North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[orchardist@hotmail.com]

Hello folks,

        I signed on to this site about a week ago. I have enjoyed 
reading the sites letters.  I am always open for new ideas.   I was a 
signed up member of NAFEX for about six years.  I found this sight 
from an e-group friend in Oregon.  Thanks Sam.
I'm what you might call a Backyard Orchardist.  I live in Washington 
State in the Puget Sound area.  I `ve been growing apple and pears 
for about 16 years.  I grow only espalier or trellis trained trees.  
I have started most of my trees by either budding or grafting them 
myself.  Once in a while I'll purchase some of the newer varieties 
from catalogs.
        We do have a problem with apple maggot and coddling moth here 
in the Puget Sound.  Spraying and hanging traps is a must if you want 
clean fruit.  Since my trees are so short (< 6'), spraying and 
inspecting for other critters is easy to do. 
        When I first started growing fruit trees, I started most of 
them by grafting and budding them myself.  The older varieties of 
apples and pears were easy to obtain for the grafting.  About 12-14 
years ago there were at least six nurseries that sold the scion 
wood.  Now there is only a few growers left that will sell scion 
wood.  If I were 40 years old again I would send for more scion 
wood.  Soon to retire, I'd rather just buy a few trees that are 
already a couple years old.  I already have to many trees.  
I enjoy the time that I spend training my trees. It relaxes me after 
a day at the office.   
         I make good use of my apples by making cider, pies, sauce, 
and drying.  I make my cider with my home built cider press.     
                Thanks for allowing me to sign up to this site.  

                                                        Mike

                                                A Back Yard Orchardist
        
         
         



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