Neighbor gave me a tree catalog (transfer, shops, garden)

[bringselpup]

A very thoughtful neighbor stopped by today and gave me their Fedco Tree Catalog. I have until Friday to put in an order. It's last minute and I know it but I don't want to miss my chance to get a few good things in our first year here. Especally from a nearby grower that will have stock hardy for our area. So this is a solicitation for opinion.

I'm looking for a list of 6 must haves for the budding orchardist.

[forest beekeeper]

We made our decisions last fall and placed out order with Fedco last November.

Are you thinking of shade trees? fruit trees? bushes?

[bringselpup]

Right now I am thinking about fruit trees because of the lead time of planting to age bearing size. I don't want to miss out on starting a nice patch for personal use with an eye toward sharing and selling as the crop increases.

[forest beekeeper]

Have you drawn out the site plan?

Allowing for each tree to have a 30 foot radius around it, do you know how many trees you are talking about?

Is you soil okay for trees? What kind of soil do you have? What is the pH?

Some types of trees will require a windbreak to protect them. Do you have a good windbreak up-wind of there position?

[bringselpup]

Right now I am talking about a half dozen trees to start. We have only been here 2 months so no I haven't done a site plan yet because I really haven't been able to determine where they might best be planted. But with 75 acres and a Cat D4 coming soon I'll be able to put them where I want them as far apart as they need to be.

[forest beekeeper]

Not knowing what kind of soil you have.

Assuming that you will choose varieties that can survive the wind and cold.

On the first couple of pages of your Fedco Catalog they describe the best method of planting.

You will need: gypsum, colloidal phosphate, azomite, granite meal, menifee hunfates, greenstone, alfalfa meal, bone meal, kelp, blood meal, compost, and biodynamics. laid on in layers as they explain.

They make some great apple tree recommendations for cider mixtures, in pre-bundled collections of seven trees. Two sharps and five bitter-sweets.

We have two groups of apple varieties coming, that were selected just for cider production. One group that are summer-fall ripening, and a second group that are fall-winter ripening.

Fedco also offers a large selection of grapes. Maine has a number of vineyards.

They also do a lot of business with raspberries, blackberries. We have thought about doing an acre of each, but we found that much of our property already has cane growing, and the wild canes tend to produce poorly due to infestations of cane virii. Which are soil borne and easily transferred to farmed berries.

[Maine Writer]

You don't need the long list of soil amendments. Compost works and is also recommended by Fedco.

[bringselpup]

Hey for all I know they could be set in large holding boxes for the first year until I have a better sense of how things will best be laid out. It's the "clock ticking" aspect right now. Trees don't mature and bear all in one year like a pack of seeds in the garden so I want to get a few going right away this year.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

You don't need the long list of soil amendments. Compost works and is also recommended by Fedco.

Depending on what kind of soil you have.

I am dealing with forest that has never been used to crops. Acidic with lots of sphagnum moss around.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by bringselpup

Hey for all I know they could be set in large holding boxes for the first year until I have a better sense of how things will best be laid out. It's the "clock ticking" aspect right now. Trees don't mature and bear all in one year like a pack of seeds in the garden so I want to get a few going right away this year.

Transplanting trees is generally bad. It can be done, however each time it is done it risks disease from the severed roots, and tends to stunt the growth.

I have built raised beds for our trees. Each raised bed has the layers with the Fedco recommended amendments and then two foot of compost/mulch over the top.

They do wonderful workshops on how to do this at the fair.