Crab apple plantings. Osborn School, Rye NY (L), and Heirloom Orchard, Poughkeepsie, NY (Mid & R) during spring pruning, .
Bringing the heirloom apple tree back to life can be a rewarding part of your home or estate plantings. The art and enjoyment that comes from heirloom tree architecture along with the satisfaction of growing, storing and pressing cider of your own fruit is a very rewarding part of ones yearly routine.
Establishing heirloom varieties from newly planted newly grafted trees may have additional challenges yet can become a part of your perennial gardening tradition, adding conversation to get gatherings, and enjoyment to retirement planning. Beginning an heirloom orchard can provide your family and friends with fall harvest fruit & cider
That said, even small orchards require a vision, investment in resources and time and more then a bit of thoughtful commitment. Tasteful pruning to develop and maintain an artistic form while optimizing crop load, understanding the need for, but constrained fertilizing program, utilizing resources and or a knowledgeable crop consultant while maintaining a dedicated seasonal management of the disease and insect complex is essential for sound edible fruit, all the while committing to viable wildlife management is also essential to maintain a crop to harvest.
This site is designed to help you grow your passion for tree fruit production in your own backyard, community, commercial orchard or suburban estate.
We will from time to time offer presentations on various topics, many of which will be held at the Hudson Valley Research Laboratory in Highland, NY.
The links to presentations and various resources on tree fruit topics are found below.
Our ‘Heirloom Orchard Management’ series for 2018 will run through December 8th, 15th & 22nd, 2018 from 5:30-7:30 PM. We will touch on the stories of the New England tradition of apple production, practical lessons in heirloom revival, new disease resistant and low input varieties, some tastings of recently developed varieties to help you consider and decided if novel apple varieties will be included in this years orchard design.
