Fruit Tree Orchard

Two years ago we planted our first fruit trees here on the farm.  We planted 2 peach trees and last year one of them had 2 small peaches on it!  

http://windyacresnaturalfarm.blogspot.com/2012/06/peaches.html

With that success under our belts, I was gung-ho to plant more trees this spring.  So, as soon as I noticed Lowe's had fruit trees, I was there checking through the varieties.  They had several varieties of peaches, plums, pears, apples, apricots and cherries.  I wrote them all down and brought them home for Tom to look over.  

He checked several books he has here at home and also the OSU Extension Fact sheets on the best varieties for Oklahoma.  We decided to get another peach tree tree and at least two each of pear and plum trees.

Between the books and the fact sheets, we narrowed the list down to just one or two varieties of each type of tree.  Here is what we ended up with:

• Red Haven Semi-Dwarf Peach
• Keiffer Semi-Dwarf Pear
• Ayers Semi-Dwarf Pear
• Santa Rose Semi-Dwarf Plum
• Methley Semi-Dwarf Plum
• Toka Dwarf Plum

And here is a picture of them after we got them planted.

Tom  laid out a soaker hose and then I mulched them with pine straw.

Our part of the state is still in the midst of a severe drought and it is forecast to continue into the foreseeable future.  The mulch will help to conserve moisture this summer when the weather is hot and dry.