The Orchard Project, new from old....

[buckvelvet]

I know i've promised some here for a while that I would begin to write down my orchard ramblings as there are different folks here than some other places I visit.

The land is owned by my wife's Grandma (who is 83), in a small town called Custer, MI. It is 121 acres, used to be about twice that. I've put some work out there the last couple years. Along the way I discovered some things.

First this is the land deed signed by President Chester A Aurthur between 1881-1885.



This is a picture of my wifes 2x Great Grampa James in the 1900s.



This is his orchard on this land planted in the 1890s however this picture is taking in the 1920s.


There are 3 sole survivors of this orchard which stand adjacent to the original homestead.

First here is the homestead which still stands proud today.

 

[buckvelvet]

There are only 3 trees remaining from James' original orchard here from the 1890s, the varieties are unidentified and are most likely not crab apples but because of the neglect and years of abuse as time does to all they are smaller fruits i'm sure than they once were.

Here is the first tree, this one is in the worst shape but still stands and produces fruit, some sort of russet?

 

[buckvelvet]

Then there is this red blushed/striped variety. This one from looks will live the longest as the trunk isn't decaying as of yet.

 

[buckvelvet]

Last but not least the green/yellow apple.

 

[buckvelvet]

Did a bunch of transplanting this past weekend from my nursery. These are 2015 grafts that i babied at home for 2 years. Most were good size but I did have 3 very under developed trees, Dolgo, Kerr, & Anaros. Anaros is known for being incredibly slow growing,the other 2 i can't quite explain but the roots and things seemed health.

 

[buckvelvet]

This is my homemade water container for my orchard. Old farm s10, water tank, gravity fed, compliments to the farm owner who loves the orchard that put it together!

 

[buckvelvet]

Well here it is gents, my current Orchard Layout. the top 4 on the right were not planted on purpose (farmer field drift worries) for naughty chems. The bottom 3, the 1 to the far left was done on purpose (would block a deer blind that is a residents fav spot so won’t plant 1 there) the other 2 I had 2 trees that I lost the tags for and another person really wanted some trees. So i gave away 2 doubles (geneva & centurion) and 2 unidentified, now known to be Holiday & Frostbite, bummed I don’t have Holiday now…oh well. 59 trees in total are in my orchard, except for the 2 spots at the bottom left and with some careful thought, the top 4 this particular area is full. All full or semi standard trees so i gave them all 30 feet on each side. I will perhaps plant some on the hill by the old 3 trees still standing from the orchard back in the late 1800s that have newly planted children in my orchard.

Special thanks to these folks that supplied scion when I got started and now have a place on my orchard. @greyphase @Turkey Creek @WTNUT other folks were involved but they aren't on this forum.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

Wonderful you have a history with the farm like that.
Really enjoyed the pics of the present day orchard too, it's coming together for you.
I may have to see how that old russett apple likes our heat down here next year!


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[Native Hunter]

I love old apple trees like that. You are lucky to still have those. You have an exciting orchard project going, and I wish you the best with it.

 

[KDdid]

Then there is this red blushed/striped variety. This one from looks will live the longest as the trunk isn't decaying as of yet.
View attachment 11824 View attachment 11825 View attachment 11826

This one looks exactly like a homestead apple growing in my yard, close to where the old summer kitchen stood. There’s a photo somewhere around here showing my grandparents and great-grandparents standing in by it sometime around 1930, and it was a large tree then.


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[lakngolf]

Man what a neat project! Will be following along. I was mowing a last year chufa patch yesterday. Along the bottom edge I have half dozen pear trees that I grew from seed and planted. No telling what they will produce, as my previous efforts have not been true to mother tree, but trees are doing great. Slight slope, Sandy loan, so potentially dry soil. But the pears were doing so great that I thought this might just be a great spot for a pretty orchard.
What are the land terrain characteristics of the 1890 orchard?

 

[buckvelvet]

Man what a neat project! Will be following along. I was mowing a last year chufa patch yesterday. Along the bottom edge I have half dozen pear trees that I grew from seed and planted. No telling what they will produce, as my previous efforts have not been true to mother tree, but trees are doing great. Slight slope, Sandy loan, so potentially dry soil. But the pears were doing so great that I thought this might just be a great spot for a pretty orchard.
What are the land terrain characteristics of the 1890 orchard?

The 3 remaining trees of that orchard are on a hill over looking the new orchard I planted. That old picture of the previous orchard looks to be all congregated on that hill. Its not a big hill but its a great view point, its just behind the old homestead house thats pictured above as well. You can see the trees just to the right of the house, my orchard is just to the right (down the slope) from those. The land is mostly flat but has a few hills along it. The land was an Indian village before that when the Mascoutens lived here but then got wiped out by the Little River Band.

 

[Chummer]

What a great place. Good job returning it to the 1900's.

 

[Chestnut Valley Farms]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Wish i knew the story behind the old Home place at our farm

 

[dogghr]

Awesome, Buck. About time you showed some stuff from the MI coast. Really enjoyed the history pics, just doesn't get any better than that and to continue the tradition really sweet. Good info as usual about your endeavors. Congrats.

 

[THE LLC]

BV, have you grafted any scions of those old trees to preserve them, whatever they may be?

 

[buckvelvet]

Yes there are 2 of each on the property 1 in my orchard and 1 80 acres away...


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[THE LLC]

Good deal. Love keeping those old trees going like that.

 

[buckvelvet]

Well check my orchard all the trees are awake so far except for 1 transplant, ‘20 oz’, it was swelling though so i think so far so good.

Only 1 tree was getting ready to flower, ‘Winter Lane Crab’ from @greyphase, & once again loaded with blooms. This is the last year I am removing them all as I did yesterday, from now on, fruit away.




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[buckvelvet]

Well I started at 3:45 yesterday afternoon and completed at 10:45. I am not the quickest but man I sure enjoy it, I used budding bands for wraps this year, man those things pull stuff seriously tight and they are cheap! Sealed it all w/ treekote and I don’t have any on me! Also, I am happy to report that no Dan’s were harmed during the making of these grafts.




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