Since I have more room than I thought, and don't have enough seeds to fill the area, I'm thinking about growing some dwarf fruit trees: Sweet and Sour Cherries, Apples, Peaches and Apricots, along with some strawberries (Ozark Beauty - everbearing) and Blackberries (Triple Crown). I realize it may be three years before I get much produce, but I can't turn back the clock.
Has anyone got experience with these fruits? I've read some posts on the net where growers say they actually had production in the second season, but only a bushel of apples, for example. But having fresh fruit would be a bonus at Farmers Markets. Plus my daughter wants me to dehydrate a lot of the fruit and turn it into a type of trail mix. The trees cost about $10-12 each, as do the Blackberries, but the strawberries are about $25/100, so it wouldn't be that huge of an investment (I've already spent nearly $500 on growing media and seeds this year). OTOH, some dwarf trees are about $26. More expensive, but one difference is the size - they are 4-6' tall when shipped instead 1.5-2.5. That probably knocks a year off the production time. They also seem to be grafted onto better rootstocks, though I know next to nothing about the latter, only that some are more resistant to diseases and grow better in different types of soil. But at a buck a pound for cherries or such, it would only take 15 pounds more in the second or third year to pay for itself. Plus, I suspect the survival rate is much better for the larger trees.
If you grow any, any advice you can provide will be greatly appreciated!
Mike
Has anyone got experience with these fruits? I've read some posts on the net where growers say they actually had production in the second season, but only a bushel of apples, for example. But having fresh fruit would be a bonus at Farmers Markets. Plus my daughter wants me to dehydrate a lot of the fruit and turn it into a type of trail mix. The trees cost about $10-12 each, as do the Blackberries, but the strawberries are about $25/100, so it wouldn't be that huge of an investment (I've already spent nearly $500 on growing media and seeds this year). OTOH, some dwarf trees are about $26. More expensive, but one difference is the size - they are 4-6' tall when shipped instead 1.5-2.5. That probably knocks a year off the production time. They also seem to be grafted onto better rootstocks, though I know next to nothing about the latter, only that some are more resistant to diseases and grow better in different types of soil. But at a buck a pound for cherries or such, it would only take 15 pounds more in the second or third year to pay for itself. Plus, I suspect the survival rate is much better for the larger trees.
If you grow any, any advice you can provide will be greatly appreciated!
Mike
I should be safe for a while! The one thing I need to consider - the plot is about 125 feet wide, and there is another 25-30 feet from it to where State's Right of Way. The plans call for only adding a lane, if they win the lottery, two. That would be what - 20 feet or so. So if I grow the trees and berries on the east side, opposite where the highway is, I don't think I would lose much ground. But the good thing is, it makes it less likely for the village to sell it to anyone, at least in the near future. I'm 56 and if I can farm that ground for 10-15 years, either at its current size or even 4,000 sq. ft. smaller, I'll be happy!
