Starting a Small Orchard

10 years ago

I am starting a small home orchard this fall. I think that I have room for 4 apple trees and 2 plum trees in dwarf size.

I am looking for fruit that is multi-purpose: eating, baking, and keeping. I want an extended harvest, not all at once.

I live in southern Indiana in zone 6A. My soil is red clay and will be amended in a large planting hole. The site is a southern hillside along the side of my house. There will be full sun from sunrise until late afternoon.

I am not an experienced orchard-man. I do garden.

The varieties I am looking at are:

Jon-a-Red, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, and Red Rome Beauty Apples, but maybe Cox's Orange Pippin or Dr. Matthews would trade out one of these.

Shiro and Starking Delicious are my plum choices.

I am also planning a bed of Heritage and Anna Yellow raspberries.

I got my order of nearly $350 whittled down to under $200. I was looking for some advice from you:

Have you had good luck with Stark Bros.? How about Big Horse Creek?

I cannot wade through the enormous variety. I like Granny Smith and Honey Crisp, and Jonathan because I know them, but all are easily purchased locally. Are there other varieties I should get instead that are unique, or better tasting or easier to grow, or more disease resistant? How to muddle through the thousands of descriptions? I won't know for several years if I made the right choices. I think I have chosen pollinating partners in the Granny Smith-Red Rome and the Honey Crisp-Jon-a-Red. Where would the Cox's Pippin or Dr. Matthews sub out in these pairings?

Have I chosen any duds or disease magnets?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Brian

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Comments (9)

ltilton
10 years ago
The main problem I have with Starks is their failure to specific the rootstocks on their trees. "Dwarf" is not one size fits all.
RobThomas
10 years ago
Check out Burnt Ridge Nursery. You can get all 6 trees for under $100. They don't have all their varieties listed on their website yet, so you may need to call to confirm what they have. I called them a couple of weeks ago and they were taking inventory and had not updated the site. You can also specify rootstock. And, they have raspberries.

They also have many disease resistant varieties and their descriptions explain which ones are resistant.

If you do go with them, you may want to request bareroot trees only. Sometimes they send potted trees which are really really small.

Here is a link that might be useful: Burnt Ridge

This post was edited by RobThomas on Sat, Oct 19, 13 at 13:42
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mrsg47
10 years ago
I would check out Dave Wilson's garden watchdog and take the time to read a few reviews. Trees to me are an investment. They are an investment in your time, your dollars, your chemicals and spraying equipment and books. The only thing I have really discovered in having a small orchard it that it is satisfying beyond belief, and new trees and exotic trees are addicting. Reading about your trees and their care is one of the best things you can do on your own. This forum is excellent for help and answers to your questions. Your trees are a commitment. The reviews and peoples experiences with all mail order fruit tree on-line sites differ. Read the reviews on the Dave Wilson site. Mrs. G Good luck!
Ernie
10 years ago
Since you mentioned Big Horse Creek, I'll suggest one other NC nursery that specializes in old varieties (particularly old Southern varieties) -- Century Farm Orchards. The selection is great, the prices are very good, and they get great reviews at the site MrsG mentioned. If their offerings look interesting to you, you'll find that David (the owner) is more than willing to help you find the varieties that will best suit your needs. I just placed an order after corresponding with him over the course of a week or so -- I asked a lot of questions, and he was quick to answer each and every one.

This post was edited by shazaam on Sat, Oct 19, 13 at 15:29
brianstreehouse
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you all for your replies!

Is there a rootstock that best meets my clay soil, 6A zone, desire for a dwarf (6-10 foot tree)?

Mrs. G: Thanks for Dave Wilson. I had not seen that site before. I agree that trees are an investment, commitment, and joy. That is why I am asking advice from others here.

Shazaam: Great site at Century Farm. Loads of info there. I wish I could taste all of these varieties! Someone should invent an internet taste function.

Brian
murkwell
10 years ago
You should plan a trip to Portland, Oregon this time of year. The Home Orchard Society's All About Fruit Show has 525 different varieties of apples to taste this weekend along with almost 300 pears, 100 grapes and a bunch of other things.
megamav
10 years ago
What I would pick:

Ginger Gold - Diploid - Excellent for an early, sweet, slightly aromatic. Tastes similar to sweet lemonade.

Kidd's Orange Red - Diploid - Avoid Cox, and its sports, the trees are small, non-productive, and suffer from rots and diseases. Fruit here drops before ripe. Kidd's Orange Red is less aromatic and sweeter than Cox, but in a good way.

Belle de Boskoop - Triploid - Cooker & Keeper. Acids up the yin yang in early October when picked, smooth sugars in April. Cooks well. Makes a special strudel no other apple is capable of.

Golden Russet - Diploid - In this small of an orchard, you'll want to stick to mostly diploids, Belle de Boskoop is worth the exception. Russets will extend your season. The Golden Russet is exceptional. I wrote a glowing review on it and scratch the surface on its history.

http://fruitgardener.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/golden-russet-apple-review/

These 4 should give you fruit from Late August to Mid October, and they are all exceptional and relatively easy to grow.

Cummins Nursery, I find to be a great resource for trees. Give them a look. I like G.202 rootstock for the tree size you're looking for. around 8-10 feet tall.
anunusualwoman
10 years ago
All the answers were a great help to me too since I had about the same question and I live in northern Indiana.
marc5
10 years ago
I started my orchard eight years ago, and while it has been slow to develop, things are finally looking good. I'll give you my Cliff Notes. I had good luck with trees from Cummins. If I had to choose only four varieties: William's Pride, Honeycrisp, Jonathan, and Gold Rush. These will take you from early to late season. My dwarf trees on B9 are doing very well in heavy soil. The William's Pride on B9 may be the star of the orchard in taste, disease resistance and production. And while Honeycrisp is subject to some brown spots, it's amazing--the apple that got people eating apples again. I hope you are not too far south for it.