Just finished planting new orchard

[galtezza]

We have just finished planting our new orchard of fruit trees. Although it is quite small I am very proud of what we've achieved, and hopeful that it will be very productive in future years - they are only 2 or 3 year old trees, so not sure how long they will take to fruit...

I have planted...
- 4 x Mulberry trees (both white and black) as they seem to grow well in this part of France
- Apricot tree 'Rouge du Roussillon'
- Cherry tree Bigarreau Napoléon and a Bigarreau Burlat as a pollinator
- Pear tree 'William's and a Conference to pollinate it
- Nectarine tree with white flesh 'Sylverlode'
- Peach tree with white flesh 'Redwing'
- 4 x Fig tree 'Violette de Solliès'
- Sweet Chestnut 'Marigoule'
- Walnut tree 'Greffé Franquette'



Now I am sitting in front of a roaring open fire, resting my aching back and looking at recipes for all the lovely things I will be able to make with the produce, if I can keep the bugs and disease at bay!

[chris]

Looks great, I love the photo. Is this on your own land, or on an allotment?

[galtezza]

Thanks for that, yes we are fortunate and this is on our land.

I am hoping that the fact that we are far away from our neighbours, will mean that we don't get too many diseases on the wind - although we are going to apply Bordeaux mix in January just in case.

[vicky]

Sounds great, looks fantastic too!

[Jardiniere]

Your orchard looks brilliant .....well done and hope you get bumper crops! My land is not (again!) yet ready to put in the planned orchard - its still overgrown but I would be very interested to know where you bought your trees especially the mulberries as I have not seen them for sale here ..i do have a fig and a peach already and allegedly two pears ...but they are still very puny!

[VirginVegGrower]

We have just finished planting our new orchard of fruit trees. Although it is quite small I am very proud of what we've achieved, and hopeful that it will be very productive in future years - they are only 2 or 3 year old trees, so not sure how long they will take to fruit...

I have planted...
- 4 x Mulberry trees (both white and black) as they seem to grow well in this part of France
- Apricot tree 'Rouge du Roussillon'
- Cherry tree Bigarreau Napoléon and a Bigarreau Burlat as a pollinator
- Pear tree 'William's and a Conference to pollinate it
- Nectarine tree with white flesh 'Sylverlode'
- Peach tree with white flesh 'Redwing'
- 4 x Fig tree 'Violette de Solliès'
- Sweet Chestnut 'Marigoule'
- Walnut tree 'Greffé Franquette'



Now I am sitting in front of a roaring open fire, resting my aching back and looking at recipes for all the lovely things I will be able to make with the produce, if I can keep the bugs and disease at bay!

Room for quince and medlar? Looks lovely x

[galtezza]

Thanks Vicky, and Jardiniere.... I bought the fruit trees online from Planfor and Pepinieres-Noel. Both online sites had been recommended, and the trees were in great condition when they arrived.

[galtezza]

Not sure about quince and medlar VirginvegGrower - I wouldn't know what to do with them.
I know quince is too bitter to eat raw, and only know that it can be made into jelly... no idea on medlar at all...
Would be interested in knowing what you can do with them.
We had also seen trees of Persimmon down here - which have no leaves on now, just bare branches with big orange fruit hanging from them. They look beautiful at this time of year - but I would have no idea what to do with the fruit.
Would love to increase the orchard with more interesting fruit - but would want to be sure that I could make use of the fruit for us, or for the holiday cottage guests.... so any recipes / suggestions would be very interesting.

[chris]

Just eat the persimmons! They're lovely. Better when more mushy mind I call them sharon fruit (seems to be the norm here) and eat quite a few weekly.

Just make us they're def persimmon fruit

[northepaul]

Medlars are fantastic but are definately an aquired taste:
Medlar / Royal Horticultural Society
I happen to love them - and eat them raw (bletted) and in jelly or cheese.

Quinces are sublimely beautifully scented - although you cant eat them raw here (maybe further south where you are though??) they make the whole house smell beautiful and make gorgeous jelly.....

Quince - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'll tell you what....when you have some mulberries I'll swap you some mulberry jam, for some medlar and/or quince jelly...

[galtezza]

Persimmon sounds so much more exotic than sharon fruit doesn't it.
Thanks for the links Northepaul - it seems both quince and medlar can be used to make wine - now thats captured my interest!

[pauco]

Looks great, just imagine sitting out there next summer trees bearing all that lovely fruit, Ooooh
you lucky people


Good luck for your crops.


paul.

[VirginVegGrower]

Not sure about quince and medlar VirginvegGrower - I wouldn't know what to do with them.
I know quince is too bitter to eat raw, and only know that it can be made into jelly... no idea on medlar at all...
Would be interested in knowing what you can do with them.
We had also seen trees of Persimmon down here - which have no leaves on now, just bare branches with big orange fruit hanging from them. They look beautiful at this time of year - but I would have no idea what to do with the fruit.
Would love to increase the orchard with more interesting fruit - but would want to be sure that I could make use of the fruit for us, or for the holiday cottage guests.... so any recipes / suggestions would be very interesting.

How about a purple or striped pear. Striped figs available too. Figs must have their roots constrained. I am looking at a weeping white mulberry. Grows columnar shaped.