Tuesday, February 5, 2013

new orchard part 1


Well a lot has been happening on the farm here at RDI, we have been taking out the old orchard, an honor in its own right since it only really happens every 20 years or so! and what happens when you get donated 100 trees from Dave Wilson nursery? you install a new orchard... another opportunity that only comes around so often as well!  we have a happy and interesting mix of mostly stone fruits (apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines, pluots, apriums, and cherries) and of course some apples and pears. we also got 6 genetic dwarf trees that will stay about 6 ft max! the process has been really fun to learn our root stocks, our tree hardiness, and the on going experiment that our varieties that were picked out by Dave Wilson staff will do well in our cooler but mild coastal environment. it will be a on-going relationship with Wilson staff since they want to use us as a test orchard for their almost 3 million tree operation that has been hand grafting their stock since 1930s. wow. below are some before pictures and the start of the installation!



looking east towards the upper orchard- notice a pile of wood directly ahead... all fruit wood!

the new stone fruit orchard- one of these trees has come out where a path now runs east.

this is looking right where that middle apple was in that upper photograph! digging holes for our new stone fruits!

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