Author Topic: planting fruit trees  (Read 13779 times)

sol

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planting fruit trees
« on: July 14, 2014, 08:03:03 PM »
Our new house has a big yard with lots of sun.  I'm going to try to plant a small orchard.  From free seeds.

Our local supermarket has $1 bags of soft fruit, mostly peaches, apricots, nectarines, and plums.  It looks like all of these fruits can be grown in most of the US after setting the seeds in the fridge for about 8 weeks to help them germinate.

We eat enough fruit around here that I'm going to have waaaay more seeds than I want fruit trees, but I understand that many seeds will not germinate or will not grow well enough to produce fruit so I'm going to go ahead and plant them all.  The internet tells me that if they sprout and are healthy, I should have fruit in 3 years and a twenty foot tall tree in about 5.

Does anyone else here grow fruit trees?  Any tips for keeping the birds away?  Any other concerns I should know about before undertaking this project?

kimmarg

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2014, 08:13:04 PM »
I don't know a lot about stonr fruits as it is too cold for them where I live, but in general I would strongly recommend against using grocery store fruit to start an orchard. A few potential problems:

Fruit may be treated in a way which prevents sprouting (potatoes def do this)

Fruit may be a variety good for commercial growing in some far away warm place but not in your climate.

Some fruit (apples) are not true to seed due to cross pollination. So if you plant a mackintosh apple you won't get a Mac apple tree - to do that you need a grafting of the original tree.

You can't control the size. Unless your front yard is huge I would suggest trees on dwarf or semi dwarf rootstock.

It is worth the money to get plants that are meant to be grown, not eaten. Fruit trees can last decades so you will earn the money back. You can also look for end of season sale or pre season orders for deals. Or find a friend and graft your own!

gimp

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2014, 08:18:16 PM »
Quote
Fruit may be treated in a way which prevents sprouting (potatoes def do this)

Tell that to my cheap warehouse-store potatoes. Fuckers sprout if you look away for a minute.

The point about apples is a very good one. Apples are very, very odd. You plant seeds from an apple, you will most likely get some weird crab apple tree, nothing remotely what you expect.

Here's an idea: Raspberries/blackberries. Those motherfuckers grow like weeds; hard to eradicate. But with some patience and a small axe, and monthly pruning, you can get them to line up into neat rows of the most delicious, semi-wild hybrids. They won't be like anything in the store; they will be smaller, and much sweeter. And picking them will leave slight cuts on your arms. So it goes. Highly recommend it.

G-dog

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2014, 08:28:01 PM »
Lots of apples are grafted, not sure for peaches, apricots, or plums. When I was a kid in the Bay Area, we had an apricot tree and a fig tree that were each quite prolific. Apples so well in most climates, not sure how wel, from seeds.
Your nearby university with an ag extension office can give you good guidance, and may be a source of cheap seedlings, if needed
Also, check if you can get any tax break for your small orchard.
You can also contact or check out Seed Savers.

sol

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2014, 08:30:51 PM »
Fruit may be a variety good for commercial growing in some far away warm place but not in your climate.

All of the fruit I'm planting is locally grown, so I'm not too worried about this. 

Quote
Some fruit (apples) are not true to seed due to cross pollination.

We're not planting apple trees.  The house already had one, and it already produces. 

Quote
You can't control the size. Unless your front yard is huge I would suggest trees on dwarf or semi dwarf rootstock.

You certainly CAN control the size, with diligent pruning.  But I'm not too worried about apricots and peaches and plums.  I know pear trees get gigantic, so not planting any of those. 

Here's an idea: Raspberries/blackberries. Those motherfuckers grow like weeds; hard to eradicate.

We talked about blackberries but they're such a weed around here that we decided against it.  Too much maintenance.  It's like planting bamboo, you never really expect it to swallow your house until it's too late. 

So we've decided on blueberries instead, less bloodthirsty.  Also easy to grow locally.  Those, however, we will buy from a nursery in order to get the right kinds.

rocklebock

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2014, 08:44:27 PM »
We have three young trees in the front yard - plum and two cherries. Only the plum is producing, but it does great. In back we have an ancient apple tree, and a pear and another plum that are almost as ancient. We recently had those pruned pretty drastically because they'd gotten way too big and weren't producing anything worth eating. We'll see how they do. We also have raspberries that I just planted, and tons of blackberries which I loathe because they're so invasive, but we're at least getting some good berries this year after I hacked them back to nothing last year. I'm definitely doing blueberries soon - some of our neighbors have them and they seem to do great.

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2014, 09:15:05 PM »
Hey Sol. We're in the same bioregion and edible gardening is kinda my thing, so I feel like I can speak to this. The seeds are almost certainly not going to make trees that produce varieties that are yummy and delicious. They *might* but that would be a freak thing. All commercial varieties are grafted, so the scion (the part that determines what fruit is borne) is known and the rootstock is known. Seeds carry the genetics of whatever parent plants happened to get busy with the help of the friendly neighborhood bee. Those genetics are totally unknown because your seeds have not yet grown out. You might have the next Fuji, but more likely you'll get something more like a crab apple. Nature has a way of reverting to traits that are more advantageous to the plant's survival from traits people select for palatability. Long story short, if I understand what you are saying, your plan probably is not going to work.

However, I have an alternative. Grafting and getting desirable scion stock is very easy - you just need to to know someone (like me) who's willing to let you cut a sprig of wood of their fruit trees in Feb or March. Then you can graft the scion onto any compatible rootstock. You can buy rootstock, or you can grow it. I'd buy one known rootstock and grow it out to get multiple rootstocks, or you can plant your seeds and select the hardiest, most well rooted, for rootstock selection. Then in late winter you just splice and wrap your scion to your rootstock. Bob's your uncle - lots of fruit trees with known  fruit bearing capacity.

Let me know if you want to stop by next February or March. I'm a bit north of Seattle.

sol

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2014, 09:43:11 PM »
Let me know if you want to stop by next February or March. I'm a bit north of Seattle.

Will do, thanks.

In the meantime, planting our fruit pits is essentially zero effort and educational for the kiddos, so we'll give it a go.  When I grow a bunch of plants with tiny yields of sour fruit, you can say I-told-you-so.

homehandymum

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2014, 10:53:25 PM »
I think it's worth the experiment for stone fruit.  (not pip fruit, but that's been well covered)

Commercial varieties are often grafted onto quince rooting stock, as being more reliable, but hey, they don't take up much room for the first 5 years or so - worth planting a whole hedge of them, finding out if any are delicious and scorched-earth the rest of them.  Or keep it as a semi-edible hedge :)

We get a few self-sown plums in our neighbourhood.  Plums tend to grow out as cherry-plums, rather than big fat juicy plums, but they're edible, just not really worth preserving. (A cherry-plum is the size of a cherry, and tastes like a plum.  The bushes also tend to be quite thorny.  I'm guessing it's an ancestral wild-type tree).

No idea about the peaches and nectarines, but I'm keen to find out.  Keep us posted!

If you're in a stone fruit region, you might also have good success with olives and grapes - they all grow well in the same place in this part of the world.
« Last Edit: July 14, 2014, 11:00:46 PM by homehandymum »

orcas50

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2014, 10:55:56 PM »
Hi Sol. I live in the Seattle area also. We have had amazing success with raspberries and boysenberries. Both take a few years for the canes to get really going, but are bearing tons of berries now. Our blueberries aren't doing as well, but I think that has to do with not watering and fertilizing enough. My kids love the berries, too. Good luck!

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2014, 07:31:50 AM »
In the meantime, planting our fruit pits is essentially zero effort and educational for the kiddos, so we'll give it a go.  When I grow a bunch of plants with tiny yields of sour fruit, you can say I-told-you-so.

Totally. Kids love planting pits. Plus, peaches, nectarines and apricots are lovely trees just on their own. All those delicious varieties came about because someone did some crazy experiments with breeding just like you are doing now. So when you grow out a disease resistant, sweet and juicy, short season adapted necti-plum with gorgeous red foliage, you can say I-told-you-so. :D

frugalnacho

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2014, 07:50:43 AM »
My neighbor has a pear tree and they get pears all over their yard.  Thousands and thousands of rotting pears.  I love pears, but holy shit does it pollute their yard with rotting fruit and flies. 

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2014, 07:53:53 AM »
My neighbor has a pear tree and they get pears all over their yard.  Thousands and thousands of rotting pears.  I love pears, but holy shit does it pollute their yard with rotting fruit and flies.
Your neighbor needs chickens. The problem is the solution.

iris lily

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #13 on: July 15, 2014, 08:01:35 AM »
We have 22 fruit trees here on our inner city urban garden and I know of what I speak.

It's false economy to plant a fruit tree from seeds. You only have to spend a little money to get a small tree the size of a stick that will be entirely appropriate for your tastes and for your region.  A tiny stick-tree will give you a leg up on a seed by a couple of years. A tiny stick-tree will still allow your children to watch a tree grow, in fact, it's almost magical when the stick you plant puts out leaves.

You can play the "seeds are magic" game with so many other things which I'm sure you will! Sure, plant pits, but buy a real tree.


frugalnacho

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2014, 08:01:50 AM »
My neighbor has a pear tree and they get pears all over their yard.  Thousands and thousands of rotting pears.  I love pears, but holy shit does it pollute their yard with rotting fruit and flies.
Your neighbor needs chickens. The problem is the solution.

They had chickens, but they died.  They need to stop pretending they are farmers because they don't give the required attention to their plants or animals.

Miss Prim

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #15 on: July 15, 2014, 08:19:00 AM »
Wow!  I have chickens and pear trees.  Chickens are easy to raise.  All they need is water and some feed and an area to forage for bugs, seeds etc!  They do need to be locked up in the coop at night to keep them from predators, and then let out in the morning.  Really not a lot of work!  You sometimes lose a few to dogs that have gotten loose, but I usually buy more chicks than I actually need.  And our pears are picked just about everyday, because they are delicious canned.  The ones that are too far gone feed the chickens.  I feel bad that your neighbors neglected their chickens!

Cpa Cat

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #16 on: July 15, 2014, 09:06:10 AM »
I have two persimmons, two asian pears, a cherry tree, blackberries and raspberries and asparagus among my semi-permanent crop in my suburban lawn.

Here's why I don't think you should plant from seed:

1. The varieties that are best for large-scale cultivation (even locally-grown) are not necessarily the same breeds that best suited for a small-scale yard. Farmed orchards need fruits that will look best, travel best, store best and are generally kept on a spray schedule for chemicals (even organic fruit is subject to a rigorous pesticide schedule). But guess what? In your yard, you're probably not going to keep a rigorous spray schedule and you don't need long-term storage. What you want is disease resistance and taste (with pest resistance being third).

2. There may be many kinds of fruits that are extremely well suited and care-free to your yard, but that aren't grown commercially for a variety of reasons (the most important being that they're not economically viable).

3. It will take years for your fruit tree to establish and grow fruit. If you buy a tree, you may have fruit the very next year. If you plant from a seed, you may be waiting 6-7 years. Sure, you may have paid $50-$100 for the tree, but it's probably worth 10-15 dollars per year to speed up your timeline. Certainly, the joy of picking your own fruit from your own tree is not something you should delay!

4. Grafting issues. Even though your fruit is locally grown, that doesn't mean the seed matches the rootstock. You aren't necessarily planting a copy of the same tree that your fruit grew on and the results may be dissapointing. Your dissapointments will come in the form of dead or unhealthy trees - not the end of the world, but it only delays your success further.

I've cheaped out before - never so cheap as planting seeds - but cheap enough that I've spent under $10 on the equivalent of a stick. And five years in, my stick still has no fruit, but the trees I spent $35 each on bust out as much fruit as I can eat every year since the first year after transplant.

Quote
The internet tells me that if they sprout and are healthy, I should have fruit in 3 years and a twenty foot tall tree in about 5.

The internet is wrong. This won't happen - at least not in tangent. A cherry might get to fruiting age in 3 years, but then it won't be twenty foot tall. I've never really seen any tree get to twenty foot tall in 5 years - maybe maples and willows. My fruiting trees that are 7+ years old fruit very well, but aren't even close to 20 foot - my tallest is probably the asian pears, at 12-15 feet, and they are tall and skinny, not shade trees, by any means.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2014, 09:16:16 AM by Cpa Cat »

Simple Abundant Living

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #17 on: July 15, 2014, 09:12:06 AM »
I've bought most of my fruit trees this time of year. 75% off or more, most have cost me $5 or less. Sometimes the tags have fallen off and I'm not sure what I'm even planting (looks like some kind of cherry?).   If you're willing to take chance on a Charlie Brown-ish tree, you can get some bargains. Most trees put out a few fruits the second season, then go to town after that.

Paul der Krake

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #18 on: July 15, 2014, 09:14:09 AM »
Raspberries are amazing, the first year you get next to nothing, and then it doubles every year with 0 effort in any reasonable climate. And they make the best jam.

Rika Non

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #19 on: July 15, 2014, 09:25:03 AM »
There is nothing wrong with trying to grow from pits, but a mixed approach of buying 1-3 trees that you know you want, that are grafted and the correct varietal for your specific climate would be my approach. 

If you do grow from pits you will need to be careful for blights / rusts / etc.  Most of the hybridization and grafting is to increase yield but also decrease the susceptibility to disease.  Stone fruits are especially prone to a rather long list of things.

That said, my lemon tree is a random seedling that sprouted in my mother's garden, probably from compost.  It is a throwback with much larger thorns and a smaller set than a commercial tree.  But since it was a random freebie and I still get lemons (only in the fall though) I still like it.  I call it my mystery lemon.

gillstone

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #20 on: July 15, 2014, 09:39:13 AM »
Lots of apples are grafted, not sure for peaches, apricots, or plums. When I was a kid in the Bay Area, we had an apricot tree and a fig tree that were each quite prolific. Apples so well in most climates, not sure how wel, from seeds.
Your nearby university with an ag extension office can give you good guidance, and may be a source of cheap seedlings, if needed
Also, check if you can get any tax break for your small orchard.
You can also contact or check out Seed Savers.

This is an important note.  Apples and some other fruits are grafted because the seeds are not guaranteed to produce the same tasty apple you ate moments ago.  Just remember, part of the Johnny Appleseed story is that all the apples trees he planted, most were used to make hard cider and applejack because taste or texture made them unpleasant to eat.

Off topic, how much of agricultural advancement be ascribed to folks wanting to get shit-faced?

sol

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #21 on: July 15, 2014, 07:13:03 PM »
Lots of Negative Nancies in this thread.  Are you sure y'all don't work for Monsanto?  Maybe Del Monte?

"It's too hard!" 
"It will never work"
"You'll have all kinds of problems!"
"Definitely don't try that totally free solution, you have to spend spend spend or the sky will fall!"

I'm planting my pits no matter how many of you tell me it's a terrible idea.  What's the worst that can happen, they don't grow and I have to continue buying my fruit from the store just like I do right now?  I see ONLY upside potential here, so all of you can just shush.

lr

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #22 on: July 15, 2014, 07:28:32 PM »
You did ask them for advice...

NoraLenderbee

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #23 on: July 15, 2014, 07:31:14 PM »
Lots of Negative Nancies in this thread.  Are you sure y'all don't work for Monsanto?  Maybe Del Monte?

"It's too hard!" 
"It will never work"
"You'll have all kinds of problems!"
"Definitely don't try that totally free solution, you have to spend spend spend or the sky will fall!"

I'm planting my pits no matter how many of you tell me it's a terrible idea.  What's the worst that can happen, they don't grow and I have to continue buying my fruit from the store just like I do right now?  I see ONLY upside potential here, so all of you can just shush.


That's not very nice. What they are saying is true; they're trying to explain why your plan has a pretty modest chance of success, and help you avoid disappointment.
But sure, it won't cost you anything to try.

FYI I have fruit trees, and they need a lot more care and management than tomatoes or zucchini.

iris lily

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #24 on: July 15, 2014, 07:46:40 PM »

FYI I have fruit trees, and they need a lot more care and management than tomatoes or zucchini.

If were up to me, the only fruit trees we would have would be the sour cherries. There is no rotting fruit lying around.
But DH has had fruit trees all of his life so he likes to take care of them.

Simple Abundant Living

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #25 on: July 15, 2014, 09:15:24 PM »
Lots of Negative Nancies in this thread.  Are you sure y'all don't work for Monsanto?  Maybe Del Monte?

"It's too hard!" 
"It will never work"
"You'll have all kinds of problems!"
"Definitely don't try that totally free solution, you have to spend spend spend or the sky will fall!"

I'm planting my pits no matter how many of you tell me it's a terrible idea.  What's the worst that can happen, they don't grow and I have to continue buying my fruit from the store just like I do right now?  I see ONLY upside potential here, so all of you can just shush.


That's not very nice. What they are saying is true; they're trying to explain why your plan has a pretty modest chance of success, and help you avoid disappointment.
But sure, it won't cost you anything to try.

FYI I have fruit trees, and they need a lot more care and management than tomatoes or zucchini.

The only thing it will cost him is- time, water, space, fertilizing, pruning, and eventually removal of something that didn't turn out how he wanted. For example, I was given raspberry canes shortly after moving in.  We love raspberries and I tried to make them work. Year after year, we got tiny, seedy berries that weren't worth the work and water I was putting into them. I tore them all out this spring (with effort and thorns) and started over. Sometimes the free option is worth exactly what you paid for it.  But, it's a good experiment if you go into it eyes wide open.

Goldielocks

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #26 on: July 15, 2014, 10:43:06 PM »
So, pacific NW....
My friend grew cherry tree from pits.  If you are in a large commercial area you will eventually have to fight the birds and worms in the fruit _ e.g. moths.   But you can get trees and real cherries from pits.  My cherry tree in urban area only ever had birds eating the fruit, no worms so no spray.

What grows in you neighborhood?  Can you buy fruit from a upick so you know it is locaaly adapted?

I thought most apples were grafted to keep short for harvest ease but on strong root stock and you can still get apples from seeds.  Hey, I like crab apples too.  Jelly and jarred and sauce and...

Try growing hazelnuts.  The squirrels bury the nuts here and they are wild and native species. ( the tree not the squirrel).   I think I have a few hazelnut weeds each year.

deborah

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #27 on: July 15, 2014, 11:08:11 PM »
I had a 20 foot apricot tree until I got it pruned so I could pick all the apricots easily - and it wasn't very much more than 5 years old.

I agree with the others that a named variety is good - and one for the home garden is really good (one thing that hasn't been mentioned is that home garden varieties generally ripen over time whereas commercial varieties tend to ripen all at once).

Peaches and apricots tend to be better from seed than apples or cherries (which are usually not self fertile - so you need two or more to get apples on your tree). We used to have a self sown peach - it wasn't as good as the named variety I got, but it wasn't bad. I know people with self sown apricots which are also OK.

Hazelnuts are native to Europe not America according to Wikipedia.

Goldielocks

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #28 on: July 15, 2014, 11:25:41 PM »



Hazelnuts are native to Europe not America according to Wikipedia.

Tell that to the 40 ft hazelnuts growing in our neighborhood ravines!  I mean, I have four trees here that just started to grow and produce nuts that I never asked for, and I have only a normal 8000sqft lot.  Even if originally  native to Europe, they have been native to my area for at least 75yrs now.  The point is that it will grow into a producing tree from seed with little effort.

This website indicates hazelnuts have a native variety... But I try to take random websites with a grain of salt..so it is for interest only.

http://www.songonline.ca/nuts/hazelnuts.htm

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #29 on: July 15, 2014, 11:43:50 PM »
Lots of Negative Nancies in this thread.  Are you sure y'all don't work for Monsanto?  Maybe Del Monte?

"It's too hard!" 
"It will never work"
"You'll have all kinds of problems!"
"Definitely don't try that totally free solution, you have to spend spend spend or the sky will fall!"

I'm planting my pits no matter how many of you tell me it's a terrible idea.  What's the worst that can happen, they don't grow and I have to continue buying my fruit from the store just like I do right now?  I see ONLY upside potential here, so all of you can just shush.

Oh, sorry! My mistake, I thought this was the "Ask a Mustachian" subthread, not the "Stroke Me Off" subthread. I'll be more careful next time. ;)

Stashing Swiss-style

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #30 on: July 16, 2014, 03:59:37 AM »
Quote
"Lots of Negative Nancies in this thread.  Are you sure y'all don't work for Monsanto?  Maybe Del Monte?

"It's too hard!"
"It will never work"
"You'll have all kinds of problems!"
"Definitely don't try that totally free solution, you have to spend spend spend or the sky will fall!"

I'm planting my pits no matter how many of you tell me it's a terrible idea.  What's the worst that can happen, they don't grow and I have to continue buying my fruit from the store just like I do right now?  I see ONLY upside potential here, so all of you can just shush."

Wow ! That was really uncalled for and unpleasant.  People were giving great advice, which you asked for, and you answer like that - now THAT is negative.

Cpa Cat

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #31 on: July 16, 2014, 07:14:46 AM »
Lots of Negative Nancies in this thread.  Are you sure y'all don't work for Monsanto?  Maybe Del Monte?

"It's too hard!" 
"It will never work"
"You'll have all kinds of problems!"
"Definitely don't try that totally free solution, you have to spend spend spend or the sky will fall!"

I'm planting my pits no matter how many of you tell me it's a terrible idea.  What's the worst that can happen, they don't grow and I have to continue buying my fruit from the store just like I do right now?  I see ONLY upside potential here, so all of you can just shush.

I only offer food, health and hope. Nothing more.

smalllife

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #32 on: July 16, 2014, 07:19:36 AM »
Hazelnuts are native to Europe not America according to Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corylus_maxima

Colrylus maxima is what people usually think of and that is indeed native to Europe, but there is another closely related species that is native to North America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corylus_americana


MayDay

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #33 on: July 16, 2014, 08:07:19 AM »
I guess it comes down to if you want fruit to eat, or you want an already performed, results assured science project for your kids.

My kids would want the fruit. If you want to do a science project why not graft them appropriately and teach your kids how to do it right instead of how to do it wrong?

We bought two large peach trees from Costco last year for 30$ each, which would have already produced this year if not for the Midwest's uncharacteristic winter. Eating peaches is what makes my kids happy, and it makes them happy now, not in ten years.  Why repeat known science, why not eat peaches instead?

gillstone

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #34 on: July 16, 2014, 08:32:12 AM »
Locally adapted is another good point.  Your supermarket stone fruit is usually grown in California or the Deep South and may not be of a breed that does well in the Pac NW.  Altitude, soil conditions, moisture, local pests, average temperature and likelihood of a spring frost just as the tree begins to bud or blossom are all considerations for whether or not a planted tree will survive or thrive.  In Montana we typically have to buy fruit trees and shrubs that were grown in Saskatchewan or Alberta to get a plant that can to last a hard winter.

horsepoor

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #35 on: July 16, 2014, 10:44:18 AM »
Lots of Negative Nancies in this thread.  Are you sure y'all don't work for Monsanto?  Maybe Del Monte?

"It's too hard!" 
"It will never work"
"You'll have all kinds of problems!"
"Definitely don't try that totally free solution, you have to spend spend spend or the sky will fall!"

I'm planting my pits no matter how many of you tell me it's a terrible idea.  What's the worst that can happen, they don't grow and I have to continue buying my fruit from the store just like I do right now?  I see ONLY upside potential here, so all of you can just shush.

WTF??  People are suggesting that you spend say $25 on a tree of known variety, on an appropriate rootstock, so that it will bear fruit that meets your needs in a shorter time period.  At $1.50/lb, it doesn't take many apples to pay you back on that investment, much less $4/lb cherries.  I daresay geting a 1-year jump on fruit production would pay back in spades.  But if you want to spend spend spend on grocery store fruit while you wait for your random seeds and pits to amount to something, go for it.


Daleth

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #36 on: July 16, 2014, 11:42:59 AM »
Lots of Negative Nancies in this thread.  Are you sure y'all don't work for Monsanto?  Maybe Del Monte?

"It's too hard!" 
"It will never work"
"You'll have all kinds of problems!"
"Definitely don't try that totally free solution, you have to spend spend spend or the sky will fall!"

I'm planting my pits no matter how many of you tell me it's a terrible idea.  What's the worst that can happen, they don't grow and I have to continue buying my fruit from the store just like I do right now?  I see ONLY upside potential here, so all of you can just shush.

Oh, sorry! My mistake, I thought this was the "Ask a Mustachian" subthread, not the "Stroke Me Off" subthread. I'll be more careful next time. ;)

Hahaha! High five.

I'm in agreement with the others. Spend the $50 and get a tiny tree that you know is the right kind for your climate, right size for your yard, etc. For the "teaching kids the magic of seeds" lesson, plant herbs and vegetables.

clarkfan1979

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #37 on: July 16, 2014, 11:50:18 AM »
I would buy small $20 fruit trees from local nurseries or non-profit food farms. $20 to skip the first two years is worth the investment for me. I do grow all my vegetables from seed.

sol

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #38 on: July 16, 2014, 08:56:50 PM »
I thought this was the "Ask a Mustachian" subthread, not the "Stroke Me Off" subthread.

Man, I have SO been hanging out in the wrong corners of this forum. 

Wow ! That was really uncalled for and unpleasant.  People were giving great advice, which you asked for, and you answer like that - now THAT is negative.

I'm sorry, did I forget my little smiley face?  It's so hard to convey subtext when using, um, text.

Everyone's advice is appreciated, thanks.  I have other local home orchardists to help me out with supplies, stock, and advice.  I'm planting my pits, too.

Goldielocks

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #39 on: July 16, 2014, 09:38:04 PM »
Why do I now have visions of armpits sprouting trees?

desrever

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Re: planting fruit trees
« Reply #40 on: July 17, 2014, 09:31:17 PM »
For a truly entertaining description of what it's like to evaluate unknown fruit (well, apple) trees grown from seed: http://womaninthedunes.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/apples.pdf

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!