Matt Gonzalez

Nancy Reading wrote:Hi Matt welcome to permies! I'm sure the answers you've already had for the trees are most useful for your climate. I'll just add making sure that the reason the existing trees died won't affect the new ones. There are lots of reasons they could have died, including being poorly looked after once planted. I like to plant trees as young as possible - that way they have a chance to get established well without staking. Your conditions are very different though!
You ask about how to incorporate the rest of the garden in your design and that is a big question which is where permaculture as a design system really comes into it's own. Without knowing your details I can only suggest looking at where the sun and wind and water come from now, how the trees may affect these things. Think about pollinators and predatory insects to support your trees, can you plant flowers around them to support a healthy population (have a search for "plant guilds" to get some suggestions perhaps)? Where are you needing to or wanting to walk, how will you harvest and store the fruit? There will be a lot of space between the trees while they are growing, how can you use that in a beneficial way?
I hope this helps and that your trees thrive

Thank you Nancy!

That is my little predicament as this area will run north to south and only be sheltered in the eastern side by our home. As far as I can tell the trees are likely dying from old age. From some research it seems our city planted a significant amount of Modesto Ash trees within the city. I've been given a large lifespan of these trees, with the lowest being about 40 years old. A few neighbors have indicated that  all of these trees were planted when this tract was developed in the 50's. Ideally I wouldn't mind keeping them, but the limbs that haven't fallen off yet are posing risk to either our neighbors home or our own home.

Quail are easily startled and do not deal with change very well. I keep quail in a ground aviary and if I forget to put a branch or a overturned basket back exactly where it was, while cleaning, they completely freak out and act like they've never seen where they are before.

They love routine, plenty of fresh food and clean water. Once they are set in their surroundings they will begin laying, but it's not uncommon for them to stop laying if they get stressed.

Very normal. Quail need A TON of light to activate egg production. Once they don't have enough they will stop laying. I generally use this as a time to not have to go hunting in every nook and cranny of their enclosure haha.

You can supplement them with artificial light during the winter to stimulate them to lay if you would like to.

This looks great. They are VERY messy little balls of chaos. I keep mine in an outdoor aviary. About 1/3rd of mine is sand, which makes it super easy to tidy up thanks to a mesh kitchen strainer.

The other half I use pine shavings and alfalfa. Using a little garden rake to turn it and add some new shaving on top every so often.

M.K. Dorje Sr. wrote:I've been growing kiwis for many years. There are several different species and many varieties. The variety I grow is called Issai and is a member of the hardy kiwi group (Actinidia arguta). It requires afternoon shade but does not need a pollinator. Like Jay, I upcycled an old swing set (and some wire fencing) to provide a sturdy trellis for my plants. The fuzzless fruit is small but incredibly delicious and ripens in September and early October.

But for you I would  recommend getting fuzzy kiwis that are better adapted to full sun and a long, hot growing season. To insure pollination you'll probably want to get one male and two or more females. Look for low chill varieties that can take the heat such as Vincent (female) and Matua (male). Trellises need to be sturdy and strong for fuzzy kiwis!

Here's a handy planting guide for kiwis from Raintree Nursery:

https://raintreenursery.com/pages/growing-fruit-trees-kiwi

Thank you! My local nursery (Morris Nursery) is offering a self-pollinating fuzzy Kiwi in bare root form. I'm expanding my garden this year and while it loves the warmth, the sun tends to burn or cause everything to bolt. Either way I was thinking that this may help and give me something new to try.

Hey all,

I am looking to add some kiwi to my yard this year. After doing some research it seems that trellising them is best. Originally I thought about growing them vertically on the side of my house, but may leave that for passionflower.

Anywho, I live in the central valley of california and was curious on thoughts about putting trellises down and planting beneath them? I've had some trouble with the garden due to the extreme sun and was curious if this could be a possible shade solution as well as a way to maximize planting space.

Thanks!

M.K. Dorje Sr. wrote:I'm in agreement with Cristobal, especially #3- "try to protect the trees from excessive sun" and #4- "mulch a lot". I might add that most young trees in your hot climate require protection on their trunks from sun burn and sun scald, as well as borers. I advise that after planting, try painting the trunks from 1 inch below the soil line to the bottom branches with white latex paint or a similar product designed to protect the young trees. Wood chips from hardwoods make great mulch.

I might add that you might try  consulting with your local extension agent or fruit tree nursery person about the best varieties for your area. You want trees (and rootstocks) that are low chill, bear lots of delicious fruit, can take the heat, pollinate themselves (or each other)  and resist local diseases. For example, in this area (Oregon), I always advise that people buy peach leaf curl resistant varieties like Indian Blood and Frost. Don't just buy whatever the local supermarket or big box store is selling, try to buy from a reputable, locally-owned  nursery or go to a local fruit tree propagation fair/seed swap event. The people at these events are always super helpful.

Good luck and have fun!

Thank you!

We have a really great nursery in town that gives all information about rootstocks and chill on their description of bare root trees they have available for the year. I will definitely consider the protection methods you described as I had not considered that.

C Shahid wrote:My thought is to check for any utility right of way on your property report. It's something to consider anytime you plant trees in your front yard.  In my area, if a utility company ever needs to do work, they have the right to cut down any trees in the way and do not need to compensate you for them. You'll have to check if that's true for your property.

Thanks for the advice, luckily the power lines are on the other side of our home.

Hi All,

Brand new here, but it looks like a wealth of information. I was curious on any advice for fruit tree planting. I'd like to do it right the first time.

For some context, my home has a section that was left un-enclosed prior to our purchase. We are looking to expand our fence and include this in our yard. My plans currently involve the city removing the dying trees that were planted, and fencing along the property line, to the front wall of our house. This would leave us with a roughly 24ft wide x 55ft long rectangle. One portion of this would be bordered by the west-facing wall of our house.

I would like to move our current garden and expand upon it in these section of the yard. Currently I'm looking at 2 apple trees, a persimmon tree, a pear tree and a peach tree to incorporate into this space. Despite my idealistic sketches, I'm not actually sure how to tackle planting the trees to also incorporate the rest of the garden.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I've included a picture of the area for reference, also I live in the Central Valley of California.

Looking forward to being here!

Matt Gonzalez