There's a full moon shaping up, a welcome sign of renewal and completion. It's time to look ahead and contemplate the coming of spring and the things I can accomplish in my backyard orchard this year. Last year, I discovered that almost everything I have ever read about gardening and caring for fruit trees is truly good advice. Here is my list of things I plan to accomplish this year and the top 10 things I've learned for keeping a backyard orchard and garden.
First and foremost are the reasons for having a backyard orchard and garden. Having created some extra yard space behind the house, I'm going to put in a series of raised-bed gardens that will yield enough food for the family with a little extra for the neighbors or anyone else in need. Last year I was impressed at how little time people have to grow their own food. Work and after-school sports are greedy consumers of our time, which, in my opinion, would be better spent teaching the children how to sustain themselves through gardening than learning how to get along with others through kicking a soccer ball.
Secondly, I'm going to devote some extra time for caring for my backyard orchard. It seems that I learn something new about growing fruit trees every year. Last year the lesson was brutal: If you don't protect the fruit and the fruit trees from ravaging insects and rot, they will destroy as much as they can. More for them, less for us, as they will return year after year once they have discovered an abundant source of food. Wouldn't you?
Here are the top 10 lessons I've learned from last year's backyard gardening:
1. Raking up the moldy leaves from beneath the fruit trees and burn them.
2. Don't use oak, hickory or butternut leaves in your mulch pile, as they contain acids that aren't' friendly toward the soil.
3. Strawberry plants must be protected from invasive weeds, or else they will become overgrown. I think it's better to grow strawberries in raised beds.
4. There's a trick to growing a fruit tree from a seed, such as a peach or plum seed. I'm going to try it out and see if I can get a tree to sprout. If you don't have the time to do so, buy a healthy tree with a warranty and don't over-water it. Newly planted trees don't need as much water as you think, and more trees have died from too much love than for any other reason.
5. Blueberries and raspberries may be a good investment, although they take a few years to grow large enough bear fruit. In the long term, however, they might just be worth it, but watch out for ants and hungry birds.
6. I adore honey bees, but I am also wary of keeping them without a proper hive. I know that they are important pollinators, but so are mason bees. I have a mason bee experiment going, and I can't wait to see if my mason bee condominium is going to attract any guests this year. If you are concerned about having enough honey bees, try attracting mason bees.
7. Never use a trap for Japanese Beetles. This only attracts more beetles, as they emit pheromones. There are better ways to eliminate these pests, check with your local growers for their solutions.
8. Grape vines need spraying as much as fruit trees do. Last year tiny beetles nearly destroyed my grape vines over night by devouring the young leaves. The vines had to regrow their leaves before they could flower, which set back fruit production for a month or so. When it finally came time to harvest them, the quantity and quality of the grapes was poor, at best.
9. Both pear and cherry trees, not to omit apples trees, need spraying to protect them against worms and rot. Last year I lost more fruit to worms and rot than ever. Get an early start and stick to the schedule recommended for the spray you are going to use. It's a good idea to check with your local fruit growers for the best type of spray for your area.
10. What started out as a hobby farm will quickly become a full-time job. Not that I mind, because there is a clam, natural beauty in caring for fruit trees, growing blueberries and keeping up with a strawberry patch in a backyard orchard. I have come to view it as a form of competition with nature. Sometimes I win, sometimes the bugs and molds win.
Every year, when the fall harvest comes around and I get to pick the best fruit I have ever grown, or tasted, I feel a great sense of accomplishment and confidence. I can't wait to share the bounty with the elders and our neighbors. Having a backyard orchard with fruit trees, berry bushes, and a row of grape vines is truly the healthiest way to look forward every spring.