May 2010.
Ordered as bare-rooted trees for delivery in July.
Plums:
1 x Santa Rosa, small
1 x Satsuma, small
1 x Greengage
Apples:
1 x Cox's Orange Pippin
1 x Granny Smith
1 x Pink Lady
Pears:
1 x Williams bon Cretian1 x Winter Cole
July 2010
Planting holes developed for six fruit trees in irrigated beds, and compost being added to planting holes along wired fence at rear for possible spring plantings. Area sprouting healthy ... capeweed. Oh well, better than nothing! Cleared stones from between beds. Mainly to keep husband happy with neatness. But perhaps would allow handmowing of weeds that might then go in compost? Wattles (wirilda) seedlings transplanted from dam at intervals in front of feijoa hedge, to provide additional protection and nitrogen fixing. Still tiny but appear to be surviving.
July 23
New fruit trees now in, with the small change that the nursery supplied a Jonathan rather than a Cox's Orange Pippin (will go with that for now), and the Pink Lady and Jonathan have been planted against the trellis either side of pizza oven at edge of veg area, facing west (not ideal for plant, but easier for planting!), to be espaliered.
New fruit trees in by end of July,
but capeweed the only thing really flourishing!
but capeweed the only thing really flourishing!
August 2010
Pruned the new fruit trees to improve shape and take stress off recently replanted roots, following a ticking off during class visit to site.
Animal damage observed to one plum, assuming a rabbit, with gnawing of bark near base, so tyre used to provide a deterrent barrier. Fencing against animals should clearly be a priority, with temporary protection of some kind needed now.
The transplanted wattles seem securely rooted, but aren't showing a lot of new growth, and there is lots of competition from flourishing capeweed and might be getting chomped by animals. Tyres could be the answer.
August 18 New plants ordered from Diggers.
To interplant into hedgerow between surviving feijoas, and all also suited to acid soils, were:
- Blueberry Northland (2)
- Blueberry Denise
- Ugni Montana (2)
- Marionberry
- Thornless loganberry
- comfrey
- blue borage (seeds)
September 2010
Lots of work at the start of the month on building up beds and trying to prepare for new arrivals and nurture recent plantings.Tyres are going around them all. A suddenly precious resource, as tip is now charging $5 per tyre! Also capeweed going crazy. Have been trying to get the best of both worlds, by pulling capeweed only from areas to be planted or where there are plants struggling in competition, and heaping weed on beds to become a composting layer.
Trying to stop them resprouting, am laying a thin layer of newspaper over and will cover with soil and/or mushroom compost (having had 4 cubic metres of both recently delivered). Was making fine steady progress with this work till the torrential rain and back problems brought a halt to it. Hopefully both are dealt with and work can continue. (See post)
Goji berry has revived, so will need to be incorporated into replanting of fruiting hedge. October 2010
Lots and lots of progress. Plantings now complete, except for back fence and beyond, though raspberries and grapes are bought ready to go against fence. Potatoes (desiree) and peas (telephone pole) have gone against east fence beside dogrun.
Front bed, top-bottom (east-west):
ugni montanablueberry northland
feijoa
blueberry denise
feijoa
goji
feijoa
ugni montana
blueberry northland
Second bed, west-east:Third bed, west-east:
November 2010
Last fruit plantings (for this season) now completed. The back fence will alternate raspberries (as canes can be wrapped around top wire of fence) alternating with grapes. Apparently grapes and raspberries make good companions. Having bought 5 varieties of grapes, I've started with the two best suited to drying - muscatel and black currant - as this is the more distant of the spots I'll plant (the plan is for other three to be trained up pergola posts behind house. Permie principle in action - the ones that will probably just be picked in one session are furthest from the house, the eating grapes that will hopefully get snacked on regularly are just outside back door.
For now, three tomatoes (each with basil accompanying) have gone along back fence too. Two extra raspberries and an extra grape will replace these next season. Again, tomatoes are apparently good companions for both grapes and raspberries.
 |
| Fence at back of orchard, l-r (west-east) tomato, black currant, tomato/basil, muscatel, raspberry [not seen, tomato/basil, raspberry] with fruit trees visible beyond |
This bed will need to be hand-watered, not drip irrigated, because of veg. But this means more irrigation for the first three orchard beds while they're establishing. Also, noted that a couple of the four unwatered tomatoes planted in this area last summer did actually survive the extreme conditions, even if fruit yield was minimal.
Broad beans planted in part of one orchard bed on spec, with the idea of soil improvement, have actually formed some pods, the first of which are now ready to eat. Though might leave these ones to go to seed for next year. Another encouraging sign.
And finally, wirilda transplanted from base of dam have taken off. Though two plants died, two have survived and are kicking along. Plan is for these to provide some shelter from summer's hot north wind while fixing nitrogen near first orchard bed.
April 2011
Slightly old pics now, but give an idea of the orchard now. Plants have done well. But so have the weeds! The new challenge, not seen before here, is the kikuyu grass which is going crazy. At present, I'm trying to quell it in the first bed (which is supposed to be turning into a windbreak/edible hedge or feijoas, goji berries, chilean guavas and blueberries) by smothering with newspaper and grass clippings. Though smothering has limited success against this sneaky and indomitable intruder. Maybe I'll need to resort to weed mat.
Results from the orchard this autumn - trees growing! That would be enough, but have also had a couple of lovely apples from one tree. Potatoes along side have continued to yield - the last lot dug up by visiting Eugene and Tilda a couple of weeks ago to finish off a big roast, fascinated to get their hands dirty and spot the (in this case) pink nuggets emerging form the ground. The grapes along the back have been a bit dismal, not much growth and signs of roo damage. But we'll see how they recover next year. The raspberries and loganberries have grown like nuts but no fruit. Again, happy to wait for later provided the plants are strong enough. The big accomplishment has been the tomatoes interplanted with grapes and raspberries along the back fence. Two of the three plants - a roma and grape tomato - have yielded and yielded. Picking from late January and still picking now mid April, though fruit is running out and remainder may not ripen.
Still to lay the irrigation properly - the wetness of the season has made it seem less urgent. And now thinking to replant the potted apricot and peach against side fence of orchard (dog run boundary).
Here's views of the plants - trees in the two middle arms are a mix of apples, pears and plums - looking up the hill ...
July 2011 'Annual Report'
This area has made significant progress. The development of a sequence of beds as per PDC plan has been established, and these beds have been improved and built up by regular activities including composting, mulching/green manuring, addition of bought soil and compost, bukashi compost, digging out of small gutters alongside each bed. Plantings are now underway, with some additional fruit trees ordered for final planting this winter. The irrigation system (outlet of black water treated through Septech system) has not functioned well - but has not been relied on due to a wet year. Some basic guilds are evident, with small fruit trees (apples, pears, plums) underplanted with canefruits (raspberries, loganberries) and also some bulbs (iris, daffodils) and herbs (chives). The front row 'hedge' has not developed very well, but feijoas are well established, and chilean guavas and goji berries are growing into their second year, and 2 of 4 wirilda planted in front of hedge have taken off, to help add to the protective/soil improving efforts. Major weeds include seasonal capeweed, which I've had some success treating as green manure (smothered by newspaper and soil). Emerging major weed problem following rains is kikuyu, which I'm controlling in a limited way by removing invasive runners closest to plants, and some smothering with newspaper/grass clippings round base of plants - has died back during winter. Some great results with potatos and tomatoes, however not planning to use this area for veg again, as once fruit trees are in they will be receiving the blackwater.
URGENT WORK: lay out irrigation pipes properly and plant new fruit trees; create trellises for cane plants
2011-2012 Maintenance Plan
- ONGOING: check and clear irrigation outlets periodically
- OCCASIONAL: mow between beds to control weeds
- WINTER: monitor plants
- WINTER: redig channels at sides of beds (can widen beds a little; dug out soil can be thrown on top of beds to help build them up; remove kikuyu runners and compost in sealed black plastic bags initially, then add to compost tumbler)
- SPRING: monitor capeweed - pull out plants closest to fruit trees and drop on top of beds with roots exposed - check they don't reroot!
- SPRING: lightly 'dig' in leafy weeds such as dock and green manure plants such as broad beans and borage where growing in beds
- SPRING: lightly mulch with any grass clippings from mowing, with some blood and bone or manure sprinkled on
- SPRING: fertilise fruit trees with diluted worm farm liquid watered on during spring growing period.
- SUMMER: heavier mulching - newspaper layers/grass clippings - ensure water from irrigation drippers round trees isn't blocked
- SUMMER: monitor water needs, especially during hottest periods, and water directly as necessary (sunken pots allow deep watering below mulch)
- SUMMER/AUTUMN: monitor fruit trees for cherry tree slug - squash where possible - or other pests/diseases
- AUTUMN: harvest fruit, hopefully!
- WINTER: prune out any damaged wood in fruit trees
- WINTER: prune out old canes of cane fruit and attach new canes to trellis
