With the cost of groceries going up peppers know that being self-sufficient and creating their own garden is critical, but are you really looking at plants for the long term? Heirloom variety plants like tomatoes are essential to keep around, but if a day comes that you can no longer buy those seeds it is going to be a real pain to try and sort the seeds out from your food source. Taking a closer look at adding fruiting trees to your property and where they can fit into your landscape will make a huge difference in what your land can provide for you in the long term. For arguments sake, I’m going to focus on apple trees, because they can grow in the vast majority of climates throughout the United States, including areas that are within the American Redoubt.
Start by taking a look at what kind of fruits will grow in your area, obviously an orange tree will not grow outside in Pennsylvania, but apples would work very well in that climate. Take a look at the hardiness zone that your location is in, and then begin looking at fruit trees that will tolerate your climate. Rather than looking at older varieties of apples for example, it’s better to concentrate your search on the newer cultivars that are disease resistant; this will make a huge difference in terms of the quality of the fruit the tree will produce once it has established. Once you have a couple varieties in mind, start looking for places that will accommodate a mid-sized tree. You can build a fantastic orchard on less than a half-acre of property, but for those that are under really tough size constraints, you need to look at espalier fruit trees. Espalier trees are specially pruned to go up against the sides of walls or fences, and sit almost flat against that space, and still produce fruit. They require more pruning than a traditional orchard tree, but the compact size is definitely a plus.
| Purchasing apple trees can be a bit tricky, because you need to be aware of what you’re buying to get the most of your money. Big box stores will probably have small fruit trees in containers, but I would recommend going to an independent garden center instead, the quality of the plant material will be much higher than what you can find at a chain, and their staff will be able to offer expert advice on how to care for the plants. Depending on the size you are looking for, you will find the trees either in a plastic container or balled and burlapped. I would suggest buying the biggest size possible, because although the cost will be higher, it will decrease the amount of time you will need to have a mature fruit tree. If on the other hand you have plenty of room plant an orchard, look for trees that have been pruned properly. An apple pruned for fruit production will not have a nice oval shape, but rather will look irregular and a bit ugly. If you can’t find trees that have been pruned for fruit production, buy what you can, and as they grow they can be trimmed to produce plenty of fruit.
Once you have your trees home, you’ll need to plant them out to establish. You’re going to want to dig a hole that is going to put the top of the root ball flush with the existing soil line, and about two to three times the width of the root ball. At this point, if you have the tree in a plastic container you want to remove the container and take a look at the root system of the tree. If the roots are white, go ahead and plant the tree, if they look orange or brown, or are wrapped around the bottom of the pot, take a spade and slash the roots apart, this may seem like a bad idea, but this process helps to create healthy roots as the tree becomes established. If you have a balled and burlapped tree, do not remove the tree from the burlap, or remove the cage from the outside of the burlap if it has one. Instead, place the tree inside the hole, and then peel back the burlap until it will be below the soil level, eventually the metal cage and the burlap will decompose as the tree matures. Finally, you’ll want to backfill the area with topsoil, and mulch around the trees as you go. Keep in mind that you do not want to pile the mulch around the base of the tree, and should only be about 2 inches above the soil line, and deeper and the trunk may begin to rot. I would advise you to use processed mulch rather than wood chips or grass clippings. The microbes in wood chips will suck much needed nitrogen away from the trees to decompose the wood chips, a problem you don’t have to worry about with bark mulch.
The next step is the really important one, and that’s watering. If you’re not watering your tree at least three times a week, you better be getting a lot of heavy rain where you live. For each new tree you plant you should be watering it every other day to keep it healthy. Don’t bother using a sprinkler because they won’t get down deep to where the new roots will develop. It’s best to turn your garden hose on a low trickle and let it go for 2 hours on each tree for at least the first 6 weeks, or until you get a good hard frost in your area.
It will take a tree anywhere from one to three years to establish, so be patient and keep a watchful eye out for any discoloration of the leaves, early leaf drop, and other signs of an unhealthy tree. After the first winter you can go ahead and apply a basic fertilizer to promote strong growth, but be careful not to over-fertilize the tree, because this will cause the leaves to burn. Small stalks may rise from the base of the tree, which are called suckers. Cut back the suckers any chance you see them; they will do no good for your trees.
Pruning your trees will need to take place during the late winter or early spring before the tree pushes flowers or leaves. Grab a basic pruning guide for the trees you have, and don’t be afraid to hack it into an irregular shape, this will promote flower and fruit production better than a tree that has a natural shape. Espalier trees are a bit easier because of their design, but will require more work because of there is a lot of small growth occurring. For an espalier removing the vertical growth from the horizontal branches will spur flowering in the spring, which will lead to fruit come fall.
If you have done alright to this point, all you need is time. Your fruit trees need to mature a bit before they will produce the fruit you desire. Fruit trees are notoriously bad for having issues with pest and diseases, and as such those disease resistant varieties you picked at the garden center will have a big impact. Those perfect apples at the supermarket? They have been sprayed with a minimum 20 applications of pesticides to get them in that good of shape. In a collapse you’ll be lucky if you can treat them at all. The point I’m trying to make is that your expectations of food need to change. There is nothing wrong with an apple that hasn’t been treated, it just won’t be pretty. Taking the skin of the apple off will reveal a near identical fruit to the one from the store, and baked into pies or other dishes will mask and of the small blemishes that are below the skin. In rare cases, you may find that the pests have overtaken your trees, and the apples are unpalatable. In those cases you can still make good of the fruit by feeding it to livestock. Pigs and poultry will devour fruit that has been destroyed by insects, providing them with additional calories, which will eventually providing your family with additional calories.
At the end of their life, apple trees can still serve a purpose even after the last leaf has fallen. Smoking meats with apple wood produces a delightful flavor, that anyone who’s ever had apple wood smoked bacon will attest to. From my experience however, a healthy fruit tree will last for decades, and can be very long lived.
Not every tree you plant needs to be a food producer. Arguments for shade, screening, and ornamental trees are all valid even in a prepper’s yard, but it would be foolish not to have some woody plants that will continuously provide fruit for your family, your livestock, or the wildlife in your area. I strongly encourage everyone to plant at least one fruit tree at their location, even if for no other reason but to say you have an apple tree.