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Tradition in the Orchard
Orchards have ridden the popularity rollercoaster quite a few times over the years.
Today, they are seeing a resurgence driven by consumer demand for higher-quality products grown with better farming practices as well as by devoted individuals and orchardists who see the value of saving this time-honored tradition.
Older generations seek connections to nature to teach younger generations about the past and grant hope for the sustainability of the future. To do this, they are turning to local orchards with pick-your-own fruits and guided tours, enabling the roots of orchards across the country to extend deeper into our culture, pulling our heads out of the sand and enlightening our paths to the production processes of tomorrow.
Popular Gardening™ Series’ Orcharding has everything you need to know about starting a new orchard or restoring an old one. With beautiful photos and in-depth articles, Orcharding is a must-have for every gardener and farmer.
What You’ll Find
The Popular Gardening™ Series is a collection of magabooks™ that covers farming topics of interest to small farmers with more editorial pages and fewer advertisements. The series is designed to provide valuable information to both those who already have a small farm as well as those who are pondering the big move to the country.
As an all-encompassing guide to orcharding, you’ll find helpful and interesting information about all aspects of growing fruits and nuts, maintaining healthy trees, caring for soil health, integrated pest management methods, organic certification, harvesting fruits and nuts, and even some advice on how to profit from your orchard’s produce in articles such as “Going Beyond Growing.”
“As more and more growers seek innovative ways to market their products, competition can be stiff and the ability to stay financially sustainable can be difficult. You may have a great product, but how can you best get the word out without breaking the bank? In this case, a little thought and planning go a long way.” –Barbara Sheridan
Orcharding has all the information you need to start, maintain and sustain a healthy, profitable home orchard.
Start at the Beginning
When you have a blank slate, starting an orchard can be a little intimidating. Unlike the lovely rows of corn, beans and tomatoes that you plant each year, once planted (properly) your orchard is set with little expected in the way of change. Carefully planning and researching before dropping that first seed or sapling in the ground could save you money and heartache down the road.
“As I learned the hard way, creating a productive orchard takes much more than buying some fruit or nut trees that catch your fancy and sticking them in the ground any old place. Unlike the fleeting nature of annual vegetables, orchard trees can grace your farm for years if you choose cultivars that will flourish in your areas, plant them in the right spot and give them proper care.” –Cherie Langlois
If you’re looking for even more information on how to plan your orchard, check out the Resources section for more references on all aspects of fruit and nut tree care.
How To…
Whether you are planting saplings, pruning trees, harvesting produce or warding off pests, Popular Gardening’s Orcharding can offer help. Get detailed, do-it-yourself steps for planting bare-root trees, as well as tips for watering and fertilizing your trees. Also get advice from five orchardists on how to succeed in “Mastering the Orchard.”
“A fruit tree that’s properly planted and cared for will literally bear tons of fruit during its lifetime, which may span decades. It’s essential to keep this in mind during your orchard’s early years. The work you do now, as you plant your trees and establish a regular program of watering, fertilizing, training and pruning, will be abundantly rewarded for years to come once your orchard starts bearing.” –Lorraine Anderson
Produce More
Popular Gardening’s Orcharding brings you more than training and pruning tips for your trees. From apple cider to candy apples to apple preserves, take the fruits of your orcharding labor to the next level. Find recipes for getting those excess apples off the shelves and into the hands of potential customers in “Cooking up Apples.”
Orcharding has the tools and information to help your trees grow and your orchard flourish. It’s the essential resource for every orchardist and fruit or nut enthusiast.
Origins of the Orchard
Trace orchard roots from the time they crossed the ocean with settlers to Mesopotamia, China and the Caucasus Mountains. How deep do our roots grow?
By Sue Weaver
Orchard Planning 101
Environmental conditions and weather are among the many factors you need to consider before planting or revitalizing an orchard. A little forethought will go a long way in helping your orchard flourish.
By Cherie Langlois
Bringing Up Baby: First-year Fruit Tree Care
Fruit trees can often outlast their owners in age, but it’s the first year that determines how well they’ll thrive. Learn the steps to raising a healthy sapling that will reward you in the years to come.
By Cherie Langlois
The Organic Orchard
Green up your trees by arming yourself with organic tips and tools that will transform your orchard into a little piece of paradise.
By Alexandra Kiceniuk Devarenne
The Art of Trees
Learn the steps involved in starting and maintaining an orchard—from prepping soil to planting trees to nurturing and training.
By Lorraine Anderson
Keeping Orchard Pests at Bay
Ward off pests by harboring insects that will protect your orchard and enhance its production.
By Alexandra Kiceniuk Devarenne
Mastering the Orchard
Get advice from five orchardists who have lived out their dreams in the trees and are succeeding by keeping their feet on the ground.
By Kim Button, with Stephanie Staton
Orchard Harvest A to Z
Reap the bounty of your orchard harvest with these helpful guidelines.
By Lisa Mann
An Apple a Day
There are hundreds of apple varieties in the world; select a few that are right for you and your customers.
By Tom Meade
Go Nuts!
Thinking of starting an orchard or adding onto an existing one? Get nutty with your profit potential.
By Lorraine Anderson
Twisting Tradition in the Orchard
Looking for something different for your orchard? Find your match among these uncommon fruits!
By Emily Goodman
Going Beyond Growing
If you grow it, they will come … right? With a little careful planning and some market research, you’ll be pulling people in left and right.
By Barbara Sheridan
Cooking Up Apples
Apple products are fun-to-make, tasty treats that can add to your farm’s bottom line.
By Sue Weaver
Resources
Glossary
Why We Love them
Trees are the keepers of memories, offering a glimpse into the past.
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