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Post by coppice on Dec 19, 2010 18:34:06 GMT -5
Orchard plantings mean different things to different people. And even different things to people in different zones.
Most of my last plantation has to be left behind. Still a couple of standard trees came with me, along with a few crab apple bonsai.
Life is still good
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Post by paulf on Dec 20, 2010 14:51:35 GMT -5
How many trees are in an orchard? We have three apples, two peaches, two apricots, two pears and three crabapples. In our yard are several black walnut trees and on the property are several hickory trees.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Dec 20, 2010 15:02:42 GMT -5
On a 25x117' lot I had a house, garage, veggie garden and a mini-orchard, lol. It consisted of two dwarf apples and a couple of gooseberry bushes. The next yard had actually been part of an orchard many years prior. That place had two established Bartlett Pear trees, a MacIntosh apple, several varieties of berries and we added peach trees, an apricot and an Italian plum.
When we moved to the farm, there were several antique apples but the horses or the neighbours (grrrrr) always beat us to the apples.
Here, I'm just going to let the fruit farmers of the Niagara Region Fruitbelt supply me with a variety of apples, pears and stonefruits. I can buy a grocery bag full of seconds for $5; one variety or mix and match depending on what they've harvested when I stop in. And I don't have to be concerned about fighting off birds, neighbourhood children or the Ag Canada fruit inspector regulating how I can or cannot grow peaches in my yard.
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Post by coppice on Dec 20, 2010 15:48:34 GMT -5
Gee a bag full of slightly over ripe peach for 5 bucks, what a hardship. Not! Much of my local farmers market has delusions of granduer. Still a savy shopper can get at least a few reasonably priced items. Garlics were half a buck each for nice fat ones.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Dec 20, 2010 17:45:53 GMT -5
Hell no, this isn't at the farmer's market, the $5 bag is at a farmgate. This particular farm also have nectarines (sell out fast), pears and plums. Needless to say, I'm quite happy to take some of these undersized/oversized/blemished fruits off their hands to freeze or make jams from. And the monies from the sale of seconds is donated to local charity. I'm assuming they make enough money from their commercial operation that they feel they can give back to the community this way.
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Post by coppice on Dec 21, 2010 4:14:20 GMT -5
Your orchard is the size you can maintain. I started an outline for an on-line class for PWD. On how to select and care for a single indoor bonsai.
I had to promise the administrator that I wouldn't train a new generation of hemp farmers... That one never came up.
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