Our installation team just wrapped up an addition to the Sudbury Farm Orchard! They planted an additional 8 apple trees including Malus ‘Fuji’, Malus ‘Honeycrisp’, Malus ‘Honey gold’, Malus ‘Freedom’, and Malus ‘Pink Lady’. Last year, a total of 20 trees were planted, bringing the total to 28. Other species in the orchard include Prunus cerasus ‘Evans Bali’ (Evans Cherry), Prunus cerasus ‘Montmorency’ (Montmorency Cherry), Prunus persica ‘Bounty’ (Bounty Peach), Prunus x ‘Superior’ (Superior Plum), and Pyrus x ‘Luscious’ (Luscious Pear).
Orchard trees are all managed organically with a 12-step program of Horticultural Oils, Compost tea applications, Biochar and Rock Dust amendments, and IPM (Integrated Pest Management) practices.
Horticultural Oils are highly refined mineral oils, particularly used in the early season for foliar insect applications. The oils work by smothering, so there are no residual effects/immunity. The compost tea that we use is a foliar blend instead of a soil drench that people usually think of as tea. Our recent orchard IPM includes a hybrid of synthetic and organic applications. For fungicides, there are not really any great organic opinions. For the early fruit treatments, we want residual preventative protection. Check out the root balls below before installation!
Photo credit: Offshoots, Inc.