However, we're probably going to sell the ranch sooner or later.
With that thought in mind, we're looking at alternatives to growing fruit trees and fruiting bushes in smaller spaces.
After all, we have a Meyer lemon tree in our backyard that produced well over 300 lemons this year.
Our much smaller yard in town plus the front and back patios should be perfect for growing fruiting shrubs and trees.
We've both become big fans of Dave Wilson Nursery Channel on YouTube.
This nursery in California has been a pioneer in teaching homeowners about backyard orcharding. The amazing thing is you don't need a huge plot of land in order to grow several fruit trees. You don't even need to buy dwarf varieties which usually cost more than standard-size trees.
If you started a pandemic garden in 2020, take the next step and start a pandemic orchard.
You control the size of the tree by pruning. You also can plant 3 or 4 trees in the same hole, and that enhances pollination.
I Love Berries Berry Berry Much
We watched a video on growing blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries—in pots! Like the video showed, we want berries from spring through summer so we're going to implement the method as seen in the video.
I accidentally started this when my backyard was dug up this past summer in order for a new underground power cable to be laid.
I had a row of blueberries that had to come out. We put them in a giant pot where they have happily thrived ever since. What we learned from the video was that we need to add a couple of other blueberry varieties to those pots.
We're selecting an early fruiter and a late fruiter because we already have a mid-season fruit harvest. That's how you have fruit from spring to fall. We're looking for a variety called Baby Cake that's a black and red berry thornless shrub to join our berry "orchard."
Takeaway Truth
There's something emotionally satisfying about growing your own fruit and vegetables.
Before we downsized, we had several hundred peach trees, a few plum and pear, sixteen delicious apple, one Granny Smith apple, one crabapple, and two pecan trees. Those who've never tasted fruit fresh from the tree don't realize how much better it tastes--especially peaches. We have too much shade now that we're in town, even on our patio. A container garden sounds like a great idea, though.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right about the taste. You must have had big acreage for that many trees. I can just imagine how wonderful that was. Shade is nice, but it's nearly impossible to grow anything fruiting, isn't it? If I learn of anything that will fruit in filtered shade, I'll let you know.
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