Fruit trees

[Junochick]

You can read about different mango varieties at
http://tropicalfruitnursery.com/mango/index.shtml

Thanks for the link on mangos, I also have avacodo growing that I need to bring inside that can't handle cold. Oh and moringa , but that's ok I have plenty room inside for plants. It keeps the air quality inside better.

 

[Bluechick2u]

@Bluechick2u- Sorry to hear about that. Sounds like you selected proper varieties. I haven't had any outright casualties, though some plants have taken off faster than others. Not sure what your specific problem is and it sounds like you have plenty of experience. Just throwing out ideas, so please don't be insulted as they are basic:

• I believe Oregon has plenty of rain. Possibly over-watering?
• I know chicken poo is considered too "hot" to use raw and should be composted before being used for fertilizer. Is that possibly true for alpaca poo?
• It is best to plant trees when they are dormant- late fall or early spring. That reduces shock.
• If working with a containerized tree and the roots are overgrown/encircling, then I'll knock off the dirt and spread out the roots as much as possible before planting. Sometimes, you have to cut some of the roots if it is bad enough.
  
• When planting, do not cover the root flare (bulge at the bottom of the trunk).
• Do not pile mulch against the trunk. I can't believe how many violate this rule. It holds moisture against the bark and can cause it to rot.

Here is a very good set of instructions from the Arbor Day Foundation on planting. Good luck and hope it works better on your next attempt.

Thank you for the mulch reminder, the part of Oregon I live in doesnt get much rain, but lots of snow in winter, so I have to pile up mulch around them before the ice sets in, but I will remove it from the bases of the trees in early spring.

 

[Dayrel]

Thank you for the mulch reminder, the part of Oregon I live in doesnt get much rain, but lots of snow in winter, so I have to pile up mulch around them before the ice sets in, but I will remove it from the bases of the trees in early spring.

I'm not quite sure you understood what I was trying to convey. Mulch provides minimal insulation, so it doesn't change with the seasons. It is more about helping to retain moisture for the roots and preventing competition from grass. Here are a couple of pictures that show the right and wrong way to mulch:

 

[CapricornFarm]

We just moved to Virginia this year, and starting to plant flowers, trees and bushes. We have paw paw trees, black walnut, hickory and black berries already on the property.
Today i hit the jackpot and bought 6 high bush blueberry plants, 3 blackberry canes and a whole bunch of landscaping bushes. All 75% off!!!
I saw fruit trees on sale at TSC, but i did not like the look of their leaves, i was not sure if it might be blight. So i passed on those.

 

[Bluechick2u]

I'm not quite sure you understood what I was trying to convey. Mulch provides minimal insulation, so it doesn't change with the seasons. It is more about helping to retain moisture for the roots and preventing competition from grass. Here are a couple of pictures that show the right and wrong way to mulch:

My concern is that if I left that depression at the base of the trunk, it turns into a pile of snow which quickly turns into a solid ring of ice that sits for at least a month, so I was told by locals to pile straw or mulch around the base before snow to keep the tree from being frozen in an ice ring; is this wrong? Will the ice ring not hurt the tree?

 

[Dayrel]

No, ice won't hurt the tree or else we would never have trees last more than a year in the north. Too much ice on the branches can break them, but that is due to weight, not cold. Assuming the tree can handle your temperature zone, the lower trunk and even the roots can freeze and be fine in the spring.

 

[henless]

I started my orchard 2 yrs ago. That first year I planted 2 figs, 2 pears & 2 blueberry bushes. This spring I added another fig, 2 plums and 2 apple trees.

I got a few figs that first year. I had a bunch on the trees this year, but we got our first freeze the middle of Oct instead of Nov, so that messed up that harvest.

I would like to get a few more this spring, just haven't decided which ones. I would like to get a couple of peaches, a pomegranate and maybe a couple of muscadine vines.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I planted 6 blueberry bushes and three blackberry canes so far. I really want apple trees as well, and perhaps pears. Looking for good deals, of course. I got 75% off the first ones i listed. Love a great deal!

 

[Heather M.]

I have three apple trees - two that are now going into their second year and one that was planted about 20 years ago and has never flowered (its mate died first year). I love my apple trees. I have two very old peach trees (about 30 years old) that we basically cut back to the trunk. Their yields have been down and the peaches never get big, and some type of something keeps making slimy black spots in them. Maybe a worm? I don't know the first thing about peach trees or how to take care of these. Or if I should just start over since they are so old? Maybe they are just not viable trees anymore? Does that happen? I'm located in west-central Georgia. I'd love any tips on peach trees.

 

[Heather M.]

I planted 6 blueberry bushes and three blackberry canes so far. I really want apple trees as well, and perhaps pears. Looking for good deals, of course. I got 75% off the first ones i listed. Love a great deal!

We have wild blackberries in multitudes here. So I don't want to plant those. Our biggest issue with those is getting to them before the deer eat them all! I would, however, love to know about blueberries. Are they difficult to grow? Do they take a few years to fruit for the first time?