As much as the fruit itself, It is the waiting and uncertainty that makes the reward so fulfilling. We tend to soon take for granted what we get any time we want. You don't notice a sunny day when you live in Malibu.

This is the time of year when I go out to the trees a couple of times a day, things move so fast when the heat finally comes. Everything depends on right now. Will the trees flower? Will there be bees? Will the pollenizers bloom at the same times?

This post was edited by ltilton on Mon, May 6, 13 at 12:33

Itilton that is so true. I only seem to see mason bees so far. But there are many things flying around. The blossoms just smell so good. There is a hint of jasmine in plum blossoms. The fragrance is so exotic.

Hman, no bias against Malibu, but I really love seasons. Fruit trees really take so much longer than any newbie like myself ever imagined. And the information one needs to be successful is huge. And then. . . along walks in Mother Nature, and puts you in the back row of the class. I am in awe of the beauty I see. And I wouldn't have it too walk through, if you all did not give great advice, information and encouragement. I'll never forget Konrad saying, "Mrs. G you must have patience".

All of my apricots are in full bloom....bees everywhere... Lots of chip budding looks to have paid off ... 74F and sunny here! Yippee!

Frank you lucky dog! Its still in the fifties here but the sun is really warm. Moved my citrus outside today. I am so jealous you have apricots. I just put in two new trees today. See, there is a summer on the way! Mrs. G

Saw some bumbles out yesterday which is a good sign cant beat them for polinators. Love seeing them as the ones near my property are orange, black, and yellow. When I see those, I know the pollinators are in action! :)

I'm not seeing a lot of bees in the trees, but I went out to water the vegetable garden and saw some masons digging for mud. After I'd watered, there were suddenly a lot more of them flying around the soft fresh mud. This is encouraging. I know I lost so many of last year's.

Okay thanks Mrs.G,my address is....just kidding :).That's really good news though about the flowers.
I like the unexpected things that just seem to pop up,a new first bloom on a Blackberry or Mulberry flowers.Maybe if I stood in one place long enough,I'd see some of these things happening.Now that will take patience.
The other day I was outside watching the Bumblebees visiting some Blueberry flowers and I started directing them when they were skipping too many flowers or plants,lol. Brady

Staring at my trees is part of the passion of fruit growing. Like seeing the fabulous video from 'melikeeatplants' on passion fruit growing in his garden. Every small change on a tree is amazing. The bees are out, but no bumbles here yet. We are finally getting a bit rain this coming week. That will be great for my newly planted trees.

I think my neighbors think I am crazy for staring at my plants so much, and she won't admit it, but i'm pretty sure my gf is jealous of the attention i give them

That is so good to hear, your dream, passion, hard work and patience is finally paying off, good for you, you earned it!
The fealing is wonderful, now, when things are in bloom, [my best time of the year] probalbly yours too,..you get to sit back and admire trees and nature, such a wonderfull fealing!

Konrad you are so right! Earning it is true when it come to fruit trees. There is nothing like nature!

Lawanddisorder- yes indeed. I have the same problem, but I talk to them too. I drop everything when a tree arrives. I hope to see my first mirabelles next year! Mrs. G

This is the third season for an Elephant Heart plum in my yard. I only saw 8-9 flowers. None of them produced any fruit. ItâÂÂs a marginal tree here requiring 500 chill hours. However a Blenheim Apricot requiring the same chill hours has produced fruit since year one in an identical planting. I really would love to have a productive EH plum but I'm growing impatient. My thought is to just graft other plums onto it if it does not fruit next year.

I have read reports that it often takes five years before they start producing fruit. Is this true? Looking for advice or any encouragement anyone has to offer.

Congratulations Mrs. G, now you know why we're all hooked.
My ex-wife used to complain about me spending so much time in the garden. Thank God I got rid of her!! LOL

Now I'm out there intently peering at the cots for signs of shuck split, to see how many took.

Yes lots of flowers but the frost killed most of it. Three Apricot trees and I am praying for just one fruit to see how it tastes. Cherry and pears I still have some hope they survive, Nectarine I don't see any fruit, peach are doing good

My cherry, Italian plum and apples are all loaded with blooms. My three year old peach which has produced 20-24 peaches for the past two years only has 15 peaches on it this year. It must be taking a break! My new Belle of Georgia (went in last year) was covered with blossoms and they all fell off. I expected that. Pears are so slow! I really would love to taste one fabulous apricot from my orchard. . .one day. Mrs. G

Congratulations Mrs. G ! When we see our trees cover with blossoms, we know that there is finally a good chance for fruit this season. The years that pass waiting for those blossoms to appear, seem long indeed.

Now the battle begins with the bugs, blights, droughts, frosts, varmints, etc., to see if we get to harvest the "fruits" of our labor. I think that it is all of these challenges, that make the rewards so sweet.

Northernmn, aren't you right. Netting,sprays, whatever it takes. I"ll post pics. soon.

Yes, that's it, northman. The work is all to come. Now, for this brief blooming moment, there's nothing to do but enjoy it.

I agree that patience is important, but it would be very hard being patient with every tree. Instant gratification and success is what fuelled my fire. It would've also been hard to get buy in from the family if there wasn't some early success. If you work hard at something for a long time with little in the way of positive results, it's easy to lose interest and it makes you a bit of a kook.

That said, I've had to be patient with a few trees such as my pink lemonade and avocados, but at the same time I don't feel terribly anxious about them either.

Here Elephant Heart plums can take almost a decade to mature into productive trees, unlike any other J. type plum I grow.

I almost gave up on a few trees at various sites that this year are nothing but a mass of flowers for the first time- they are all 10 year trees.

I've eliminated the variety from my nursery partially for this reason- great tasting plum, though.

Mrs. G,

Very glad that your patience paid off. Your garden was beautiful (from the picture you posted a while back.)

My 7 (maybe 8) years old Honey Crisp is finally blooming this year, all of 8 clusters!! I hope they develop into fruit. I was about to lose patience with it.

Thank you Mamuang, I enjoy your posts.

MrClint! Soon you will have more fruit than you can imagine. That was said to me once. Kook? Who really cares, you enjoy your orchard. Orchards and trees do not make good race horses. Relax and smell the blossoms. :) PS sure wish I could grow avocados! Mrs. G

Waiting 7-to-10 years for fruit from a tree is more than patience -- it's long suffering. :)

MrsG, OK we're all a little kooky, but your family and friends have to "get" what you're doing. Folks tend to "get" me a little better when I bring fresh picked sugar snap peas to a get-together. Or fresh picked salads in the winter lined with nasturtiums, cilantro and arugula. Or the best sliced cantaloupe (ambrosia) they've ever tasted in summer. People really "get" it when they taste it. And you know you're on the right track when people that you really care for fly in to visit, and you casually mention that your figs-peaches-blueberries-oranges-whatever will be ripe at that time. A large part of the joy for me is in sharing the harvest. :)

Longsuffering is good for a person.Hey,it's a "fruit" of the spirit.:) Brady

Even the Lord cursed a fig tree that wasn't bearing fruit (Mark 11:12). I understand there is a greater story at play here, but if that tree had leaves on it, it probably should've had some brebas or small main crop figs on it.

Mr. Clint, I too love sharing, it is something that comes with 'growers'. Tell your family and friends about the growth habits, not expectatations? That might help. You know the fruit is on the way. It will be very sweet when you pick it!

Maybe Jesus just got there too late! Don't blame the tree!

Thanks for the reply harvestman. I am not willing to wait another seven or more years to find out. Like I said though. This time I am not going to pull the offending tree. That tree is going to be grafted onto next season if I have anything to say about it.

Not sure where to get scion from at the right time of year for Arizona. Looks like I'm going to have a lot of studying and searching to do. I've never grafted before.

Thanks again.

Really glad I read this info. I just bought a baby Elephant Heart. Luckily I picked up a couple other plums at the same time so it won't hurt so much waiting for that EH to bear.

10 years? But very glad to read that it is an excellent plum too.

Pam in cinti

TIM you can use wood from north of you- even the east coast. I'd send you anything I have but Scott probably has a much better selection for your climate. Also plenty of growers in CA on this site would probably give you wood and you could do pluots and all kinds of plums.

There is no problem harvesting wood in a cold place during winter and sending to a southern place- the wood will rapidly come out of dormancy.

Save one EH branch- it will probably fruit much younger there.

{{gwi:96954}}

Took a pic of my jungle...this isn't all of it...just the plums, peaches, cherries, apricots...are in the middle is seeded with various flowers...the small stuff is all chip budded trees that i'm growing out this year...probably move/get rid of next spring...or not!

Frank, your jungle is Fantastic. What is the largest 'white' flowering tree? Plum? Its beautiful take more pics, please! I'll post after three more trees go in and my 'jungle' is straightened out and mulched. Thank so much. It is always so great to see pictures.

>>Took a pic of my jungle...this isn't all of itNicely organized Frank, looking nice and inviting...
now you're open for business, fruit tree nursery.

Thanks harvestman, when the time comes I will start a thread. I am not opposed to paying for scions or for shipping.

Frank I love your front yard. Any trouble with two legged critters taking your harvest?

Frank,

It looks really neat and organized.

May I ask what is your soil mix for containers, please? I am running out planting space and considering put some tree in pots.

I could google the info but it's better to ask a fellow gardener who has done it successfully. Thanks.

Nice little grove, franktank. ;)

It looks like a nursery, frank!

Good luck with this weekend's frost.

Thanks... I have a bunch more trees in containers in the back, along with a line of trees along the house which include several pears, a couple sour cherries and two older apple trees. I also have a few oak seedling! growing that might become an issue in a decade or 2.

The white blooming trees are Alderman plum and a Superior plum ... The trees on the left are the sweet cherries that also are bloom (Lapins, Black Gold and Kristin)...

Lots and lots of bees in the yard.

Hope the frost stays away...lows around 34F in the forecast here.

Getting too warm for frost I hope. Frank is the stone mulch effective. I have thought of stones v/s gravel around trees but haven't heard many good things about gravel. The stones look very nice. Are those peaches in the pots?

We've got a forecast of 32 around the corner and that is for town- I usually get a couple degrees colder. Still within the comfort zone for my fruit trees, though. Last year I got down to 24 well after petal fall for everything but latest apples and it was a disaster.

It is very difficult to be patient with weather- you scan the long term forecasts and everything seems fine and then one day an unpredicted cold front enters the picture and you are virtually helpless (I have too much stuff to cover).

I never feel safe until June, although the latest hard frost date here, below 28, was around the 20th of May and that has happened only once in several decades. Usually you get through April and you're OK

NWS frost advisory here. I covered the strawberries last nite and will leave them covered til Monday.

Does a little frost hurt strawberries? Seems like I never had a problem with "soft" frosts.

They seem to be more susceptible than some tree fruit.

Last year, I lost about 30% of mine in the late freeze when my apples were just frost ringed.

Anywayhow, they're easy to cover.

Frost here... had 35F ... shouldn't be too many issues...areas to the north and east were very cold. Land O Lakes and Tomahawk, WI were both 19F...many areas around Milwaukee were upper 20Fs... Michigan also was very cold with some low 20Fs in spots...

Should be near 90F here tomorrow... what a joke!

Frank what incredible ups and downs in your weather. It is 'crazy'!!! What are the trees in your pots in the front of your house? Thanks Mrs. G

The potted trees are just mainly peaches with various stonefruit grafted to them...once the buds grow out more (I've already got a few buds that have grown 8 inches or longer)...i'll get rid of all the peach branches...

I do have a number of flowering trees in pots, including a white fleshed peach (forget the name, came from Raintree...so so..fruit look great, however)...

{{gwi:96955}}
and these which are 2nd year Blushingstar, Saturn, and TangOs ...i also have a number of seedling peaches flowering in the ground/pots...

I just have a million projects going on and 3 young kids...so its so difficult right now to keep up on everything...

Frank you're doing a great job. And your orchard is really ordered. More than I can say about mine right now. Still weeding. Waiting for the rain to stop so the lawn can be mowed. Finally, finally got my last three trees inn yesterday. A Tomcot, Harglow, and a Scarlet Surprise apple. (The latter, I was expecting at least a maiden, but received a whip). Beautifully grown and grafted. I'll need a heck of a lot more patience to wait for fruit from that stick! Mrs. G