Doll's Orchards, LLC

Our area was predicted to experience a summer of below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures. When fruits and vegetables are needing favorable growing conditions, these predicted weather outlooks are not so good to receive. It’s been a very dry last few weeks. The new trees planted this Spring were beginning to show stress so it was necessary to water them. Watering trees is by no means as beneficial for them as is the natural watering by rainfall. However, it is vital to keep new plantings from “stress” as the trees establish their root systems. Thus, the rains today were very, very welcome.

The frost, more accurately, the freeze, in late April did damage the apples. We were waiting for “June drop” to occur to make a better assessment of what varieties and how many apples survived those freezing temperatures. Glad to say, our healthy trees produced enough second blooms and the honey bees were out and about pollinating those blooms, so our trees should produce a favorable harvest. Not all varieties fared as well as others but overall we should be able to offer our customers a fine selection of fruit.

We have had several calls and questions regarding what we call “June drop.” The backyard grower is sometimes puzzled when they see fruit that was developing and then it suddenly just drops to the ground. Sometimes the ground beneath the tree is completely covered with fruits about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. Fruit dropping in this manner is nature’s way of eliminating inferior or excess fruit. Nature knows its limitations and this “dropping” prevents the tree from having to feed or carry more fruit weight than the branches can support. Developing fruit that was not properly pollinated will drop at this point and this was what we were waiting to see happen. We were unsure if the second blooms were pollinated and how many would “stick” and mature into good fruit. As previously stated, this process is referred to as “June drop” but the discarding could happen as early as June or as late as July depending on the growing region.

All in all, the damages done in the April freeze were not as devastating as it looked at the time. It was rather disappointing to see our orchards in beautiful full bloom one day and those same blooms totally brown the next afternoon. The only thing that can be said about all that is, “that’s the fruit business.”

Bloom was about seven days earlier than usual for our orchard. It was beautiful against the backdrop of the blue skies of Spring and gentle warm breezes. Being earlier than most years we were cautiously optimistic that we’d be able to avoid any pockets of cold that sometimes hit our region in Spring. That optimistic outlook was reversed by overnight temperatures dipping as low as 27 degrees last weekend. These temperatures were just too cold for the delicate fruit buds and we are now in “damage control” mode. When working in agriculture a producer never knows what Mother Nature will throw at you and every day is important. This year we were double whammied. The first blooms (King blooms) were destroyed by the freeze and now we are waiting to see if any second blooms will be pollinated and set fruit. A waiting game at this point.

Regardless of what comes next for our fruit outlook, we continue to follow through on the fertilization and care of the trees. Fertilizers are somewhat similar to vitamins, coming in many shapes and kinds. When choosing a fertilizer it is important to check the label on the bag. All fertilizers are labeled and the labels indicate the percentage of each of the three major plant nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. At times you will see these nutrients referred to by their chemical element symbols, N for nitrogen, P for phosphorus and K for potassium. You may also see numbers such as 15-5-10. These numbers indicate 15 percent nitrogen per pound of fertilizer, 5 percent phosphorus per pound and 10 percent potassium per pound. Fertilizers that include all three of these major nutrients are called “complete” fertilizers.

Nitrogen is necessary for shoot growth and green color in the leaves. It is sometimes in low supply and the fruit tree heavily uses nitrogen. BUT too much nitrogen can cause too much shoot growth and thus, will decrease the production of fruit buds. All nitrogen applications need to be applied in moderation. Phosphorus helps the tree in the growth of roots, seeds and early leaves. Phosphorus is not easily dissolved and works slowly into the soil. Potassium is necessary for the tree to produce fruit, grow good root systems and resist diseases. Potassium helps to transport sugar and starch through the tree.

How much fertilizer to apply is difficult to answer. The amount of fertilizer to use varies with soil type, amount of soil, organic matter, age of the trees and volume of the crop. A soil test would be recommended to determine the type and amount of fertilizer to apply. Local extension offices can help with soil tests. Fertilizer specialists and nursery stores can also be a starting point. We contacted a plant pathologist at a university who did our samplings.

No matter how it looks from the outside, nothing is easy in growing fruit.

Safety issues in handling and application of pesticides is often left out of gardening books. Common sense is the rule when using chemicals, whether it is a man made chemical or organic material. A poison by any other name is still a poison and unintentional pesticide poisonings happen when materials are used without proper knowledge or protection. In our state it is necessary for the grower to pass a licensing exam and that license allows the grower to buy and apply toxic pesticides. When any grower, whether a commercial grower or backyard orchardist or home gardener, chooses to use toxic materials, these materials should be handled with care and respect.

Some common sense safety precautions important for all to follow:

1. Read product label and understand what you’re using. Follow label directions carefully.
2. Mix only amount of spray you’ll need for current application. If you have small amount left, give a heavier spray application. Exposure to the weather causes spray materials to break down naturally. Do not dump leftover spray in a concentrated spot on the ground or down a sewer.
3. Store pesticides in a marked, locked cabinet out of the reach of children.
4. Never put materials in something other than the original container.
5. Spray only in calm weather conditions so spray doesn’t drift to neighbor’s property or harm pets.
6. Dress properly when applying any chemicals. Wear long sleeves, pants and work shoes. Protective clothing such as rubber gloves, boots, respirator and face shield are strongly encouraged.
7. Do not eat, drink or smoke while applying pesticides and wash hands thoroughly when finished.
8. Dispose of containers properly. Follow all local recommendations in regard to their disposal (i. e. landfills).
9. Follow recommended interval from last spray to time of harvest.

There should be no reluctance by the average consumer to use fresh fruits and vegetables produced by local growers. With common sense use and handling of chemicals, growers can produce fruits and vegetables that are safe to eat and beautiful to look at.

It was a great feeling when the last tree was pruned and the equipment was cleaned and stored in the maintenance building. A long haul this pruning season, not only with trimming the trees but also the challenge of orchard clean up. Looking at the rows of trees, now neatly pruned, debris on the orchard floor, raked and mulched, gives us a great sense of accomplishment. You’d have to own an orchard to truly understand the good feeling. The orchard is truly, “looking good.”

The next step will be application of the dormant spray. Application of the dormant oil spray is probably one of the most important of the season. It is safe, nontoxic and even a home orchardist can apply it to his apple trees. Dormant oil is mixed at a two percent (2%) rate. So for instance if you have 100 gallons of water, you need to mix 2 gallons of dormant oil. Applications should be made when temperatures are above 50 degrees, before and up to when the trees are “green tipped.” Green tip occurs when the bud opens and green tissue starts growing. The purpose of a dormant season nontoxic spray is to kill and minimize mites and microscopic insects that have “overwintered” on the fruit tree. The application of horticultural oil will smother these insects as they make their way out of their winter dormancy and start their crawling activity on the trees. San Jose scale is the most common and the most damaging of the scales found in apple orchards. Dormant season treatments are the key in controlling this pest. San Jose scale infest the apple branches and if not controlled cause red halos or spots on the fruit. The red halos or spots are remains of their feeding area and makes fruit unattractive, especially green and yellow apples.

Our peach trees do not look as if they have any live fruit bud. The sub zero temperatures that we experienced in this area during the Christmas holidays killed the fruit bud. The trees are fine, there’s leaf bud, but no fruit bud. Without fruit bud, no development of peaches.

Good progress was made these past weeks pruning the apple trees. We endured the chilling temperatures of January and early February and moved through the trees one by one, trimming, cleaning out excessive growth and removing broken limbs. Pruning in the main orchard was completed this past week. The young trees in the U-PIK location are next on the list and we will be moving the pruning equipment into that area either late this week or early next.

After pruning is completed the limbs and small branches are pulled into the aisle ways for a grinder to mulch. Wish that was all there was to it, but after grinding comes the raking. Debris is pulled from under the trees and raked to the middle aisle ways. One more time equipment grinds up whatever is left and this mulch then remains on the orchard floor and deteriorates. This is probably not standard work procedure for all orchard operations but it is what we do.

Timing, travel distance and weather conditions were contributing factors in our non- attendance at fruit conferences and trade shows this year. We missed these educational seminars and the trade shows’ exhibits but sometimes things just don’t work out and this was one of those years.

Days are less overcast and daylight hours are increasing. Plants and bulbs are pushing out of their dormancy and are sure signs that Spring isn’t so far off. Tree planting is just around the corner. We plan to replant part of the orchard that was cleared last year and left fallow. The ground was left unplanted last year to restore its fertility and remove any phytophthora. Phytophthora is basically a microscopic, fungus-like organism that is found within the soil where it can survive for many years. It affects the roots of the trees and sometimes just referred to as “root rot.” Phythophthora kills trees. By removing the host plants (old apple trees), opening the soil by plowing and harrowing, we hoped to be pro-active in management of this disease before we plant new stock.

The apple trees should be in bloom in about six to eight weeks. Peaches bloom earlier but as of now, not too many peach buds seem to have survived the subzero temperatures of December. It’s a waiting game at this point. One never knows for sure about Mother Nature.

We closed out 2022 without much fanfare and started 2023 with our annual challenge of pruning. Our weather has been somewhat favorable for taking the pruning equipment out into the orchard these past few weeks. Over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, however, the temperatures plummeted to below zero with gusty winds and thus prevented orchard activity during that time frame. The past few weeks more favorable temperatures have given us the opportunity to get out and get the trees in shape for another year.

Some may consider the beginning of our season starting with bloom in the Spring. We actually consider pruning as the beginning of another harvest season. Producing good fruit is dependent on proper pruning. Pruning can only be done when the fruit trees are dormant. Fruit trees can not be shaped like a bush or an ornamental shrub. Not only the dead and broken branches need to be cut away, but the inner growth and “suckers” need to be removed as well. It is imperative that the tree’s fruit gets air, light and moisture. Effective pruning techniques provide all three of these necessities. The trees’ fruits also receive greater benefits from the application of chemicals when the sprays can penetrate the canopy of the trees and get “inside” to the inner fruit bearing limbs.

The below zero temperatures during the Christmas holiday did our peaches no favors. One overnight thermometer reading was minus 18 degrees with bitterly high gusty winds. Mother Nature always has a bag of surprises and maybe no damage was done to the peach trees. Only time will tell at this point. When the trees enter their bloom time we will be able to make a better assessment. Our professor friend (now deceased) from Purdue University always said that zero is the cut off temperature. Every single degree below the zero mark, there will be a ten percent loss of the peach crop. So if this holds true, with the minus eighteen degrees, we can say ” bye, bye peach crop.” But as I have stated before, one never knows for sure what is potentially out there until bloom. Nature always has the last say in the matter.

November has arrived and with it we have seen the first snow of the season. Temperatures were hitting as high as the mid-seventies three days ago and now it’s winter coat weather. Residents of Southeastern Indiana are well aware that if a person doesn’t like the local weather, just wait a day or two and it’ll change.

We’ve been playing “catch up and clean up” these past few weeks since we officially closed for the season. Equipment has been winterized, picking equipment repaired and stored and plans made for our orchard fertilization and rodent control programs. Trying to batten down the hatches before the onset of winter.

Rodents are a very real challenge in the orchard over winter and it’s imperative that a management plan be put in place to effectively control them. Rodents, primarily voles, have done a tremendous amount of damage to the trees in the orchard over the past several years. We’ve noticed more damage done in the U-Pik location this year than in the older trees but that’s not too unusual as young trees are more vulnerable. Voles feed on the trunks and roots of the apple trees. They’re hungry and looking for food so they gnaw on the roots and the bark of the trees and actually girdle the trees causing a slow death.

Managing the orchard floor to reduce a vole’s habitat is critical to keeping vole populations under control. Voles are vertebrates. They rarely live longer than one year. Females can reproduce in three weeks after their own birth and in any season. Female voles can have four litters per year and each litter can contain up to twelve pups. Under these circumstances, it is quite understandable that the vole population in an orchard can increase rapidly.

Orchards are not the only areas that voles will invade. A neighbor’s asparagus patch was completely devastated by a vole invasion. Voles also are attracted to sweet potatoes. Tunnels or “runs” next to plants or trees are evidence of vole activity. A preventative approach is the best way to control vole activity. No one specific approach eradicates the problem. In orchard settings, we practice habitat manipulation and rodenticides. In a home garden setting there are other approaches to use such as exclusion, trapping and repellents.

With colder temperatures, the fruit trees will begin to “go to sleep.” Dormancy is their time to rest after their production season. When the trees become dormant our pruning challenge becomes a priority task on our “to-do” list. Seems like we just put the pruning equipment away and now it’s getting readied to come out of storage and back into the orchard.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We are truly thankful for all of your support.

Mid-October and it is with bittersweet feelings that we hung up the “Closed for the Season” sign this past weekend. It’s been a great harvest season and again we thank all of our good customers, both old and new, that made it a great sales season as well. We’re so fortunate to have such good support for our “growing business.”

The latest venture, namely the U-Pik orchard, was well visited and enjoyed by those who strolled through the rows of apple trees to pick their own fruit. It was really rewarding to see the children come with their parents and learn about growing and picking fruit. The U-Pik is set up to have different varieties ripen throughout the entire season so we were able to accommodate u-pickers from the time we opened until we sold out of produce this past weekend.

Apologies are extended to those who messaged or commented on this website with questions and did not receive a response from us. We started the season with the best of intentions but the workload became overwhelming at times and no one was able to update and answer comments. Not intentional but something a small family business needs to handle differently in the future. Phone calls or text messages worked better.

We took a deep breath on Monday and then started to busy ourselves with putting picking equipment away, winterizing the spray equipment and deep cleaning the sorting area. The harvest and sales may be over but we always have “to do’s” that need to be addressed. Whether we like it or not, “Ole Man Winter” is just around the corner.

It has been a very busy last six weeks. Peaches ripened, had to be picked, orders filled and now onward we go to harvesting the apple crop. Things have been so busy with harvest that updates have not been posted in a very timely manner. There are just so many hours in a day and time slips away.

Our apple harvest is well underway. We have picked Gingergold, Gala, Blondie, McIntosh and currently finishing picking the ever popular Honeycrisp apple. We have enjoyed getting back to the area Farmers’ Markets and our sales locations have been frequented by many new and old customers. We appreciate seeing and helping customers get the apples that serve their needs. While many are just looking for “out of hand” eating varieties we are noticing more customers interested in making sauce, pie filling and dried apples. We are always willing to answer any questions and help where we can with getting the right variety for the needs of our customers. We have over fifty varieties of apples in the orchards and we will always find something that will work.

Our U-PIK has been attracting families looking for an outdoor experience. You can not get a more “outdoor” experience than enjoying a beautiful blue sky with gentle breezes and walking through the rows of apple trees that are laden with beautiful fruit. It is a truly educational experience for the young as well as the “young at heart.” A great way to get one with Mother Nature. For those who wish to purchase already picked, washed and pre-bagged apples, that option is available also at the U-PIK. A good line of other apple products are available as well.

We invite all of you to check out what we have to offer. Our U-PIK is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. All weekend sales are now conducted at the U-PIK location in order to make things run more smoothly. The home location is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm. Just a reminder that messages to our Facebook account is a much better way to comment or get information as we get behind on this website at times. Not intentional, just the way a “non-tech savvy” person such as myself has to deal with things.

“Wet Springs make dry Summers!” How true that “old wives tale” has turned out to be this year. The months of March, April and May were unseasonably wet with rainfall every other day or so. Now, the months of June and July have been unseasonably dry. Predictions of imminent storms have not materialized and things are dry. With the high temperatures (in the 90″s) and dryness, some of the early apple varieties are shedding fruit to preserve and maintain what the tree can sustain.

Due to a later bloom period the development of the apples is about seven to ten days behind our usual harvest schedule. We anticipate offering our Gingergold apple variety to our customers around the 5th to 10th of August. The Zestar and Sansa will be following and then the ever popular Gala.

Since a later bloom produces a later harvest, we have not yet been able to participate in any local Farmers’ Markets. We do, however, encourage your visiting the local markets in your areas to purchase good food from local vendors. Our area vendors are now offering corn, tomatoes, berries and other vegetables and fruits. Visiting your local markets gives you, the customer, transparency. Ask the vendor about how his product is grown, what sprays, fertilizers or other applications of chemical are used in the growing process. Most are more than happy to explain the processes he/she uses.

As food prices skyrocket in the grocery stores, you should not be surprised to see the prices at your local markets have increased as well. Most growers are trying to hold the line in the selling price of their products’ but we can only do so much. Fuel costs, labor costs and packaging/selling costs have just gotten out of control and small growers just can not absorb these increases, they have to be recouped by price increases. Fresh food, however, is really still a great bargain.