Living Off the Land, Part 3: The Home Orchard

So far, I have only written about the things we have already implemented into our lives, like using wild game, and organic vegetable and herb gardening. From here on, most of my posts shall be about ideas we are putting into practice this year, and the years to come. I am very excited about these things, and I can't wait to see what this year holds.

I have always loved and wanted fruit and nut trees, no matter how large or small our yard has been. For many years we have lived in renting situations, and the thought of moving trees, even ones in containers, has kept me from my goal. This year we will finally plant my first installment of trees, and in the coming years, we hope to add more as time and funds permit.

I have chosen dwarf trees for our small orchard, because they are small, which means we don't need large ladders or specialized equipment to maintain them, and also because they will mature and produce fruit in only three or four years, instead of the ten years it often takes standard-sized trees. For those who have very small backyards, or no yard at all, dwarf trees can be grown in containers along a porch or veranda with great success, and they are beautiful as well as practical. We are fortunate enough to possess several acres on which to plant our trees, but it is heavily wooded with large oaks, and only a few open spaces interspaced between.

The first space we have chosen has enough room for twenty dwarf trees, and I intend to plant fourteen this year. I have chosen two each of apple, apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach, pear, and plum trees, and I hope in future years to add citrus trees like lemons, oranges, and limes, plus blueberry bushes. We already have two blackberry bushes in our garden, with plans to add more this year, and hopefully trailing vines of wild muscadines as well.

This week is the first for planting trees in our area, and we have until the first week of March to get them in while they are dormant. It seems like the perfect activity since hunting season will draw to a close this weekend, and Mr. H. will have a few weeks until the lakes begin beckoning him with warm sunshine and cool breezes to come fishing every Saturday afternoon. If you are interested in started a home orchard of your own, Autumn Ridge Nursery has excellent prices on 2-3 yr. old saplings, and offers a one-year guarantee on all their trees. (I have a tendency to kill things, so this is wonderful.)