Oh dear, I think my inner Jewish roots are showing…but I want to emphasize that I am planning on including fruit (specifically apple) trees in the potager. A well balanced potager includes vegetables, flowers and fruit to supply the home with these treasures. Even in a small plot like ours, fruit can be nurtured and grown successfully!
The plan is to include two types of apple trees designed to pollinate together, I chose;
· Lodi (Malus x domestica): This treeproduces an early harvest of juicy, yellow apples. Harvested during July to August. As with most fruit trees, this requires a minimum of 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. This variety of apple is not drought tolerant so it will require water. This type of tree is hardy in zones 3-8 (http://www.arborday.org/treeinfo/zonelookup.cfm ).
· Stayman Winesap (Malus x domestica): This tree produces a large red apple that is the most popular winter keeper with a tart, rich, wine like flavor. The tree is hardy in zones 5 – 8. Luckily, we live in a nice belt (zone 6) that is great for growing apples, pears, cherries and other fruit.
Purchasing trees is very easy, but I will clue you in on a tip to save money and help a great cause. Many people purchase their trees at local nurseries, which is totally fine. However, the cost of bucketed trees, depending on the size can range anywhere from $30 to $130 for a single tree. But, you can save money and support a great foundation by ordering your trees from the Arbor Day Foundation.
The Arbor Day Foundation is the world's oldest and largest tree-planting organization. Its million members plant millions of trees every year. New members receive 10 free trees. The foundation began September 3, 1971 with a mission "to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees". The Foundation is supported by donations, selling trees and merchandise, and by corporate sponsors. They also operate the Rain Forest Rescue charity. For every $10 contributed by public donations, 2,500 square feet area of rain forest is saved in the name of the donator. Rain Forest Rescue has preserved nearly two billion square feet of land this way.
I ordered two trees (one of each variety) for fall delivery to my area (November). With my membership and some free forsythia bushes thrown in, my total order was $30. Members can order trees for as low as $7 each!
For more information about the good work the National Arbor Day Foundation and how you can become a member, visit http://www.arborday.org/index.cfm
I will update the blog when the trees come in and how I am going to plant them, but for now…Happy Gardening!
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