My Hobby Farm

[daddykirbs]

I've had a lot of things in the past that I've considered to be a hobby like motorcycles, kayaks, fishing, hunting, design work, photography and video... and more.

Lately I've been very interested in all things "FARM"! Small scale food production is huge for me right now. I want to produce fruits, veggies and eggs (it had to come back around to chickens, right?).

This past weekend I got my fruit orchard started! I have room for 18 trees, so I'm doing them 6 at a time for three years. This will help my budget and give me something to look forward to next year.

Here is a video of my first 6 trees being planted.

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

With hobby farms, it seems there is always something to do and something to look forward to. Congratulations on your newest hobby. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

 

[daddykirbs]

With hobby farms, it seems there is always something to do and something to look forward to. Congratulations on your newest hobby. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

How big is your orchard? I'm wondering if my 18 trees is over ambitious.

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

I don't think 18 trees is over ambitious. Especially over a 3 year plan. As for our farm, I wouldn't really say we have an orchard. We have 2 plum trees, 2 pecan trees and 2 persimmon trees. We plan on adding more in the future, but we just do a little at a time. I think we may plant 2 apple trees this year. We also raise goats, pigs, rabbits and chickens and I am really looking forward to planting a huge garden this Spring if all goes as planned.

 

[daddykirbs]

I love those dark brown eggs by the way

Thanks for the encouragement. We have a lot of native persimmon trees. They do produce fruit, but it's mostly seed. I tasted them this year... not bad. I do also have 2 peach trees that are not in the orchard.

My wife will not go along with the killing of bunnies. I tried to explain, but nope.. not haven't it. Last night I was doing a little reading on raising pigs. My 5.5 acres are currently under utilized.

 

[HiddenHens987]

I think your plan for 6 trees for each of the next 3 years is a good and mellow plan. You should be able to what the trees grow and make possible changes if a certain variety of tree is not thriving as best as some others. Not to mention, as you stated, it will be a load easier on your budget.

 

[Ole and Lena]

With fruit or nut or any kind of tree, it's best to have more than you need than not enough. Trees are remarkebly fragile things, some will invariably die or fail to thrive. I've been transplanting some native fruit trees (juneberry, chokecherry, wild plum and some wayward apple seedlings from an old farmstead). They're free, make good jelly and chicken feed, break the wind and attract birds. If I get too many trees, I can always cut some down for smoker wood. Don't know what part of the country you're in, but consider planting some legacy trees. Large oaks, maples, or whatever grows well in your part of the country and lives for a long time for folks to enjoy after you're gone. There used to be a huge old oak tree on my farm, probably planted by the guy who built my house in 1900. A windstorm took it 2 summers ago, it's burning in my woodstove now. Hopefully in 112 years, somebody can enjoy the oak, walnut and white pines I planted this summer.

 

[daddykirbs]

With fruit or nut or any kind of tree, it's best to have more than you need than not enough. Trees are remarkebly fragile things, some will invariably die or fail to thrive. I've been transplanting some native fruit trees (juneberry, chokecherry, wild plum and some wayward apple seedlings from an old farmstead). They're free, make good jelly and chicken feed, break the wind and attract birds. If I get too many trees, I can always cut some down for smoker wood. Don't know what part of the country you're in, but consider planting some legacy trees. Large oaks, maples, or whatever grows well in your part of the country and lives for a long time for folks to enjoy after you're gone. There used to be a huge old oak tree on my farm, probably planted by the guy who built my house in 1900. A windstorm took it 2 summers ago, it's burning in my woodstove now. Hopefully in 112 years, somebody can enjoy the oak, walnut and white pines I planted this summer.

I like the way you think. I have planted a lot of trees. Recently I've planted 6 Live Oak trees. Those are the long lived ones around here in south central Texas. I have also planted a number of other oaks and other decorative trees. My wife wanted a white blooming and purple tree next to each other so I planted a Purple Plum next to a White Natchez Crape Myrtle.

 

[wyoDreamer]

You guy's are making me jealous.

Living here in the high mountain desert of Wyoming, trees come to my place to die. Coming from northern Wisconsin, this open prairie is hard to take.
Back in WI about 7 years ago, I had started an "orchard". I had planted 4 apple trees, 6 blueberry bushes, a 12' row of bush cherries and a 50'x50' garden. All surrounded by a 6' deer fence with barbed wire on top. I had room for about 8 more trees within the fence area, but we moved before I got them planted. I bet them apple trees are producing now.

I gotta figure out how to protect them little trees from the constant winter wind, they just dry out too much to survive. I planted a Hot Wings Maple that lived for 2 years out here, but the 1" crust of freezing rain in the early spring snapped all the buds off of it for the second year in a row and it died.

 

[Ole and Lena]

You guy's are making me jealous.

Living here in the high mountain desert of Wyoming, trees come to my place to die. Coming from northern Wisconsin, this open prairie is hard to take.
Back in WI about 7 years ago, I had started an "orchard". I had planted 4 apple trees, 6 blueberry bushes, a 12' row of bush cherries and a 50'x50' garden. All surrounded by a 6' deer fence with barbed wire on top. I had room for about 8 more trees within the fence area, but we moved before I got them planted. I bet them apple trees are producing now.

I gotta figure out how to protect them little trees from the constant winter wind, they just dry out too much to survive. I planted a Hot Wings Maple that lived for 2 years out here, but the 1" crust of freezing rain in the early spring snapped all the buds off of it for the second year in a row and it died.

Try Juneberry (Amelanchiar Spp) also known as Serviceberry or Saskatoon. So long as they get water they are hardy to the arctic treeline and beyond. The berries are tasty right off the tree and make delicious jelly. Lingonberry, gooseberry, chokecherry, native plum and dwarf blueberry should survive there for fruit bearing shrubs. For larger trees, so long as you can water them, cottonwood, ponderosa pine, paper birch and quaking or bigtooth aspen should be cold and heat hardy in your area. Any of the alpine or western spruces and firs should also do well. Possibly also Austrian pine, looks and grows almost identical to your norway pines from WI. Very cold and wind hardy. Look for tree species that grow native in your area, they are already adapted to the harshest conditions.