When we first got the trees, we wrapped the bases with protective plastic and wire, mulched with hay, then watered them like crazy all summer. We hung Irish Spring soap from the branches to discourage deer from eating them, then left them alone all winter. Once spring rolled around they came to life quickly, and we may just get a few apples from the Honey Crisp trees this year. The peach and plum will take a few more years.
Over the past month Josh has been planting additional fruit trees in the orchard and various places around the garden, including:
1 Kieffer pear tree
1 Bartlett pear tree
1 Morepark apricot tree
1 Early Golden apricot tree
4 Autumn Olive bushes (these put nitrogen back into the soil and have a super healthy edible berry that is supposedly similar in taste to a pomegranate seed and extremely high in lycopene, keratin, vitamins A, C, E, and a number of other minerals)
1 Damson plum tree
2 hazelnut bushes
2 Chinese chestnut trees
2 Downy service berry trees for birds to eat
2 Hawthorne trees
1 Black Walnut tree
They are all very tiny and don't look like much at this point, but in about five years our yard will look completely different. I'm looking forward to watching it all mature. For now, here are a few photos of how things are looking:
↓ Bell pepper
↓ Brussel sprouts
↓ Sun Gold tomato
↓ Basil from our neighbor up the road
↓ Red cabbage
↓ Fruit trees in the orchard
↓ And our new trees look like this right now:
It is looking beautiful and I am quite amazed that you have a pepper and a tomatoe set on already. Well done!
ReplyDeleteYour trees will be bigger than you think in no time! what a lovely job you and your hubby are doing, so pretty!!
ReplyDeletegrt
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