Fruit
Keith talked this morning to a friend whose father, Mr. Smith, raises the best apples in the world. We had a late frost last spring that wiped out this year's crop, and we've missed those delicious apples. In the past, we've made apple sauce, apple butter, dried apples, and apple chips (very-dehydrated apples; one of our favorite snacks), as well as having fresh apples raw, fried, in pies and cakes, etc.
A few years ago, Mr. Smith helped us get root stock and grafting stock, and we put in 6 trees. The grafts took great (even Mr. Smith couldn't believe how well they did), and we hoped to have some good apple trees in the future. However, we moved. We also moved the grafted trees (sort-of-large twigs, I'd say) in the dim hope that they would survive, only to put the driveway in over them once we started building. And so we have none of those trees left.
We did put in 10 apple trees last year, and they seem to be doing fine, but they won't produce apples like Mr. Smith's. (His wife, of course, is Granny Smith--but the apples aren't.)
In talking with Mr. Smith's daughter today, Keith learned that he also grows muscadines, which we are hoping to grow, too. I'm sure Keith will be talking to him soon about apples and muscadines. He also grows incredible peaches, but rarely has enough survive the late frosts to sell or give away. This is fairly common around here; just a little too far north to have a reliable peach crop, I guess.
Keith's wanting to plant blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, too. And our wonderful neighbors grow grapes--Concord, I think. We made jam this summer with some of their grapes. This neighbor's wife told us her husband would start us some vines this winter with his cuttings.
Looking forward to some good fruit in the future! So neat to think of providing more for ourselves, relying more on our own sweat and God's providence and less on industry. Also really great to have friends who can help us with the know-how and with starting some of our own crops.
Mary Susan
A few years ago, Mr. Smith helped us get root stock and grafting stock, and we put in 6 trees. The grafts took great (even Mr. Smith couldn't believe how well they did), and we hoped to have some good apple trees in the future. However, we moved. We also moved the grafted trees (sort-of-large twigs, I'd say) in the dim hope that they would survive, only to put the driveway in over them once we started building. And so we have none of those trees left.
We did put in 10 apple trees last year, and they seem to be doing fine, but they won't produce apples like Mr. Smith's. (His wife, of course, is Granny Smith--but the apples aren't.)
In talking with Mr. Smith's daughter today, Keith learned that he also grows muscadines, which we are hoping to grow, too. I'm sure Keith will be talking to him soon about apples and muscadines. He also grows incredible peaches, but rarely has enough survive the late frosts to sell or give away. This is fairly common around here; just a little too far north to have a reliable peach crop, I guess.
Keith's wanting to plant blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, too. And our wonderful neighbors grow grapes--Concord, I think. We made jam this summer with some of their grapes. This neighbor's wife told us her husband would start us some vines this winter with his cuttings.
Looking forward to some good fruit in the future! So neat to think of providing more for ourselves, relying more on our own sweat and God's providence and less on industry. Also really great to have friends who can help us with the know-how and with starting some of our own crops.
Mary Susan
posted by The Bradshaws at 12:25 PM
2 Comments:
We just planted apple trees this year, 22 of them plus 6 pear trees. It will be a while before they start producing. We got ours from St. Lawrence Nurseries in NY which has a climate much like ours - the reason I chose them. So far berries have been the only fruit we've had from our land. I wish I had planted apple trees sixteen years ago but there was always something to do to get ready. Excuses don't grow apples.
We to planted 6 grape plants, 6 rasberry plants a couple of years ago. The rasberries came in quite nice this year. The thought of small farming and not industry is in my mind. I am sure God wants this for his people.
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