Going Fruity, Again

We've planted two more fruit trees in our orchard at Struan Farm over the past week, hooray.

John requested a sweet eating apple, since to date I've planted either cooking apples or more tart eating apples. So we've planted a dwarf "Initial" apple from Country Trading. These fruit early, are sweet and meant to be very easy to grow, although our other apples (Monty's Surprise and Peasgood Nonsuch) in this part of the property are doing really well. (Apparently dwarf trees are meant to be staked, hence the hardware you see below.)

 

And we've planted a "Black Doris Plum." We've been eating a lot of canned Black Doris this winter, in porridge and in baked puddings, so I figure this will be a good one for us to grow. Perhaps I'll have someone teach me how to "bottle" (or "can" in US parlance).

 

John's now decided we've got room for two more trees. I'll get another plum to assist with cross pollination, have decided you really can't have too much of a good thing on that score.

Not sure about the other just yet. Peaches/nectarines don't do well, they suffer leaf curl even if I spray with copper as recommended. The quinces are still struggling to fruit after four years going on five. I'm not crazy about persimmon. We've tried apricots, which haven't done well, and are testing a cherry tree in the Pet Paddock. I've got black currants in the back yard, along with citrus. The heirloom figs are out and about on other parts of the farm, along with our walnuts and almonds. So you see my dilemma?

Comments

[Heather]

Looks great Karen. I'll teach you to bottle and can when you're next in this part of the world- put aside an afternoon.

[Karen]

Will do, thanks!