Planting some more fruit trees

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stevelau1911
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Planting some more fruit trees

Post by stevelau1911 »

I've had a bunch of peach and plum trees potted up all season, and one thing I've found lately is the soil drying up way too soon even with all the cool weather which meant that even though the top growth may not have been that impressive, the roots have already taken a stronghold of the pot, and they are asking for more room.

When I plant them, I typically did a bit larger than the hole, throw in some horse manure to mix in with the native soil, and then I will put in some stakes and put a deer fence around it as I know deer are known to devour fruit trees if they are still too short. Here are some pictures.

Peaches.
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Plums. I typically space trees 7-8ft apart depending on how big I think the trees will end up especially when they are species that need to have cross pollination. I like making rows of them so they can all catch enough sunlight.
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Once they get to a decent height. I like to stake them with the 10ft long poles sunk 2-3ft into the ground. Here's one that I did with a pear tree.
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Here's the end result that we are all looking to get with fruit trees. It seems like giving them a nice sunny spot seems to do the trick to get nice production. I do sometimes throw grass clippings and a layer of manure over the base.
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These apples are huge, and still have 3-4 weeks left to get even bigger.
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In regards to growing stuff in rows, I also made a screen of musa basjoo bananas since I have enough pups to work with which will hopefully survive the winters here without protection. Musa basjoos do pup like crazy.
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canadianplant
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by canadianplant »

Nice steve... You have any idea what kind of plums those pits came from? I managed to get 3 small green plum seedlings. There are only 2 kind of green plums grown in niagra ontario (where these are grown) - Shiro and Early golden - both japanese. I managed to get an apricot to sprout too. I found some very large oval shaped apricots (ontario grown of course) Im going to try and grow. Same with peaches and necterines and sweet cherry. You just put them in pots and leave them outside dont you?
stevelau1911
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by stevelau1911 »

American Plum seedling
Burgundy Plum Tree
Green Gage Plum Tree
Plumcot Hybrid Plum Tree
Methley Plum Tree
Chickasaw Plum Tree
Utah Sweet Pomegranate Tree

These were some of my species, but I think I ended up getting a couple more species as I have 12 plum trees total, but I'm planting them alternately based on the appearance of their leaves which can vary quite a bit. I knew that they would probably go into decline if I let them get root-bounded, and it doesn't take that much time to get them all planted. I just need to let them get tall enough so deer won't be a problem which is what the fence is for.

It is fine for me to simply leave pots of fruit trees or blueberries in their pots outside through the winter because they are hardy enough in zone 6 to withstand the pots freezing solid. One thing to avoid is growing them on top of the lawn or soil because their roots will find a way out of the drainage holes and into the soil somehow.


I only planted 3 of the peach trees because I know they produce very heavily once they get going, and already have an older peach tree in the ground.
canadianplant
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by canadianplant »

Ive been looking for american plums for a while. They are native here, as described by one of the first servayers in the area (I dont know how but I found a book online about survaying the pacific railway, and explorations of that inthe 1800s.) Ive looked and have been lead to assume they are now rare. They are apparently the absolute best plums to pollinate the japanese hybrids (like my toka). Some are even thought to taste delicious.

Just to clarify too, the ones you listed are plums you grow or plums you grew from seed?
stevelau1911
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by stevelau1911 »

Only the peach trees are from seed and all the plum trees were purchased since there is greater variation among plum cultivators. I still have a lot more space for more kinds of fruit trees.
canadianplant
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by canadianplant »

Ahhh sorry steve, I guess this confused me for some reason "'ve had a bunch of peach and plum trees potted up all season".

You ever think of growing pawpaw? I think i vaguely remember you mentioning perssimion as well?
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by johnw »

canadianplant wrote:You ever think of growing pawpaw?
And a nice looking tree as well. Here's one just down the street............
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johnw coastal Nova Scotia
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by canadianplant »

Theyre probably one of the most tropical looking trees for cold areas. Im hoping to try one here. Too bad I killed my seedlings...
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by johnw »

canadianplant wrote:Theyre probably one of the most tropical looking trees for cold areas.

I'd vote for the Kentucky Coffee tree for that award, maybe the Chinese Toon tree as second.
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pokenei
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by pokenei »

Some of mine (potentially) fruiting trees...
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Sugar Apple tree
Sugar Apple tree
Possibly a cherry tree (gone from 1 foot to nearly 6 ft this growing season).
Possibly a cherry tree (gone from 1 foot to nearly 6 ft this growing season).
Guava Tree
Guava Tree
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by pokenei »

Not quite a tree...but this plant does bare fruits - dragon fruit that is.

I am surprised at how well it grows inside a pot of 100% rock-hard clay. I am suspecting that it has the ability to fix nitrogen like a few other plants do.
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by canadianplant »

Ive got quite a bit myself. Pics will have to wait though...

Honeygold apple
Seedling apple (macintosh)
Toka plum
Plum seedling (either shiro or early golden)
John Pear
Pear seedling (bosc)
Evans cherry
Apricot seedling
Fig (chicago hardy) Not sure how it will do over winter, I have another in a pot anyways
Nanking cherry seedling

I have sweet cherry seeds (ranier) started, warm stratification. Going to start peaches and necterines soon. I have some Cornus Mas Seeds that are in the fridge as we speak. I am thinking of ordering some tropical types for pots like you have pokenei. I didnt know you grew those.
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by pokenei »

mine were all grown from seed :) i like eating those fruits, so, why not drop a seed and grow some for fun.
canadianplant
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by canadianplant »

Ahh.... almost "Free" seeds. There was a thead on here and on other forums im on about grocery store gardening. You should try peaches. The odds are youll get something very, very similar to the peach you planted. Almost tropical looking.
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Re: Planting some more fruit trees

Post by foxd »

This morning I spotted a Surinam Cherry seedling emerging. Brad it looks like the seeds from your tree are viable.
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