Here is a post we meant to put up last Fall but hey, better late than never.
Last Spring, we had to pull up the remains of the citrus that died in the great freeze. We hated to do that but it's what we had to do, they were deader than dead, no chance of them coming back.
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| Picture from last Summer |
While that left us with three empty beds, it also gave us three spots for new fruit trees. We did some research and looked for trees that are OK in our unique climate...occasional freezing weather and warm hot Summers while having both drought tolerance and rainy season tolerance. Ultimately, we decided on a Fig, Mayhaw and a Pomegranate.
Fruit trees were in short supply at nurseries and garden centers last year and we could only find one...
...a mayhaw tree. They grow well here and are supposed to produce some great tasting jelly. They are also hardy to below zero so we're good there.
We figured we'd try again.
We planted it last Fall in the center empty bed based on the fact that it has thorns. The other two we are going to get don't have thorns so it's easier to just remember that the one in the middle will poke you, ha.
With Spring almost here, garden centers are finally starting to stock up so we'll be looking for the other two. We might have to pay full price but we want to get them in the ground sooner rather than later.
Because when life takes away your lemons, limes and oranges, you make fruit punch instead!
Or something like that, ha.
Never heard of Mayhaw ... what do they taste like? I'll have to Google them!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on finding two more trees that will work for you and your area!
I was trying to find a way to describe it and found a better one online. It's like.a combination of sweet cherry, mange and pineapple. It can be tart but that's where you make the good jelly which of course adds sugar to sweeten it. I don't know we'll have to see how things go. It's an unusual fruit for sure.
DeleteI started thinking about the thorns and decided that at my age, if I plant anything, it will not have thorns! Maybe you can find the other trees this spring.
ReplyDeleteYou know we kind of feel that way too but at the farm, most of the trees on the property are mesquite and have thorns. Then the dewberry vines, thorns. And then we have some weeds with killer thorns. We surrender, ha.
DeleteSounds like you made some very good choices. I have never seen the fruit of Mayhaw. I’ll be watching yours.
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Stay tuned we'll see how it does. They look like little pomegranates, like tiny ones.
DeleteWith a good crop from your Mayhaw tree, you should be able to make some mighty good jelly.
ReplyDeleteWith the thorns on Mayhaw trees, the best way to get the fruit is to use; what is the 'shake and catch method'; laying old blankets, sheets or tarps around the tree and give the tree a good shake, letting the fruit fall on your ground covering.
Be forewarned; as the Mayhaw's are a big favorite of wildlife, the mayhaw berries that deer and game birds find delicious. The wild life critters will gather under mayhaw trees around May to await the ripening of the fruit that will fall to the ground that provides abundant crops each year for game animals, squirrels and possums.
I do hope that your new trees will do well for you and be blessed with abundant fruit.
Thank you we've heard that the jelly is supposed to be amazing. It's just a fruit that is not widely known but it's supposed to grow here so we'll see. Great idea about harvesting. Thanks. And yep, we read that about wildlife. Once reason we thought the center is good too, the fencing will keep the large ones away but then we'll have to see about the small ones, ha. First we need some fruit. ;-)
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