We are in Northeast Ohio, just purchased 75 acres and are interested in growing apples, pears, grapes...any suggestions on where to get info for starting small orchard / vineyard?

-- Patty Geis (patty@geis-companies.com), August 28, 2001

Answers

http://ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu/lines/fcrop.html#FRU.1 Try this site is has some good information.

-- Steve in Ohio (stevenb@ohiohills.com), August 28, 2001.

Check out the "Norh American Fruit Explorers" (NAFEX). They are mostly a fruit enthusiasts group, with lots of information available. There is a website, but I don't have it handy.

Jim

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), August 29, 2001.

Hi Patty, if you will be starting a several acres orchard, this probably won't be much help other than the info on planting/growing. For small quantities, the best nursery I found is at www.raintreenursery.com . I just planted a small home orchard spring of 2000, and I purchased trees mail order from Gurneys, Henry Fields, and Raintree. The ones from Gurneys and Henry Fields were poor quality and had to be replaced two and three times. I definitly would not recomend getting any fruit trees from them. Raintree however sent wonderful trees, with good roots, shape etc. all of them grew great right from the start. They also have varietys that you can't get anywhere else, and their information and support on planting and maintaining, was very complete. This is just one persons experience, so take it for what it's worth of course. It is very important that you research and choose varieties that will do well in your climate and growing season. Frost on the blossoms will wipe out your crop before it even gets started. Good Luck on your orchard venture, it can be very satisfying!

-- Trina in NE WA (ender@starband.net), August 29, 2001.

Try your local extension office. Ours offers a spring seminar called Garden Days where you can take courses concerning many aspects of gardening. I've taken courses on grafting and caring for and pruning grape vines, and I know they offer other orcharding courses. Maybe there's something similar where you are.

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), August 29, 2001.

I started a small orchard last fall, in it I planted 2 fig, 2 cherry, 2 plum, 4 peach, 10 apple, 8 blueberry, 6 raspberry, 6 blackberry, 12 mucadine, 3 seedless grapes and 1 pear. A few suggests that I have is to make sure you have plants for your zone. Make sure you plant them far enough apart that you can mow around them with a riding mower or tractor. We didn't account for the cages around our blue berries so I had to use the 'weedeater' in and around them all summer. Everything else was nice and tidy --the blueberries were always extra work! Use mulch around the plant to save on watering and weeding. I used Round- up around a few of my apple trees( because of grass that has runners on it) and they are the neatest ones of all. Decide if you are willing to use pesticides or not and look for plant varieties that are free or resisant of pests. Good luck and enjoy!

I got lots of information from the Univeristy here who is know for as s agricultual school.

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), August 30, 2001.