Lots of apples this year.

I think the most exciting part is that the varieties are finally starting to come in.  My first Hubbardston Non-such, Winter Banana, Ginger gold, King David.  Small amounts of Ambrosia, fair numbers of Bevans Favorite, Liberty, Pink Pearl.  Trees full of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Summer Banana, Arkansas Black, Virginia Beauty.

Lots of asian pears, especially Chojuro, and Korean Giant.  In fact, enormous Korean Giants.  The one in my hand is a store grown Korean Giant, with mine on the right.  More fruit than I can handle currently.

Sampled an Ambrosia that I didnt realize I had.

It was really, really sweet. A brix of 15 which actually was lower than I expected. could clearly taste cotton candy flavors.  I have about four more Ambrosia yet to pick. More on how Brix is calculated on future posts.

In lieu of sales this year, I decided to make up more gift bags for the community.  More on that decision later. I left them at the post office for folks to select as they see fit.  I identified the fruit so that everyone could know what they are eating.  I think the identification and history of the fruit is an important part to growing fruit.  I am accepting donations to help defray the costs of bags and my time.  Perhaps I will entertain sales in the future, especially at the farmers market.

I just ordered rootstock in anticipation of our grafting event.

We will be grafting on MM111 and Bud 9.  MM111 is the rootstock that most of my fruit trees are on.

It has great roots giving it a solid foundation, but can be slow to bear.  The Bud 9 is for folks who want a dwarf tree and fruit that bears more quickly.

This year, Im getting more Bud 9 so that we can do some interstem grafting.  That will allow us to grow a tree with the great solid base of MM111, with the precociousness and early bearing of Bud 9.  I think it will make an excellent combination.

 

Many asked me what I would do when all the fruit started to come in.  I could not even see that happening, but now I am getting a “taste” of it.  I still want to specialize in unique heirloom varieties and the history behind them.  I hoping that is my niche. If not, it is certainly where my heart is.