Monthly Archives: January 2011

Rootstocks

Posted on 31 January, 2011 by

Fruit plants produce fruit as a means to distribute seeds, and the seeds contain a mixture of the genetic material from both parents. Grafting, the process by which tissue from one tree is attached to another tree, is used to … Continue reading →

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The quest for quince

Posted on 28 January, 2011 by

One of my sources for ideas on what varieties to plant is a friend with relatives in England who have an orchard, and several of her favorites from there have made it into mine. While discussing future plantings last year, … Continue reading →

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Introduction to Apple Scab and Fireblight

Posted on 26 January, 2011 by

My original plan for orchyard maintenance involved being passively organic by simply not doing anything beyond occasionally pruning. I expected a certain amount of fruit loss due to birds and insects eating the fruit and some drop in tree productivity … Continue reading →

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Composition of the orchyard

Posted on 24 January, 2011 by

Since my plans started with a vineyard and ended up adding an orchard, I have combined the two words into “orchyard” in order to cover all of my edible perennial plantings. The focus is on apples, but in addition to … Continue reading →

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An Antique Apple Addiction

Posted on 23 January, 2011 by

I first came across the concept of “antique” apples when I was looking for the variety Elstar to plant in the first expansion of my orchard. I had heard of “heirloom” and “old fashioned” plants before, but “antique” was a … Continue reading →

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From grapes to apples

Posted on 22 January, 2011 by

When it came time to order the grape vines for the vineyard I decided that since I already had a couple of apple trees I might as well plant a couple more. I decided I wanted the Elstar variety that … Continue reading →

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The accidental orchard

Posted on 21 January, 2011 by

The day I took possession of my first house, I went out to a local garden center and bought the only two fruit trees they had left (both were dwarf pears) and a couple of grape vines. I planted the … Continue reading →

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