Bare Root

It’s tree planting season, and we made some exciting additions to the homestead orchard this year.  With mature apple, Asian pear, and Italian plum trees, we had a really good start but still needed some of the basics. Last year we planted Stella and Royal Ann cherries, and a D’Anjou pear. There were still a few specific varieties of things I wanted, but when I visited the nurseries around town they all had pretty much the same varieties and ones we already had. Then I made the fun discovery that my favorite nursery up in Woodburn, One Green World, now has a Plantmobile with delivery dates in Albany and Eugene. Once we ordered the trees we wanted, all we had to do was show up on delivery day and pick them up for a very minimal fee with no shipping charges! What is especially exciting about this is that One Green World owner, Jim Gilbert, travels all over the world selecting the hardiest (and sometimes most unusual) varieties of edible fruiting trees and shrubs, and makes sure he propagates the best ones for our climate. Not only is the variety a plus, but you know they are going to do well and he provides all the information you need to help them succeed. I managed to find the Rainier cherry, American persimmon, and pair of Amere de Berthcourt French cider apples that I was looking for, making our home orchard complete!

I was happy to get a couple of these heirloom French cider apples planted, not only because we like to make our own hard cider in the Fall, and I hear these are a tasty choice, but because these bare roots seemed a fitting tribute to my French family roots. Now I just need to work on that lavender field…

The Persimmon tree spoke more to Corey’s family roots. Where he’s from in Illinois, persimmon trees are the most common fruit tree, and there are several on his parents’ property. He grew up with his mom making all kinds of delicious persimmon treats, so it will be fun to carry on some of those traditions here in Oregon.

After we got our trees all planted, the orchard was looking good, but it still felt like there was something missing. Peaches were missing. I had assumed peaches wouldn’t do well with our elevation up the McKenzie, but I found out talking to some local ladies at a craft class that they all grow peaches and they do great! I managed to snag the last Oregon Curl-Free peach from a local nursery and at the discounted price because it was getting a little late in the season. I can’t wait to take a bite of the first delicious, fresh peach grown on our homestead. It will be a real treat!

So, now we wait. The fruit tees and I will be here putting down our roots, and in a few years we’ll have something delicious to show for it.