to him with our fruit and takes home gallons of freshly made juice.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I loved that Sasquatch Valentine but my husband would have preferred Chew Bacca........