The Orchard Comes to Life

Our orchard is a bit of a mystery. I have no idea what type of fruit most of these trees will produce. Having only purchased the house in August of 2023, most of the trees where not producing at that time. We have 31 trees in various stages of growth. Of the 31 trees, I’ve only identified three so far (fig, pomegranate and lemon).

The orchard is set up in a grid of six trees by eight trees. Mathematically, that would add up to 48 trees not 31, however not every spot is occupied. This leaves us room to add additional trees. Once I’ve identified all the trees, I’ll plan to add more this Fall to fill in the gaps. Most of them are doing very well. I’ve been tending to them by keeping them trimmed of dead branches and clearing the grass and weeds under each tree as well as fertilizing them with citrus plant fertilizer.

I’ve been watching the orchard come to life this Spring with buds, flowers and leaves. We are now at the point where fruit is staring to appear. Not to the point that I can fully identify them. That will likely take a few more weeks, however it’s looking like apples and plums will be part of the mix.

Enjoy the photos. I’ll be posting updates on my Instagram feed as the fruit on the trees mature.

The orchard in mid April

The new automatic irrigation drip system waters the orchard twice daily.

Below are photos of the orchard on May 12th. Figs and lemons have the most advanced growth at this time. The pomegranate tree is really putting on a show with its bright red flowers. The fruit is just starting to appear.