I've been reading a lot regarding these topics recently.Both have applications for the home fruit ochardist and urban permaculture.A dwarf fruit tree can be grown on a 10ft x10 ft plot. If a homeowner has an area as small as 20 ft by 20 ft area available they can grow 4 dwarf fruit trees in this area. Dwarf fruit trees produce more fruit within any area than standard fruit trees. This is only one reason why commercial fruit orchards generally plant dwarf fruit trees however.Dwarfs are more efficient for many other different reasons.They're also easier to trim,apply pesticide to,harvest fruit from and they bear fruit quicker after they're planted. If a person has a large area of land they can provide for their family's needs for a large part of the year if ripening order is used wisely in establishing a dwarf fruit tree orchard.Some home orchardists have grown many different varieties of the same fruit on a single tree simply by grafting.Whether or not a tree is a dwarf is determined by it's parent root stock.Grafting several varieties on one fruit tree will also aid in pollination of the various varieties.I'm planning to establish at least a 80 ft by 80 ft orchard eventually consisting of 64 trees.This should more than provide for my families needs and my livestock can eat any excess.
I planted several fruit trees on my "lawn" last year. Lawns are too large here in the south. Mine is an acre and it's a neighborhood lawn! Not into grassy sod so I've been shrinking it with plantings. I'm all about edible plantings and fruit trees are at the top of my list. Finding some that will thrive here is a challenge and I have to be careful abt how much $$ I can invest in my outdoors because I am also working on indoors (remodeling). I simply could not avoid putting in a few pear, plum, and apple trees last year as well as some figs.
I'd love to find some citrus varieties I could get to grow here. My kids in Calif have so much citrus in their yards and I am so, so envious having spent a number of years in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where we were surrounded by the citrus orchards - my favorite fruits. If I could grow those and avocados, I'd be in heaven!
Not into grassy sod so I've been shrinking it with plantings
that is so wonderful, sometimes i see these huge expansive lawns and know they are just sucking up water, are filled with lawn chemicals, and could be prime space for edible things....maybe your neighbors will catch on. :) My kids are in Calif too, there is an amazing scent in the air with all the citrus comes into flower...too cold up here in Oregon for citrus, but apples and pears seem to like it!
I'm pesticide free here. That means I share to some extent with the bugs, but I aim for companion plantings that decrease their share of the edibles. My brother who lives local says I hate grass more than anyone he knows. hee.
that is so wonderful, sometimes i see these huge expansive lawns and know they are just sucking up water, are filled with lawn chemicals, and could be prime space for edible things....maybe your neighbors will catch on. :) My kids are in Calif too, there is an amazing scent in the air with all the citrus comes into flower...too cold up here in Oregon for citrus, but apples and pears seem to like it!
Hopefully you can use the lawn clippings from your neighbor's lawns to mulch your fruit trees.
I planted several fruit trees on my "lawn" last year. Lawns are too large here in the south. Mine is an acre and it's a neighborhood lawn! Not into grassy sod so I've been shrinking it with plantings. I'm all about edible plantings and fruit trees are at the top of my list. Finding some that will thrive here is a challenge and I have to be careful abt how much $$ I can invest in my outdoors because I am also working on indoors (remodeling). I simply could not avoid putting in a few pear, plum, and apple trees last year as well as some figs.
I'd love to find some citrus varieties I could get to grow here. My kids in Calif have so much citrus in their yards and I am so, so envious having spent a number of years in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where we were surrounded by the citrus orchards - my favorite fruits. If I could grow those and avocados, I'd be in heaven!
If you have a 6400 sq ft area available on your property you could plant 60 dwarf fruit trees in this area.You could mulch with your neighbors grass clippings and plant strawberries ,daylily's , asparagus etc beneath your fruit trees.You could create your own dwarf fruit trees by grafting starts from plum,peach,and cherry seed from your local supermarket onto a Nanking Cherry rootstock.This will save you a lot of money.
I'm pesticide free here. That means I share to some extent with the bugs, but I aim for companion plantings that decrease their share of the edibles. My brother who lives local says I hate grass more than anyone he knows. hee.
You could grow plants from seed from fruit that you purchase at your local farmer's market.If you buy locally grown fruit and plant a few plum,peach,cherry and apricot seeds each week you will establish a ripening order adapted to your local area.If you would then graft cuttings from these starts to Nanking cherry rootstock you can produce you own dwarf peach,plum,apricot and cherry trees.You could establish all the Nanking cherry rootstock you require from starts from seed or cuttings. I've read that genetic dwarf pit fruits like peaches,plums,cherrys ,almonds and apricots,don't differentiate enough to worry about.Here's a link regarding the difference between grafted dwarf and genetic dwarf trees.http://9am.ten.com.au/7455.htm
I just started a new group . I couldn't find any similar DWARF FRUIT TREE group on multiply. Membership is open to anyone that is interested and you can invite anyone you want. http://dwarffruittrees2009.multiply.com/
I planted several fruit trees on my "lawn" last year. Lawns are too large here in the south. Mine is an acre and it's a neighborhood lawn! Not into grassy sod so I've been shrinking it with plantings. I'm all about edible plantings and fruit trees are at the top of my list. Finding some that will thrive here is a challenge and I have to be careful abt how much $$ I can invest in my outdoors because I am also working on indoors (remodeling). I simply could not avoid putting in a few pear, plum, and apple trees last year as well as some figs.
I'd love to find some citrus varieties I could get to grow here. My kids in Calif have so much citrus in their yards and I am so, so envious having spent a number of years in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where we were surrounded by the citrus orchards - my favorite fruits. If I could grow those and avocados, I'd be in heaven!
I've read that genetic dwarf pit fruits like peaches,plums,cherrys ,almonds and apricots,don't differentiate enough to worry about..They might be able to be traded by mail due to this.The dwarf scions raised from seed could be grafted to a standard root stock to create a productive dwarf tree.
Not into grassy sod so I've been shrinking it with plantings 