North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[fuwa fuwa usagi <fuwafuwausagi@muchomail.com>]

Gang:

I have been observing the "tone" in a couple of threads in this forum and 
thought I would chime in with some advice.

I have an unusual soil structure in my yard.   Basically it is great soil, 
with some problems; so I took measures to "correct" that problem.  

In the past I have reported some fairly outrageous results with some 
plantings; I am now convinced (because I gave cuttings of the thought to be 
vigourous plants to others to try and the results were disappointing)that my 
positive results are a result of my soil management (I am now also testing in 
non treated areas and the results confirm this).

A couple of observations:

1) Peaches are not short lived.  Maybe some varieties, but I can point you to 
several 50 year plus producers in my area.   The longevity I have witnessed 
seems correlated with consistent moisture.  This is my onservation but that 
judgement is also tempered by conversations I have had with Tom Burford.  My 
peach is growing in a huge pile of mulch and is one happy little 
tree...actually it is gigantic putting on 7-8 feet of growth a year...

2) Sure sprays are toxic, but what are growing the fruit for?   If you simply 
want good tasting fruit for you and yours try a real simple approach.  Try 
and espalier or cordon your apple trees, fan your peach, apricot, plum, and 
cherries.   You can then actually use a paintbrush to apply what is commonly 
sprayed, and man the covereage is good.   You can still spray also, but there 
is very little drift, in fact you can simply put a tarp or sheet behind it to 
catch any drift and block the wind as you apply things.  

3) Before you gove up on varieties in your area try better soil.  This is 
fairly easy to accomplish for a trial.   Get all the brush you can muster and 
pile it up,  Bury some of it and burn the rest and work it into the soil.  
The pile up the mulch, old leaves, twigs, small branches, to a depth of about 
2 and a half feet.  Then let it sit for a couple of years, the mulch will 
work down to about a foot by then.   Then plant and remulch with a minimum of 
8 inches a year.   Then tell me if you can't grow anything.  

Just a few thoughts,

the fluffy bunny

P.S.  Ed - I still love you - and miss you...

 

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