Orchard update - sometimes things just don't work out

In July 2009 (can't believe it was so long ago!) ago we created a mini-orchard that we planned to espalier. We had 2 plum trees, 2 cherries, 2 apricots, 2 peaches, a nectarine, 2 apples, a pear and a nashi. A friend with a digger came over and drilled some nice big holes for the trees, we put in posts, strung wire, planted and looked forward to many home grown fruity adventures.

Five years (!!) down the track, the orchard experiment has been a failure. With the exception of the two plum trees, which have given us buckets of delicious plums, all the trees have failed to thrive. In fact, most still look almost as spindly as when they were planted. One of the apricots grew quite well, but gave almost no fruit. We can't say for sure why this has happened across so many of the trees - poor soil, wrong location, not enough feeding/watering (or both). However, given the peach tree in the veg patch we planted in 2008 before now has a trunk thicker than my leg (and gives the most amazing peaches), it became more and more obvious that there wasn't going to be a miraculous growth spurt.

At the same time we have been thinking about a new chicken coop up closer to the garden, so we can make better use of the new chickens in the garden (when we get some). Locating it near the berry cage (in the current orchard area) and including a gate would allow us to have the chickens roam this area in the non-fruit season to manage grass and pests. It would also put the coop closer to the house, and right nest to a tap for convenient water top-ups.

So... we made the decision to remove all of the trees, apart from the two plums. One apricot is still in the ground, as it was too big to easily remove with large pruners (yes, the trees were THAT spindly), but it will go. The posts and wires are still up, but they will be removed in the next few weeks, and I will start training the plums to be "all round" trees, rather than fan trained. We live in an orchard area so we have access to cheap, local fruit so we will just continue to support our local economy by buying what we want when it is in season, and preserving our favorites to enjoy at other times.

 On the bright side, however, the rhubarb seems to be quite happy!

You win some, you lose some.

Mini-orchard update

Last week, after a few fine days, the man with the auger came over to dig the holes for the mini-orchard. Yes, we COULD have dug the11 holes and 4 post holes ourselves, but in out compacted clay soil it would have taken forever and would have cost more in trips to the osteopath to fix up our backs!

The 600mm auger made light work of it all. In fact if we hadn't hit 2 water pipes 2 ft down that we had no idea existed the whole thing would have been doe in about an hour. It took a few hours to excavate out and re-cap the pipes (they don't go anywhere, but are connected to the house tank. Must have been part of some original creative plumbing!). We then had to abandon the first row we were planning (as holes 2 and 3 of that row hit pipes), and just go with a 2 row system for now. If we want to plant anything more than the 2 apricots in the first row it will be hand digging to avoid breaking more pipes.

On Saturday Jerry and one of our Sydney friends (aaah the luxury of having 2 strong blokes about!) put in the 4 timber posts to support the 2 orchard rows. Today Jerry barrowed up 11 loads of mixed soil, old chook mulch, cow manure and mushroom compost to put into the holes to give the trees a better start than the solid clay would allow. I planted the trees. I think I got the better end of the deal!

In permaculture style each tree has a mini-swale to catch water running down the hill and allow it to soak in. The front row of 4 will have espaliered apple and pear. The longer row of 6 will have the fan-trained plum, peach and nectarine. All that remains is to put up the wire for the espalier, and a trellis system for the fan training, and then do the watering.

It's been a good weekends work - so I gave Jerry the afternoon off!

Another busy weekend

It's been another busy weekend! In between the outdoor chores I finally got around to making my first hard cheese on Saturday. I decided to start with a farmhouse cheddar as Rikki Carroll suggests it as a good first cheese.

I discovered part way through that my mould isn't big enough for the recipe!! So handy Jerry made me a temporary one out of an old honey container, and we mocked up a press using a few clamps from the shed. So I'll have a big and a small cheddar!

I also made a few loaves of english muffin bread using some of the leftover whey. It will be interesting to see how it tastes.

Sunday afternoon we measured up the new mini-orchard area for the new fruit trees we bought.
In the fruit tree department we now have

• 3 peaches - Elberta, Red Haven (both yellow freestones) and Lena Kirsten (white freestone)
  
• 2 apples - Granny Smith and Pink Lady
• 2 plums - Mariposa and Satusma (both blood plums)
  
• 2 nectarines - a dwarf variety and a regular - Emily Kirsten (white clingstone)
• 2 pears - A Williams and a Nashi (Nijisseiki)
• 2 apricots - can't rememebr the one from last year, but bought a Newcastle early today
• 2 cherries (Stella)
• 2 redcurrants
• 2 blackcurrants
• 1 gooseberry
• assorted berries
  

Should keep us going for a while :)