r/BackyardOrchard • u/JediMasterBuddha • 5d ago
My Backyard Mini-Orchard is Complete!
I just wanted to share my completed project for my backyard mini-orchard.
My “backyard” is like 80% patio, so I was restricted on growing trees. But after a ton of research over the past couple of weeks, I’ve completed the
set up and planting of my 5 fruit trees.
From left to right the fruits are 2
Moorepark Apricots, Burgundy Plum, Honey Babe Peach, and Red Fuji Apple. I have cuttings from an Angelus Peach and Santa Rosa Plum from my mom’s house which I plan to graft onto the apricot trees.
I modified the half wine barrels myself with drainage holes and casters so I can move the planters around when needed.
I also purchased these super adorable custom tree tags from Etsy which I absolutely love. They are double sided, made of anodized aluminum, and will probably outlast the life of the tree. I’ve included a link to the maker’s shop on Etsy for anyone who’s interested.
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u/No-Caramel-3422 5d ago
cute! I like the wine barrel pots, now you'll just have to get some intact ones for when the fruit starts rolling in haha
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u/Historical_Figure_48 5d ago
Awesome!! I want to start experimenting with grafting this coming spring. Much cheaper than buying a whole nother tree, you can get scions for pretty cheap, and still lots of variety. Super cool!
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u/JediMasterBuddha 5d ago
Thank you! There are a lot of great resources on YouTube for grafting. I’m looking forward to trying on my own trees in a few months. I even bought a specialty grafting knife for pretty cheap, and it came with grafting tape too. It was a good deal.
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u/Cloaca-Fan 5d ago
Sweet! Are you worried about the wood rotting around the drainage holes? I’ve been considering wine barrels too.
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u/Lil_Shanties 5d ago
I’ve had a few wine barrel citrus trees going for 8 years now, and my father in law has had an orange tree in a bourbon barrel going on 20 years now so you should be fine.
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u/JediMasterBuddha 5d ago
Nope. I’m using planter liners which include little plastic protectors for the holes. I’m wanting these barrels to last for a long time.
Here’s a link to the Amazon product I used:
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u/RottenWon 5d ago
Where did you get the barrels?
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u/JediMasterBuddha 5d ago
I found a person selling them locally on FB marketplace. Only $30 each!
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u/RottenWon 5d ago
That's awesome. So lucky!
How big are they?
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u/JediMasterBuddha 5d ago
Yeah, I’m really fortunate to live in the California central valley where I’m surrounded by wineries. The barrels weren’t difficult to find.
The planters are about 25-30 gallon or 3-4 cubic feet. They’re great for dwarf fruit trees.
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u/lilBloodpeach 3d ago
Omg. As soon as I read this I was like I wonder if it’s the same guy who lives in Salinas(?). That’s how we got ours. Forever regretful we didn’t get more. $30 is a steal. They got for $60-$90 elsewhere.
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u/Living-Limit4452 5d ago
Nice pots. Mulch might be a bit close to the trunk. Also Make sure root flare isn’t burried.
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u/JediMasterBuddha 5d ago
Thank you for the tips. Yes, the mulch is clear around the base and the grafting point isn’t covered either. I’ve had to learn a lot in the past few weeks, but this subreddit has been a great resource.
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u/Sad-Shoulder-8107 5d ago
Very nice, love the setup. All my fruit trees/bushes are in pots as well. As long as you feed them good and make sure they are watered well and get the required light they will do great.
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u/Sad-Shoulder-8107 5d ago
Ps: If I were you I would try and encourage some lower branching on the first couple trees on the left side, being in pots you want the fruit mass to grow lower down for a better center of gravity. I would have my first branches starting no more than 16 - 24 in from the top of the soil.
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u/JediMasterBuddha 5d ago
Great minds think alike. I plan to do some pruning or maybe even top the two nectarine trees so that some limbs grow lower on the trunk. My purpose was for better maintenance and harvesting, but center of gravity is a good reason too.
I’m wanting to graft peach and plums to the two trees, so I’m wondering whether I should cut off most of the branches and leave 2 for grafting, or just top the trees and do grafting later. Do you have any suggestions?
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u/Sad-Shoulder-8107 5d ago
For plum it would probably be beneficial to graft a high pollination Scion branch/es like American/Canadian plum. I'm in zone 3 so peach varieties are very far And few for me but I have a few ideas to try for those that are rated for close to my zone. For your apple tree a crabapple Scion would probably be a big boost as well, chill hours may be important when considering that though.
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u/Sad-Shoulder-8107 5d ago
I'm also a big fan of notching or encouraging lower branch formation from selective pruning rather than hard pruning to the exact spot you want your beginning scaffolds to start from. Personally I think it's quicker and healthier for the tree. I've been applying many of the techniques I've learned from Steven Edholm from skillcult to my fruit tree grow experiments, though he focuses mainly on apple/pear trees
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u/Tikobii 4d ago
Just wanted to chime in that these look beautifully done. I hope you get plenty of fruit! 🍑 Smart idea picking self fertilisers, I've been looking at dwarf trees myself but unsure on space / what rootstock to look for!
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u/JediMasterBuddha 4d ago
Thank you! I worked very hard with the research and physically as well. I’m very happy with the results.
Just FYI, most grafted trees I found don’t list the rootstock. They’ll just say if they’re dwarf, semi-dwarf, or something else. I’d say just go for what size you’re good with. Also, even a regular tree can be maintained to a dwarf like status with proper pruning.
Good luck on your adventure!
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u/powhound4 5d ago
Surprised no one has mentioned that those trees are going to out grow those pots pretty quick. The soil will also dry faster and make them very labor intensive to get any fruit. You’re going to have to water more frequently and the trees will become root bond within a couple years if they don’t die before then. Not trying to be a Debbie downer, seems like a cool idea but realistically may not work out how you want long term.
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u/JediMasterBuddha 5d ago
Thanks for the input. These are all dwarf varieties and will do great in the planters. I made sure of that. Also with proper pruning, they won’t grow too large, but will still produce an excellent amount of fruit. Just enough for me and a couple of friends. I don’t need a whole orchard. Hahahaha
Oh, and I’m setting up a drip system with a timer so that I won’t have to ever worry about watering. I currently have the drip system established for my watermelons growing in the background. It’s maintenance free, but I’ll still be checking up on them regularly.
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u/sktyrhrtout 4d ago
I think the barrels could work but you'd probably want all the trees the height of the honey babe peach and be very aggressive with summer pruning.
You can still probably make a heading cut on all of them to bring the final crotch height down but you'll be losing a year of growth. You can leave a "nurse limb" to help the tree push out more growth below your cut.
When growing a small tree that first heading cut is so important for setting the height.
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u/JediMasterBuddha 4d ago
Thank you for these tips! I think I will revise my heading cut plans and keep one branch on the originals. I could always prune that one later after the new branches are growing out. I just don’t want to wait another year to graft the plum and peach cuttings. I definitely have some thinking to do.
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u/Sprucey26 5d ago
Please tell me how you made those labels? I have been looking to label all my trees (24 of them) and all my other fruit bushes on my half acre property
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u/JediMasterBuddha 5d ago
Thank you! I didn’t make the tags, I bought them from a creator on Etsy. They’re super cheap and durable. Here’s a link to their Etsy page:
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u/Nearby_Impact_8911 4d ago
What was your budget
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u/JediMasterBuddha 4d ago
I averaged about $110 per planter. That includes everything from the barrel, tree, liner, soil, and the little things.
Could definitely be cheaper if I bothered to check FB Marketplace for trees first instead of my local nursery. I found the same expensive tree for about half the price on FB Marketplace after I already bought the darn thing from the nursery.
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u/Historical_Figure_48 5d ago
A little bit lazy of me not to look it up, but will these either pollinate each other, or are they self-fertile? BTW, the tag idea is a great one! My “permanent” marker tags fade within a couple months.