I always knew my brother was nuts... but he's absolutely gone fruity this time! On Thursday, he got lucky and the casino and said he'd buy all the fruit trees at the Urban Harvest sale! So Friday night we went through the brochure picking out trees. I naturally picked out the Red Baron Peach tree and the Kiowa Blackberries that I was already going to get. I also picked out a 2-in-1 Apple Tree to go into a huge container that I have been needing to fill. He picked out the following: Bonanza Miniature Peach,Republic of Texas Orange, Changshou Kumquat, Pong Koa Tangerine, and a Fantastic Avocado. So bright an early Saturday morning we make the hour drive into Houston. The sale started at 9am, so we figured we'd be okay by getting there at 8:30. Wrong! The line was extremely long! Some people said they were there before 7am. But once the gates opened, everyone filed in pretty quickly. The people just before us got the last wagon, so we needed a plan on how to get all of the trees. Fortunately, the organization had set up an area where you could "check in" your plants and continue shopping. My brother's arm is in a cast so he couldn't carry too much at once. So we divided up and set out on our mission. After about 4 trips to the "check in" we had everything. Now... to get a wagon and go through the checkout line. By this time people were checking out and returning their wagons. And since the check-out line was just about as long as the line coming in... we needed a plan. So I stood in the line and my brother went to get a wagon. Once he got one, he then had to stand in line to get back in! He finally got the plants loaded and met me just in time. In about another 10 minutes I would have been the next one to pay! So we get to the cashier and realize that we forgot to get the Hosui Asian Pear tree that my other brother wanted! So... we load the trees into the back of his truck and go back inside to get it. And then he decides to check out the tropicals and picked out a Star Fruit tree. Then back into the checkout line, which fortunately wasn't long at all this time. It was now almost noon and mission accomplished! So we call my other brother and tell him to meet us at the house to help dig holes (hubby's out of town and remember the cast?). Since they were bareroots, the Pear, Peach needed holes dug, the Apple would be easy since the big container was already filled with dirt. And it would be easy to fill containers for the Mini Peach and Blackberries. So my brother arrives ready to work... he almost seemed disappointed that he only had to dig two holes! I had plans of taking photos at the sale, but it would have been too much trouble. But I had to get photos of the trees to show here! trees ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) And the bareroots... bareroot fruit trees ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) The sun was beginning to set by the time we had everything done and tools put away. My brothers plopped down in front of the TV to watch football while I cooked supper. I was beat and my poor feet were aching! But I would not have traded that day for anything! Lessons learned... if we ever do this again: first send big brother to the casino, arrive about midway of the sale and bring your own wagon! Now... come on fruit!
What a great haul and the perfect time of year for planting too. So how long does it take for these beauties to produce fruit....this year or next??
I believe it will be next year before they bare any fruit. Still have a lot of reading-up to do on all of them. So much to learn!
OK I'll admit it - I'm absolutley GREEN with envy. I'm already drooling at the thought of all the wonderful fruit your going to be picking next year. I think I'll book my flight now and be sitting under those trees waiting for all that luscious free food to ripen.
Cheryl it does sound like a wonderful day was had with the brothers.Shopping for all kinds of fruit trees was fun.Then you helpping dig holes.I wish I had been a fly on the wall around that supper table with the three of you.
Eileen... Book your flight... but no hurry... seems it will take at least a couple of years before we get fruit. If it happens sooner... I'll let you know! :-D Glendann... since they were watching football.. not much dinner conversation! But they were both tickled about having fruit trees and making plans of what they want cooked with them! Guess it's time for me to drag out all my canning items.
If an older OP tomato is to die for, so is a fully ripe warm peach. Read up on and get into the sprays your prunus need. I know in the northeast some pests are controlable with organic practice, but not all are. :-( I lost several peach over the years to a borer, that I just couldn't bring myself to spray for.
I'm with Toni---that's a great haul. I took special note of your avacado tree---I have a weakness for good avacados.
Nice looking trees, just a little tip, for the first two years pull off any fruit it might have. That will throw more growth into the roots and you will have a more vigorous, longer lasting tree. Spray them this spring for fungal diseases and bugs. I cheated on ours and left about 5 the second year and the ones I left were scattered around the tree. Had to find out what they tasted like. Didn`t seem to hurt the tree but a few of our peach trees had so many it took days to pick them off.
Thanks Mart. Yes.. the folks at the seminar instructed us to remove any fruit the first year. Guess I need to do some research on stuff to use for fungi and bugs.
Great haul Cherylad, I love star fruits, really nice to eat or drink as a juice ... yummie!! My mum had a star fruit tree when we were staying in the village and on a hot day I can just pick a ripe fruit and eat if straight off the tree. Here it fruit all year round, maybe it is the weather.
KK... I've never seen or eaten star fruit before. I'm really looking forward to trying some... especially a homegrown one.
Cheryl, You certainly chose some beautiful trees! You'll be enjoying the fruits of your labor ( ) for years to come. Just a thought--that urban sale is yearly, isn't it? Who knows what you may find next year . . . .
Jane... unless some of these die, we don't plan on going back to the sale. I think the only reason my brother got so many trees this time was because he was doing some "sucking up". He's going to be cutting down 4 pecan trees and this was his way of making it up to us!
