The best time to plant a fruit tree is five years ago. The second best time is to plant a tree today.
The reason for the "...five years ago..." is that it takes most fruit trees five years to reach a size where they produce significant amounts of fruit.
If the economy or social-order goes into the septic-tank, it is unlikely that we will have five years to wait for our trees to reach full production.
That suggests two strategies. One strategy is to plant a few fruit trees every couple of years. That strategy falls apart if you have limited space to grow trees.
Another strategy is to find ways to compress the foot-print and to shrink five-year ramp-up time.
Small fruits might be what you are looking for!
Everbearing Strawberries treated as annuals
Huge potential yields...as much as 25 pounds per year per 32 square-feet (the size of a standard sheet of OSB or plywood). The yield is spread through the growing season requiring many pickings. The cost to establish is high. The longevity is low...it must be replanted every year.
Rhubarb
OK, not a fruit. If it bothers you then leave a comment that I will ignore.
Large potential yield of 12 pounds per SOP (sheet of plywood). It takes 24 months to really start cranking out the stalks. Cost to establish is not very high if you have a neighbor who will share divisions. Longevity is very high with fifty years being common.
High oxalate content makes this a poor choice for people susceptible to kidney stones. Often used as volume extender in pastries for more aromatic fruit like strawberries or peaches.
Grapes
10 pounds per SOP. 18 months to significant yield. Cost to establish is high since a trellis or support is required. Longevity of 30 years.
Strawberries, summer-bearing, matted row
5 pounds per SOP. 18 months to significant yield. Cost to establish is low. Longevity is three-to-seven years.
Blueberries
4 pounds per SOP. 30 months to significant yield. Demands low pH soils...low cost to establish if your soils are already low pH but very expensive if they are not. Longevity is 15 years.
Raspberries and Gooseberries and Currants
3 pounds per SOP. Some production in the first fall for some types of raspberries but typically 15 months for most plantings. Longevity is fifteen years in a favorable site.
Asparagus
2 pounds per SOP. 36 months for significant yields. Longevity is 20 years.
Minor small fruits
Aronia, blackberries, service berries, seaberries, beach plums, kiwi, autumn olive, elderberries, rose hips, daylilies....
Many of these species can survive neglect and challenging sites which makes them great choices for less intensively managed plots. Most of these species have "issues" like thorns or squishy fruit that make them non-commercial. Many of them have named cultivars that yield up to 3X times more fruit than random seedlings.
The humble pumpkin is begging for a mention, and asks about guerilla gardening...
ReplyDeleteStefan v.
Great question. Let me think about it for a bit.
DeleteCan you give me a hint with regard to your climate?
Central Europe. Mild summers, mild winters, with outswings depending on the geo-engineering that doesn't exist or work but is sprayed across my sky. There are ancient monastic orchards hereabouts, allsorts of obscure apples and pears. Perhaps I should get out and about and scrounge a cutting for you.
DeleteStefan v.
Berries are, I suspect, often overlooked for such things. Your mileage may vary based on climate. Where I grew up, blackberries seemingly spring from the ground sui generis.
ReplyDeleteHere in zone 9 mulberries fruit heavily in the spring and lightly in the fall; citrus is a no-brainer; certain types of pomes and stone fruits produce well. With enough nutrients and water bananas and plantain are viable. Pumpkins grow without any effort and once mature will last unrefrigerated for over a year. Sweet potatoes and cassava make lots of calories underground for minimal planting effort. All can be propagated easily and planted surreptitiously in unexpected places.
ReplyDeleteOk, someone please say something about sop.
ReplyDeleteWho else but ERJ could make it so mentally visible as "sheet of plywood" as a measuring aid.
Americans will use anything they can think of as a unit of measurement rather then using the metric system
DeleteYes, yes we do.
DeleteI've been trying to establish some berry beds in the pasture area of my property (horse's are dead and gone, that's just what we call it). Thornless varieties are well loved by the deer and other wildlife.
ReplyDeleteI will tip my fedora to the champagne variety of raspberry, I bought a stack of them from:
https://www.noursefarms.com/collections/raspberries-home-gardeners/products/double_gold
They are quite vigorous, spread well on their own, and primocanes, so can fruit 2x per year easily. They are thornless, so... previous comment applies. Frankly it saves me from trimming them in the fall! I get a good harvest from them in the summer, and a small secondary one in the fall.
I'm kinda surprised you didn't mention blackberries. They produce much like strawberries!
ReplyDeleteI rise to the challenge of making a comment you can ignore. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat being said, a lot of good information here.
And if you want a nut crop, you probably should have planted 10 years ago.
You all be safe and God bless.
My experience with fruit trees in Kentucky was 7 years to fruiting consistently with a big investment in time, money and energy fighting off the deer, coons and insects. I finally gave up and planted blue, black, goose and strawberries. Along the way l learned that rhubarb lasts 3 years before petering out, it’s just a smidge too hot. Walnuts also struggle but heart nuts and pecans do great.
ReplyDeleteSo, the struggle continues.
Here in Copper Basin Alaska I gave up on apples and currents after the moose totaled the ones we planted. No way to protect them without being able to afford an eight foot fence. But wild is another matter. I know where to find both high bush and low bush cranberries as well as blue berries!
ReplyDeleteI had poor luck with strawberries. Likely lack of correct care I expect. But the chipmunks and birds ate most of what I did get for berries.
ReplyDeleteSimilar issue with raspberries and blackberries. Had to net the plant to keep the birds off, but chipmunks and squirrels still got a lot of berries. I pruned back too heavily in the fall and lost some of the plants. Replacements I bought did not grow at all.
Rhubarb does okay, but I only have about 6 plants. Neglected them for years, but I fertilized last year and they look better.
Pear tree seems to produce well every other or so.
Southern NH
Small fruits are not gonna feed you through a winter, but are a useful addition to other crops. Most berries only provide sugar, no real nutrients.
ReplyDeleteSquash, pumpkins, etc are better per acre than berries, and need less care (until the end of the summer).
Absolutely! Love butternut squash, and it keeps for months in storage. Easy to grow, almost no pests. Had a bear eat a couple one year. Raccoons or possums or something will try to eat them, but don’t get far.
DeleteSNH
We had a fig tree, producing a ton of fruit the 2nd year, I believe. Problem was you had to pick daily and get them just before ripe or else birds and squirrels would ruin it for you. After about 5 years, it got into a cycle of one good year high yield, one bad year low yield.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, birds and squirrels are horrible. As well as mice and rats. I defended as much as possible with my pellet rifle but found out the hard way that the cedar fence pickets won't stop the pellet and I may have accidentally put a few pellets into the neighbor's yard. At which point I put the rifle up and the birds, squirrels, mice, rats and other assorted vermin took over.
shoot better next time.
DeleteERJ, do you use autumn olive? I have some growing wild in the yard, never knew what it was till this year.
ReplyDeleteSNH
I've grown raspberries for many years, red everbearing in the front and black in the back. I think I should have put the reds in a raised bed, they really try to spread. Which can be both an advantage and disadvantage. I'm also considering companion planting, nitrogen fixers like sugar pod peas in the early spring and pole beans in the summer and fall. And popcorn so that the canes help protect the corn.
ReplyDelete