I have never seen so many tomatoes! I would love to make some green tomatoed relish with those green ones. The orchard is beautiful! So proud of both of you. You have a homestead to be proud of.
Just throwin this out there fir anyone who may be interested. Theres a family owned orchard in north Carolina called Century orchard that specializes in apple trees from across the early american south. Theres alot of varieties that time has forgotten,but are still fantastic producers. They offer close to 100 varieties on disease and draught resistant root stock. We tryin support family owned small businesses with great service and support
Watching from Texas, I enjoy your videos. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience with your creative expertise. I really like the way that you have planned for a workable layout of your property. Praying for your safety, strength, wisdom, health and success in Jesus's Mighty Name. Blessings to you and your family. ❤☝🙏🙌💪👊
Fellow watchers: Please make sure to hit that Like 👍 button to show some love to our favorite homesteading couple. Lets help them hit that 1 million subscriber mark. You can tell that they work hard to provide us great homesteading advice - so don't forget to give them a digital hug with a like.
I hit like before I watch. I’ve been watching them for ‘years’ and I’ve learned so many things from these 2 wonderful people. My gratitude to them cannot be put into words🫶
Some extension offices may be able to connect you with volunteer gleaners after you have picked what you can use or give away. The fruit is donated to various food banks or organizations serving food to those in need in your community. There is usually a questionnaire you fill in and submit so that the appropriate number of people can be available at the right time, and, so that they can bring the right equipment that they will need in order to complete the job.
A couple of folks I follow plant comfrey around their fruit trees. When the comfrey gets tall, they just push it to the ground and let it fertilize the trees while keeping the weeds down.
This was really fun to tour the orchard with you and I’m glad to hear you are planning to eat some of your fruits. Eating fresh organic fruits can be very beneficial for your health. You know what they say…. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” 😂 Next up: An update on the Berry Patch (?)
A trick to prevent early blooms on a peach is to put up a simple shade cloth strung between 2 posts blocking the Southern sun in late Winter/early Spring. Not a guarantee but typically delays blooms a few weeks, enough to avoid the late frost killing those precious blooms.
I have an orchard with over 100 fruit trees on a half acre lot. Spray a mixture of white vinegar and salt around the grassy area to the perimeter of the tree. Once you have done it a few times the tree shades out that area and it mainly free of grass.
I watch the gardening channel with James Prigioni, he’s in NJ. He uses a lot of mulch and puts strawberries around his trees. He also uses surround kaolin clay in a sprayer and sprays his trees which helps keep any pests at bay. I would love to have an area to grow fruit trees. 🤷🏻♀️ maybe one day. Love your videos ❤️❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Just a suggestion that may help your orchard in winter...my father worked for a citrus farmer in Florida when I was a kid, and believe it or not, there were some winters that we dipped to 10°. There were many nights that my dad spent in the orchards building contained fires to keep temperatures high enough to prevent damaging crops. Maybe you could build firepits throughout the orchard, or if budget allows, purchase the propane heaters, and keep them going during those times you need the heat most! Just something I remembered and plan to do when I have fruit trees someday!
I watch the gardening channel with James prigioni. He uses strawberry plants under his fruit trees to shade out grass. Also permapasture farms plants comfrey under his trees and chops and drops it as a mulch. It helps keep the roots cool and keeps weeds at bay. I hope this is helpful for you. Thank you for sharing your farm with us. 😊
@johnr3603 Are you gardening in southern Mo? Just wondering. The acidic soils and rocks being a challenge here. I ended up digging holes with excavator to plant trees pulling rocks a size of a head then back filling with soil and compost mix. Even after doing all that you fighting soil compaction and lack of nutrients.
@@minuteman728 While I’m sure you are right about Missouri’s ability to grow rocks, I think those of us here in Southern Oklahoma could give them a run for their money! 😂
We did keto one year then transitioned into the carnivore way of eating. The fruit from our orchard, the berries and garden produce - all goes to the chickens.
I have an orchard with about 12 fruit trees. I also have a problem with deer but am unable to fence it in for various reasons. So what I have done is cut about 8-foot strips of field fence and lay 2 at the base of each tree. Deer won't step into the wire to get to the tree. Yes, it's a pain in the rear when it comes to mowing, but it's worth the effort!
With your weird weather patterns in Missouri, I would suggest that you allow the mulberry "tree" to first become a massive shrub with thick trunks and limbs until it starts getting into the 8-10 foot mark. Then start thinning out (over time) the smaller and less directly vertical trunks. Eventually, concentrate on a decision of which trunk will become the singular main leader trunk. This way, all of the growing shrubbery supports the greater growth and shade of the growing root and rootlet base of the tree. With a stronger and vastly established root system, you can then concentrate on the main trunk and grow the mulberry from a shrub (elderberry style) into the proverbial mulberry tree. This way, Missouri weather systems or not, the strongly established mulberry tree can overcome all of the weather weirdness, and become a strong and healthy producer of fruits.
I have noticed cities in my area use "water bags" (for lack of a better term) on each tree. They slowly emit water around each tree. They fill each bag periodically and would save running the water hose. And, you left out the berry plants. Thanks. One more thing. When you get a very late frost, I understand water sprinkling is beneficial. You just need to keep above freezing. In Florida they build fires in barrels to emit enough warmth for the groves. I have only seen this done, not experienced it myself.
The best way we kept weeds and grass from around our trees is to cut a circle all around the tree about 2 feet out from the trunk. The edge you cut has to be straight up and down. Take out the grass inside the circle. The straight edge keeps the grass from expanding. I occasionally have to pull a weed due to a seed blowing in and rooting
Here in pennsylvania, I use the lay of the land to help production. Example- grapes and berries like south facing slopes. But things like peaches do better on north facing slopes because it takes longer for the soil to warm up in the spring. So they bloom later in the spring getting them into safer time frame for late frosts.
Plant comfrey under your trees. Check Little Mountain Ranch on how to maintain the comfrey. She does not chop and drop. The comfrey blooms are great for bees.
You guys might be interested in this guy, his name is Stefan Sobkowiak the permaculture orchard. He has a you th e channel I find he is very knowledgeable about orchards. Nancy from Nebraska
Wow, like so many other's, I can't believe it's been that long since you planted the orchard. We love to look back and see how the homestead has grown. Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful videos with us. 😊
I also planted a mulberry tree, when we bought our first house (in our 50s!) 3 years ago. Sadly no fruit yet, but have learned just this week that I will be moving soon, so 😥😥 no mulberries for me. Maybe next time!
I have tree trimmers drop off truckloads of wood chips at my place and I use them around my trees to both conserve water and keep the weeds away. I put a 6-8” layer of wood chips in about a 4 foot diameter ring or larger if it’s a big tree and it works great to keep the soil insulated, weeds down, and water from evaporating off the root zone. I have a pretty large orchard so I’m always asking tree trimmers to bring chips, lol and one of the best side effects of wood chips is that they build beautiful soil as they break down.
Best luck I have had with fruit trees is to ring em outside of the leaf perimeter with any decent lawn edging, and clear the sod from the interior. I don't put down a weed fabric, because it is a PIA under any fill... as to the fill, I use the shredded cedar (not bark), which seems to be a decent compost that will stay put a while. BUT... it does require maintenance... you have to keep it stirred up... moving old fill from around the best vantage trees to add to rearward trees, and adding fresh to the front. So every few years, you will be messin with it.
My mulberry tree loves a lot of water. The 2 times I got mulberries that ripened and grew the best is when we got a lot of rain? Orchard looks great. Nancy from Nebraska
Great share. You may start looking around for a 3 leg orchard ladder for picking your fruit later on. It's self leveling and keeps you from 'rocking' and maybe falling.
Plant comfrey around your fruit trees about two or three feet out from the tree. Comfrey has a deep taproot and brings up minerals from deep in the soil and then when the leaves wilt or you chop and drop the plant matter feeds the soil. The comfrey will choke out the grass around the tree as well -- it has broad leaves that shade the soil. And it has beautiful purple flowers that feed pollinators and will draw the pollinators to your trees. This winter I would take a sharp spade and remove the top inch or two of sod around each tree out about three feet in a circle. In spring, plant comfrey roots (the real comfrey -- not the sterile variety) about every two feet around the circle after you fertilize the trees. The comfrey will self seed and fill in gaps eventually so that you will have a beautiful circle of comfrey around each tree. Comfrey grows quickly, puts out big leaves and stalks of purple flowers, which then go to seed and the whole plant just flops down on the ground and starts to decay, as new leave come up and it does that all again -- usually three times or more in a year. But you can help things along by weed whacking the entire plant as soon as the flower stalks start to set seed. Just leave all the leaves and stems on the ground to rot and feed both the comfrey plants themselves and the fruit trees. While the first round of comfrey is growing, to keep grass and weeds down, spread a think layer of grass clippings on the bare soil. That will add nitrogen as it decays and by the time it's gone, the comfrey will be doing its job.
I have a 3-year old orchard too. It amazes me when I see what the trees are doing and that I planted them! I have an older, 4 year old cherry tree that I couldn't stop taking pictures of this year, perfect cherries! On a tree I planted! ❤
Oh Sarah I just wanted to tell you about a peach tree from the university of central Florida. It is a tropic peach tree. I went to a farm in Florida this year and picked from there orchard. They were delicious. I have not had a good peach in many years because of living here in Florida. So check it out. I was very pleased.
I looked online and found a version of one of Kevin's T-Shirts "Guess what? with an arrow pointing at a chicken's butt" to wear for this years local brewery festival. I also bought a hallmark card that plays the chicken dance song, gutted the card and made a musical necklace. Whenever someone says "Chicken butt!" I can play the chicken dance song. LOL
The orchard looks great. I started mine 5-6 years ago and now have 60+ trees here in mid-Missouri. I also tossed out the rubber tree mats. Now use cardboard and cover with woodchips. I also tossed out the tree wraps; instead I use 1/2 inch galivanized wire and cut pieces that are 9 inches tall. The third thing is I plant fruiting bushes between the trees to make use of all that space. I now have gooseberry, cranberry, honeyberry, currents, rhubarb, Juliet bush cherry, figs, hazelnuts, elderberry, etc.
For Southerners and South-easterners Stark Brothers and their orchard trees are great. If you live in the Northeast, is Albemarle Cider Works or the Vintage Virginia Apples site with a large variety of heirloom apples, and other orchard species. For the Northern and Pacific Northwest/West Coast states, there is One Green World (Portland) for huge selections. For the West Coast/Southwest areas is Dave Wilson Nurseries, out of the California Central Valley ... and Trees of Antiquity (Paso Robles, CA) with a MASSIVE variety of heirlooms.
My yard is small and very rural and way back off the main road so nobody can see my crops. I lived near a highway once and people got all my fruit and vegetables. So the spring after moving here I began building a garden in a yard that had the topsoil bulldozed away down to hard red clay and gravel. I planted 4 dwarf mulberry trees this year, 2 pineapple guava, and over 8 fig trees...4 Celeste & 4 Brown Turkey and I have more cuttings from these trees rooting in pots to plant along my long driveway for the birds. In cooler weather I plan to grow lettuce, greens, carrots, turnips, radish, and beets under the fruit trees in the mounds of mulch around them. In spring/summer I grow beans, herbs & peas around some of the trees not only for a harvest but to lure the bunnies away from my main garden area. It works. Red Ripper Peas make vines so the bunnies might prune them but they keep going and produce until October. Every ounce of soil has to be made or hauled in a wagon from the forest...a never-ending task. I also plant them under okra and any bare areas in late summer as a ground cover I can harvest, nitrogen fixer, food for pollinators and chop-n-drop compost creator.
I see bee boxes and tree netting in the future of your orchard. I can say up here in the land of Apple's and Cherries aka Central WA, keeping your Cherry trees dry and air moving when it is cold to keep the frost off as much as possible, is a big deal. Proper soil acidity is said to play an important role as well. Between your plum and peach tree you could have jokingly put a nectarine tree...horticulture humor.
Red Haven peaches tend to be better in colder climates. They will even be the only one that will produce when others have been killed in a late cold snap
Here's what I finally done to conquer weeds and increase tree growth for the slow growing pecan trees in VA. I put heavy bales of hay all around the trees, but not against the trees. The strings were left on the bales and no ground was left open within the dripline, except a few inches from the trees. The bales shaded that area. I didn't want to encourage bugs or insects. I watered the bales down heavily and kept bales there for a few years and also applied a balanced fertilizer. I wanted to estimate the root area and keep bales over those areas. I purchased 2nd year hay and reject hay to decrease expenses. It actually wasn't that much work once the bales were down. It may not be as nice to look at but my priorities were fast growth with less physical work. I didn't take the bales apart and the goal was to also provide an even watering that wouldn't split the tree. Another method I had tried was cutting mining belt with a chainsaw and knotching a place in the middle. That method was only partially successful. The mining belt wasn't expensive at the time and I had several trees. The hay bales weren't cost effective for that many trees (over 100). It did keep the grass down but done nothing for moisture, as compared to the hay bales method.
Plants love the "fellowship" of other plants. No plant does well alone. Don't worry about the grass growing around your fruit trees. If you want, you can pile dead grass hay thickly around the base to prepare for winter, and leave in place for summer, and pull the worst weeds; but otherwise what harm does grass do around each tree? Let the grass grow!
I have about 18 fruit trees I planted 2 years ago and follow the “little tree” way of care. It keeps the trees at 8 feet or under so you don’t need to climb a ladder. Yes less fruit but just as much usable fruit. I do a summer prune just to cut off the long branches and it stunts the growth a bit but pruning in fall causes too much long growth. At planting you cut the tree about knee high. I didn’t do all that way because it is brutal but the ones I did are doing amazing.
We put those rings around the base of our trees and Yes they were a waste of money so we just decided to allow the grass to grow, I have a hand trimmer by Earthwise that works great for trimming. We live on the southeast side of Missouri and have sandy soil and also with those rings the tree's roots weren't going deep they were very close to the top of the earth, so those rings weren't good for that too. I had my first apples last year but this year yes the crazy weather and even with us putting a frost blanket around them didn't save the blooms sadly.
My apple trees in Michigan got worms. I used wire and mesh bags to tie around the tree. The worms would crawl up the tree but would get caught in the fold and could not get into the tree. If you don’t stop worms you will have to spray pesticides.
FYI...I had one Mulberry tree several years ago....the birds "planted" via their poop everywhere!!! They are very hard to kill...I will cut tree and several more trunks grow from what I cut! They are all along my fence lines. Just so you know. Love your channel... God Bless You Too.
Thank you for sharing! I'm getting peach trees this next spring. We have problems with late frost also.Our plums usually get killed by frost.We plant to put plastic cover over our plums next spring.
Arkansas Black is great for storage. And the Haven Peach is 1 of the best for MO & great fruit What about pears? They r pretty trees & I've made pear honey & my kids sold the heck out of it at school. All I did extra was a piece of lace on the ring Id get a couple nuts. Pecans r so similar to peaches, Filburts r more like bushes. I suggest grabbing a tarp or similar to put under trees so help with windfalls & keeping it cleaner.
Also we know Sara is a wiz at creating delicious treats that those fruits could be used for. No sugar added jams/jelly treats and beautiful summer fruit salads. God bless and enjoy ☺️
And the peach farmers here in NC blueberry also once they bloom they have sprinkler’s on them to run all night to save the blooms. It’s really wild to ride by blueberries that are covered in ice the next morning are it doesn’t kill the bloom but frost does.
The circles around your trees I would recommend removing asap since it is deteriorating and will be putting chemicals in the ground that may affect your trees. Instead use wood chips about 4 inches deep. It will help your trees with minerals they need. The few weeds that come through will be easy to remove.
@@cynthiafisher9907 you saturate the cardboard on both sides, water the area around the tree , then place the cardboard and mulch. Then you water the mulch to saturate it. The cardboard stays in tact long enough to block & kill weeds, but the earthworms love the cardboard & break it down pretty fast. Seems the cardboard is pretty porous when wet (I’ve never had a tree or shrub wilt from it blocking water)
Everything is so beautiful at your place. You shared a lot of good information that we all can use, and I’m grateful for that. Many blessings to you both.
I obviously bought and planted the wrong crabapple because it never blooms when the other apples do. It's a Dolgo from Stark brothers ( I think it was Stark, it's been a few yrs and I'm 73)
Fantastic orchard; thanks for sharing! I’ve got comfrey plants beside my fruit trees here in Alberta, Canada, & they fertilize the trees, plus choke out the grass. I know it’s different climates but it may help. Plus the Comfrey attracts pollinators. 🤗🇨🇦
❤Doesn't Seem like 3 yrs. Ago I watched You All Plant that Orchard! It Looks Amazing to Me. I Hope You find Another Cherry tree & whichever Ones Didn't Grow!! Mulberry watch for Birds they Love to Find them & dodo Purple Every WHERE! 😅 God Bless & the Homestead Continues to Look Amazing! Deer Season will Be Coming Up Soon Kevin! Love Good Vension 👍 ❤ God Bless YOU ALL
I've heard that you should eat the fruit each to it's season. when the season is over for that fruit, you wait again till next years season. Don't know how true this is ,but worth some research.
I’m glad that at the end you clarified why you are growing these fruit trees. I was thinking that it would have been better to have a few dwarf fruit trees that were easy care in a system similar to your greenhouse, rather than all the work you are doing for an orchard.
Wow 3 years goes by quick…I remember watching the video of you guys planting the trees. Thinking to myself…”I can’t wait to see them in a few years”….Well here we are. Thanks for the video guys.
My arborist's mantra: the first year trees sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap!
😅❤
I love that! I hope it’s true! 😅
@@SilverCreekHomestead it truly is!!
gardenplanbyai AI fixes this. Full Orchard Tour after three years.
I have never seen so many tomatoes! I would love to make some green tomatoed relish with those green ones. The orchard is beautiful! So proud of both of you. You have a homestead to be proud of.
Just throwin this out there fir anyone who may be interested. Theres a family owned orchard in north Carolina called Century orchard that specializes in apple trees from across the early american south. Theres alot of varieties that time has forgotten,but are still fantastic producers. They offer close to 100 varieties on disease and draught resistant root stock. We tryin support family owned small businesses with great service and support
Thanks!! Will look them up!😀
Which part on North Carolina? Do they have a business contact? 😊
Good to know!
I checked them out. Wonderful selection and lots of information.
Holy moly, that was THREE years ago?! I remember that orchard video and it does not seem like it was that long ago! Looks great!
I thought the same thing. Time does fly.
It does seem like that was just last year.
Same!
Same!! Where did the time go!!?
Good Morning! Trees look beautiful! It doesn't seem like 3 years since I watch you plant those ❤️
Watching from Texas, I enjoy your videos. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience with your creative expertise. I really like the way that you have planned for a workable layout of your property. Praying for your safety, strength, wisdom, health and success in Jesus's Mighty Name. Blessings to you and your family. ❤☝🙏🙌💪👊
Hi Kevin and Sarah, enjoyed this video and the tips you provided us on the orchard. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Lisa and Donald
The orchard looks amazing!
I can't believe I've been watching you 4 for 7-8 years! Time flies!
Your very own Garden of Eden !
Fellow watchers: Please make sure to hit that Like 👍 button to show some love to our favorite homesteading couple. Lets help them hit that 1 million subscriber mark. You can tell that they work hard to provide us great homesteading advice - so don't forget to give them a digital hug with a like.
I hit like before I watch. I’ve been watching them for ‘years’ and I’ve learned so many things from these 2 wonderful people. My gratitude to them cannot be put into words🫶
Some extension offices may be able to connect you with volunteer gleaners after you have picked what you can use or give away. The fruit is donated to various food banks or organizations serving food to those in need in your community. There is usually a questionnaire you fill in and submit so that the appropriate number of people can be available at the right time, and, so that they can bring the right equipment that they will need in order to complete the job.
Comfrey & Rhubarb around fruit trees. The BEST!❤❤
I remember hearing that Missouri was the land of the big red apple.
A couple of folks I follow plant comfrey around their fruit trees. When the comfrey gets tall, they just push it to the ground and let it fertilize the trees while keeping the weeds down.
This was really fun to tour the orchard with you and I’m glad to hear you are planning to eat some of your fruits. Eating fresh organic fruits can be very beneficial for your health. You know what they say…. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” 😂
Next up: An update on the Berry Patch (?)
A trick to prevent early blooms on a peach is to put up a simple shade cloth strung between 2 posts blocking the Southern sun in late Winter/early Spring. Not a guarantee but typically delays blooms a few weeks, enough to avoid the late frost killing those precious blooms.
I have an orchard with over 100 fruit trees on a half acre lot. Spray a mixture of white vinegar and salt around the grassy area to the perimeter of
the tree. Once you have done it a few times the tree shades out that area and it mainly free of grass.
The best 'weed mat' for fruit trees is cardboard and wood chips. You only need the cardboard once and renew the woodchips yearly.
Try planting Comfrey around the base of your trees. Comfrey enriches the soil, mulches trees, prevents weeds, and attracts pollinators.
My first video! Now I’m hooked.
I watch the gardening channel with James Prigioni, he’s in NJ. He uses a lot of mulch and puts strawberries around his trees. He also uses surround kaolin clay in a sprayer and sprays his trees which helps keep any pests at bay. I would love to have an area to grow fruit trees. 🤷🏻♀️ maybe one day. Love your videos ❤️❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
We need to plant more trees for the future generations and for ,O2
Just a suggestion that may help your orchard in winter...my father worked for a citrus farmer in Florida when I was a kid, and believe it or not, there were some winters that we dipped to 10°. There were many nights that my dad spent in the orchards building contained fires to keep temperatures high enough to prevent damaging crops. Maybe you could build firepits throughout the orchard, or if budget allows, purchase the propane heaters, and keep them going during those times you need the heat most! Just something I remembered and plan to do when I have fruit trees someday!
I watch the gardening channel with James prigioni. He uses strawberry plants under his fruit trees to shade out grass. Also permapasture farms plants comfrey under his trees and chops and drops it as a mulch. It helps keep the roots cool and keeps weeds at bay. I hope this is helpful for you. Thank you for sharing your farm with us. 😊
As a long time gardner those trees should be a bit bigger after 3 plus years. Water,mulching and fertilizer schedules may need evaluated .
@johnr3603
Are you gardening in southern Mo? Just wondering. The acidic soils and rocks being a challenge here. I ended up digging holes with excavator to plant trees pulling rocks a size of a head then back filling with soil and compost mix. Even after doing all that you fighting soil compaction and lack of nutrients.
@@whitehorse1961 They're around Ava. Missouri is the best at growing rocks! lol
@@minuteman728 While I’m sure you are right about Missouri’s ability to grow rocks, I think those of us here in Southern Oklahoma could give them a run for their money! 😂
We did keto one year then transitioned into the carnivore way of eating. The fruit from our orchard, the berries and garden produce - all goes to the chickens.
Beautiful from Ontario Canada
Put compost around trees to keep grass down. I put rabbit manure around my orchard trees.
I have found that all fruit trees love a good spraying of copper, especially a few times over winter. I put neem oil in the spray as well
So happy that the fence is working!!
Comfrey and Rhubarb, especially around apple trees. 🍎 per Little Mountain Ranch.
I have an orchard with about 12 fruit trees. I also have a problem with deer but am unable to fence it in for various reasons. So what I have done is cut about 8-foot strips of field fence and lay 2 at the base of each tree. Deer won't step into the wire to get to the tree. Yes, it's a pain in the rear when it comes to mowing, but it's worth the effort!
THANK YOU
With your weird weather patterns in Missouri, I would suggest that you allow the mulberry "tree" to first become a massive shrub with thick trunks and limbs until it starts getting into the 8-10 foot mark. Then start thinning out (over time) the smaller and less directly vertical trunks. Eventually, concentrate on a decision of which trunk will become the singular main leader trunk. This way, all of the growing shrubbery supports the greater growth and shade of the growing root and rootlet base of the tree. With a stronger and vastly established root system, you can then concentrate on the main trunk and grow the mulberry from a shrub (elderberry style) into the proverbial mulberry tree. This way, Missouri weather systems or not, the strongly established mulberry tree can overcome all of the weather weirdness, and become a strong and healthy producer of fruits.
I have noticed cities in my area use "water bags" (for lack of a better term) on each tree. They slowly emit water around each tree. They fill each bag periodically and would save running the water hose. And, you left out the berry plants. Thanks.
One more thing. When you get a very late frost, I understand water sprinkling is beneficial. You just need to keep above freezing. In Florida they build fires in barrels to emit enough warmth for the groves. I have only seen this done, not experienced it myself.
Has it been 3 years ! I remember when you planted it! Time goes by tooooooo fast for me!❤❤
The best way we kept weeds and grass from around our trees is to cut a circle all around the tree about 2 feet out from the trunk. The edge you cut has to be straight up and down. Take out the grass inside the circle. The straight edge keeps the grass from expanding. I occasionally have to pull a weed due to a seed blowing in and rooting
Here in pennsylvania, I use the lay of the land to help production. Example- grapes and berries like south facing slopes. But things like peaches do better on north facing slopes because it takes longer for the soil to warm up in the spring. So they bloom later in the spring getting them into safer time frame for late frosts.
We had the same problem with our cherries here near Kansas City, we added lime to the soil around the trees and they came back like gangbusters.
Plant comfrey under your trees. Check Little Mountain Ranch on how to maintain the comfrey. She does not chop and drop. The comfrey blooms are great for bees.
A fruit orchard is a great investment. I hope you get fruit next year!
Hogs love fruit
You guys might be interested in this guy, his name is Stefan Sobkowiak the permaculture orchard. He has a you th e channel I find he is very knowledgeable about orchards. Nancy from Nebraska
You could move your geese to the orchard . They are amazing weeders.
Best way to keep deer out a dog with free range.
Wow, like so many other's, I can't believe it's been that long since you planted the orchard. We love to look back and see how the homestead has grown. Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful videos with us. 😊
I also planted a mulberry tree, when we bought our first house (in our 50s!) 3 years ago. Sadly no fruit yet, but have learned just this week that I will be moving soon, so 😥😥 no mulberries for me. Maybe next time!
I have tree trimmers drop off truckloads of wood chips at my place and I use them around my trees to both conserve water and keep the weeds away. I put a 6-8” layer of wood chips in about a 4 foot diameter ring or larger if it’s a big tree and it works great to keep the soil insulated, weeds down, and water from evaporating off the root zone. I have a pretty large orchard so I’m always asking tree trimmers to bring chips, lol and one of the best side effects of wood chips is that they build beautiful soil as they break down.
Best luck I have had with fruit trees is to ring em outside of the leaf perimeter with any decent lawn edging, and clear the sod from the interior. I don't put down a weed fabric, because it is a PIA under any fill... as to the fill, I use the shredded cedar (not bark), which seems to be a decent compost that will stay put a while. BUT... it does require maintenance... you have to keep it stirred up... moving old fill from around the best vantage trees to add to rearward trees, and adding fresh to the front. So every few years, you will be messin with it.
My mulberry tree loves a lot of water. The 2 times I got mulberries that ripened and grew the best is when we got a lot of rain? Orchard looks great. Nancy from Nebraska
Great share. You may start looking around for a 3 leg orchard ladder for picking your fruit later on. It's self leveling and keeps you from 'rocking' and maybe falling.
Plant comfrey under trees and stomp down for weed barrier and nutrients
Plant comfrey around your fruit trees about two or three feet out from the tree. Comfrey has a deep taproot and brings up minerals from deep in the soil and then when the leaves wilt or you chop and drop the plant matter feeds the soil. The comfrey will choke out the grass around the tree as well -- it has broad leaves that shade the soil. And it has beautiful purple flowers that feed pollinators and will draw the pollinators to your trees. This winter I would take a sharp spade and remove the top inch or two of sod around each tree out about three feet in a circle. In spring, plant comfrey roots (the real comfrey -- not the sterile variety) about every two feet around the circle after you fertilize the trees. The comfrey will self seed and fill in gaps eventually so that you will have a beautiful circle of comfrey around each tree. Comfrey grows quickly, puts out big leaves and stalks of purple flowers, which then go to seed and the whole plant just flops down on the ground and starts to decay, as new leave come up and it does that all again -- usually three times or more in a year. But you can help things along by weed whacking the entire plant as soon as the flower stalks start to set seed. Just leave all the leaves and stems on the ground to rot and feed both the comfrey plants themselves and the fruit trees. While the first round of comfrey is growing, to keep grass and weeds down, spread a think layer of grass clippings on the bare soil. That will add nitrogen as it decays and by the time it's gone, the comfrey will be doing its job.
Mother Earth rules! Read and used it and the Whole Earth catalog for years. So much useful information.
I have a 3-year old orchard too. It amazes me when I see what the trees are doing and that I planted them! I have an older, 4 year old cherry tree that I couldn't stop taking pictures of this year, perfect cherries! On a tree I planted! ❤
To control weeds I just mulch several inches deep around the tree. It also helps retain moisture
Get your Bing Cherries from Walla, Walla, Washington State. They grow the best cherries I've ever tasted.
Oh Sarah I just wanted to tell you about a peach tree from the university of central Florida. It is a tropic peach tree. I went to a farm in Florida this year and picked from there orchard. They were delicious. I have not had a good peach in many years because of living here in Florida. So check it out. I was very pleased.
You could put black ir red mulch around the trees. Brings beauty and weed barrier and water absorption
I looked online and found a version of one of Kevin's T-Shirts "Guess what? with an arrow pointing at a chicken's butt" to wear for this years local brewery festival. I also bought a hallmark card that plays the chicken dance song, gutted the card and made a musical necklace. Whenever someone says "Chicken butt!" I can play the chicken dance song. LOL
Your orchard is looking good. Time really flies. Feels like you planted those trees yesterday.
I have those tree trunk guards. I like them. Especially after I killed a plum tree from weed eating.
Loved the comments about planting these trees for future baby food.
The orchard looks great. I started mine 5-6 years ago and now have 60+ trees here in mid-Missouri. I also tossed out the rubber tree mats. Now use cardboard and cover with woodchips. I also tossed out the tree wraps; instead I use 1/2 inch galivanized wire and cut pieces that are 9 inches tall. The third thing is I plant fruiting bushes between the trees to make use of all that space. I now have gooseberry, cranberry, honeyberry, currents, rhubarb, Juliet bush cherry, figs, hazelnuts, elderberry, etc.
Your orchard looks great!Have a good weekend 🍎 🍏
For Southerners and South-easterners Stark Brothers and their orchard trees are great.
If you live in the Northeast, is Albemarle Cider Works or the Vintage Virginia Apples site with a large variety of heirloom apples, and other orchard species.
For the Northern and Pacific Northwest/West Coast states, there is One Green World (Portland) for huge selections.
For the West Coast/Southwest areas is Dave Wilson Nurseries, out of the California Central Valley
... and Trees of Antiquity (Paso Robles, CA) with a MASSIVE variety of heirlooms.
My yard is small and very rural and way back off the main road so nobody can see my crops. I lived near a highway once and people got all my fruit and vegetables. So the spring after moving here I began building a garden in a yard that had the topsoil bulldozed away down to hard red clay and gravel. I planted 4 dwarf mulberry trees this year, 2 pineapple guava, and over 8 fig trees...4 Celeste & 4 Brown Turkey and I have more cuttings from these trees rooting in pots to plant along my long driveway for the birds.
In cooler weather I plan to grow lettuce, greens, carrots, turnips, radish, and beets under the fruit trees in the mounds of mulch around them. In spring/summer I grow beans, herbs & peas around some of the trees not only for a harvest but to lure the bunnies away from my main garden area. It works.
Red Ripper Peas make vines so the bunnies might prune them but they keep going and produce until October. Every ounce of soil has to be made or hauled in a wagon from the forest...a never-ending task. I also plant them under okra and any bare areas in late summer as a ground cover I can harvest, nitrogen fixer, food for pollinators and chop-n-drop compost creator.
Hi Kevin & Sarah,WOW,your orchard is doing so well after 3 years.Kevin & Sarah,your homestead is just beautiful.❤
I see bee boxes and tree netting in the future of your orchard. I can say up here in the land of Apple's and Cherries aka Central WA, keeping your Cherry trees dry and air moving when it is cold to keep the frost off as much as possible, is a big deal. Proper soil acidity is said to play an important role as well. Between your plum and peach tree you could have jokingly put a nectarine tree...horticulture humor.
Hi from Spokane Valley!
Red Haven peaches tend to be better in colder climates. They will even be the only one that will produce when others have been killed in a late cold snap
In central Indiana you will,on average get a peach crop every 5 years,but when you do it is a huge crop.
Here's what I finally done to conquer weeds and increase tree growth for the slow growing pecan trees in VA. I put heavy bales of hay all around the trees, but not against the trees. The strings were left on the bales and no ground was left open within the dripline, except a few inches from the trees. The bales shaded that area. I didn't want to encourage bugs or insects. I watered the bales down heavily and kept bales there for a few years and also applied a balanced fertilizer. I wanted to estimate the root area and keep bales over those areas. I purchased 2nd year hay and reject hay to decrease expenses. It actually wasn't that much work once the bales were down. It may not be as nice to look at but my priorities were fast growth with less physical work.
I didn't take the bales apart and the goal was to also provide an even watering that wouldn't split the tree.
Another method I had tried was cutting mining belt with a chainsaw and knotching a place in the middle. That method was only partially successful. The mining belt wasn't expensive at the time and I had several trees. The hay bales weren't cost effective for that many trees (over 100). It did keep the grass down but done nothing for moisture, as compared to the hay bales method.
Plants love the "fellowship" of other plants. No plant does well alone. Don't worry about the grass growing around your fruit trees. If you want, you can pile dead grass hay thickly around the base to prepare for winter, and leave in place for summer, and pull the worst weeds; but otherwise what harm does grass do around each tree? Let the grass grow!
Check out Ben on the Hollar homestead how he does his trees. Cardboard and mulch.
I have about 18 fruit trees I planted 2 years ago and follow the “little tree” way of care. It keeps the trees at 8 feet or under so you don’t need to climb a ladder. Yes less fruit but just as much usable fruit. I do a summer prune just to cut off the long branches and it stunts the growth a bit but pruning in fall causes too much long growth. At planting you cut the tree about knee high. I didn’t do all that way because it is brutal but the ones I did are doing amazing.
We put those rings around the base of our trees and Yes they were a waste of money so we just decided to allow the grass to grow, I have a hand trimmer by Earthwise that works great for trimming. We live on the southeast side of Missouri and have sandy soil and also with those rings the tree's roots weren't going deep they were very close to the top of the earth, so those rings weren't good for that too. I had my first apples last year but this year yes the crazy weather and even with us putting a frost blanket around them didn't save the blooms sadly.
My apple trees in Michigan got worms. I used wire and mesh bags to tie around the tree. The worms would crawl up the tree but would get caught in the fold and could not get into the tree. If you don’t stop worms you will have to spray pesticides.
FYI...I had one Mulberry tree several years ago....the birds "planted" via their poop everywhere!!! They are very hard to kill...I will cut tree and several more trunks grow from what I cut! They are all along my fence lines. Just so you know. Love your channel... God Bless You Too.
Yea, if you have a mulberry tree, you soon will have lots of mulberry trees!
Thank you for sharing! I'm getting peach trees this next spring. We have problems with late frost also.Our plums usually get killed by frost.We plant to put plastic cover over our plums next spring.
The cherry tree that died, I would try again. That one is a DELICIOUS cherry for eating and/or pies!!! 🥧
I remember when you planted the orchard, I'm so glad it's doing well. It is sad about the Rainier Cherry Tree Rainiers are my absolute favorites
FRUIT has such great nutrition and so much fiber. Whole fruit that is.🍒🍇🍎🍏🍐🍑
Arkansas Black is great for storage. And the Haven Peach is 1 of the best for MO & great fruit
What about pears? They r pretty trees & I've made pear honey & my kids sold the heck out of it at school. All I did extra was a piece of lace on the ring
Id get a couple nuts. Pecans r so similar to peaches, Filburts r more like bushes.
I suggest grabbing a tarp or similar to put under trees so help with windfalls & keeping it cleaner.
Also we know Sara is a wiz at creating delicious treats that those fruits could be used for. No sugar added jams/jelly treats and beautiful summer fruit salads. God bless and enjoy ☺️
StarkBros has great quality but they are SO EXPENSIVE!
Just love your property
And the peach farmers here in NC blueberry also once they bloom they have sprinkler’s on them to run all night to save the blooms. It’s really wild to ride by blueberries that are covered in ice the next morning are it doesn’t kill the bloom but frost does.
Looking forward to seeing theb"Fruits" if your labor
The circles around your trees I would recommend removing asap since it is deteriorating and will be putting chemicals in the ground that may affect your trees. Instead use wood chips about 4 inches deep. It will help your trees with minerals they need. The few weeds that come through will be easy to remove.
That was a FAST 3 years!!!
I’ve had good luck with cardboard around my trees & cover with compost or soil conditioner.
How does water get through the cardboard to water the tree?
@@cynthiafisher9907 you saturate the cardboard on both sides, water the area around the tree , then place the cardboard and mulch. Then you water the mulch to saturate it. The cardboard stays in tact long enough to block & kill weeds, but the earthworms love the cardboard & break it down pretty fast. Seems the cardboard is pretty porous when wet (I’ve never had a tree or shrub wilt from it blocking water)
@@kkeenan536 Thanks
Everything is so beautiful at your place. You shared a lot of good information that we all can use, and I’m grateful for that. Many blessings to you both.
I obviously bought and planted the wrong crabapple because it never blooms when the other apples do. It's a Dolgo from Stark brothers ( I think it was Stark, it's been a few yrs and I'm 73)
Fruit has fiber and fiber is healthy.
Fantastic orchard; thanks for sharing! I’ve got comfrey plants beside my fruit trees here in Alberta, Canada, & they fertilize the trees, plus choke out the grass. I know it’s different climates but it may help. Plus the Comfrey attracts pollinators. 🤗🇨🇦
❤Doesn't Seem like 3 yrs. Ago I watched You All Plant that Orchard! It Looks Amazing to Me. I Hope You find Another Cherry tree & whichever Ones Didn't Grow!! Mulberry watch for Birds they Love to Find them & dodo Purple Every WHERE! 😅 God Bless & the Homestead Continues to Look Amazing! Deer Season will Be Coming Up Soon Kevin! Love Good Vension 👍 ❤ God Bless YOU ALL
There probably are trees that are more tolerant of a late frost- Bloom later that is
I've heard that you should eat the fruit each to it's season. when the season is over for that fruit, you wait again till next years season. Don't know how true this is ,but worth some research.
I’m glad that at the end you clarified why you are growing these fruit trees. I was thinking that it would have been better to have a few dwarf fruit trees that were easy care in a system similar to your greenhouse, rather than all the work you are doing for an orchard.
Wow 3 years goes by quick…I remember watching the video of you guys planting the trees. Thinking to myself…”I can’t wait to see them in a few years”….Well here we are. Thanks for the video guys.