I've noticed Raintree sends there stuff really late. Like the one year it could have came a month earlier then i received it (i put the order in early winter).

Keep going. Don't stop.

Yeah, Raintree errs a bit too much on the side of caution, probably. They say its because they are shipping via truck across the Continental Divide through the northern Rockies, and it does get cold and snow there quite late. In fact, I think they had snow earlier this week from the same system that dumped so much rain here on Tuesday, so I guess it does make sense. You can get it earlier via UPS 2nd day air, but the ground shipping is high enough due to distance.

But, please don't encourage me. As if the apples weren't enough, I also planted out about 26 or 27 peach seedlings from my ongoing "let them breed themselves" peach propagation efforts.

denninmi I'm already at the point where I have all the trees my yard can handle. At this point I'm making decisions on what to keep and what to get rid of to make room for other trees.

At this point come Fall it looks like I will be getting rid of...

3 Asian Pear trees.

5-6 Fig trees.

Getting rid of these dogs will allow me space to continue my search for some more keepers.

Come Fall I hope to be planting some more Peaches, and Plums and perhaps an Apple or Crabapple or two along with a Cherry bush and some more Blueberries. If I can find the room I'm up for a couple more Citrus trees too.

Unless Apples are your favorite fruit I would say back off on them a bit. When I first started I was in the Fig Forum and I planted tons of Fig trees. In fact for the three years all I planted was fig trees. Now I take a much more balanced approach. I want my home orchard to produce fruit over the longest possible period. Year round if possible and with as much variety as possible.

If apples are the only fruit you enjoy then have at it. However if you like other fruits I say don't neglect them. I'm sure there are other fruits or nut trees you will enjoy growing and harvesting.

Before you buy another Apple tree think about how many trees you have room for. Then think about how many apple trees you would have to remove if your interests turn toward another fruit.

Keep working on your grafting technique. Once the ground is full of roots pushing nutrients upwards, you have an exponential number of additional varieties you can get by grafting scions! (After all, something needs to use all those nutrients coming from the roots).

Wish my climate was a little better for the peaches. I've got about 10 seedlings of various age out there. I also have a lot of apricots which i'm excited about. Apples are a little boring since they grow 1000's of acres all around this area (i still have 3 apples).

I think in the long run my plan is to graft many varieties onto one tree, rather then have a 100 trees. I just bagged 150 apples and i'm still not done!!! That is 2 trees.

If i had the property, it would be scary how many trees i'd fit. I've got 1/4 acre and over 30 trees. So an acre i'd be well over 100...

I also have a problem to stop myself of buying more plants for a limited space. You can think this way. If you over crowd your trees, you will not get good quality of fruits. It is also more work for you to care for more trees.

Hang on, where did you get Corail/Pinova? The place I thought I was getting it from turned out not to have it (of course, they didn't tell me that right away).

I don't have room anymore either. My wonderful husband let me plant more trees in rows this year, but Grandpa's Orchard ended up shipping me two more trees than I was expecting (one a bonus, one that they never confirmed). So even with all the space my husband gave me, I'm still full up once I get them all planted.

Maple Valley Orchards in Wisconsin. They were bench grafts. You have to order them before mid-March, and he does them up and sends them to you. So, too late for this year, but next year hopefully.

That's where I was trying to get them from. I sent the first email in March and the second in April to confirm. He said they had never gotten any Pinova in. I think there must have been a communication issue.

Well, that's interesting, isn't it.

So, did I get Pinova or something else. He said it was, never told me there was an issue with it, and they came labeled that way.

Oh well, whatever it is, it is.

I actually was only ordering this from him as a bench graft because the one I got last year from Raintree puked. I got 3 bad apple trees from them last year, in fact -- all of them had those cankery-looking dark areas in the trunks when they came, and none of them grew above the graft union. They don't have them this year. I hope they'll carry them again.

Anyone know what that trunk issue is -- disease of maybe just some kind of physical damage?

That damage sounds to me like the graft didn't take but I'm no expert. Didn't Raintree offer replacements? I hope they'll offer Pinova again. It is a very good apple and seems to keep very well since they still had them at the farmer's market here until February.

Yes, they did -- should come any time now. However, I'm not exactly sure what they're sending me in place of the dead Corail/Pinova, since they don't have them this year. Told them I'd be happy with whatever shows up.

Denninmi...I'm in the same place. I've got 4 trees in pots now, with no idea where they will eventually go. (one is an apple, as a matter of fact).

(before you think I'm not even close, realize I've got 30+ figs in pots ranging from 2 gal up to 25 gal as well...not to mention the passionflowers and bamboos).

I do have an autumn olive that I will likely remove, but its placement makes doing so a huge undertaking and I would have to do more than just cut it at ground level because I would want the planting space.

I've not had much success grafting either. I had two that looked quite promising a couple years ago. They were too interesting looking to the squirrels or possums or something though as they were victims of something. After that I gave up. (I'll likely try again sooner or later though

~Chills

oh, yeah...btw...the persimmon is leafing out well. The tops of the leaders were looking like they were dead, but slowly they are pushing their buds as well. Maybe I'll get fruit this year...time will tell