Doll's Orchards, LLC

Today, March 14th, was commemorated as National Ag Day.  Local FFA groups as well as other agricultural groups such as Indiana Farm Bureau sponsored various events to showcase the role that farmers play in our lives and the lives of those around us.  Many agricultural organizations have rallied together to raise an awareness of the nation’s quality farmers and the quality foods that are produced for the nation’s consumers.  Farming has contributed significantly to the overall economic and cultural growth of our communities.  As far as we can surmise, no one has ever gotten tired of eating!

February was one of the wettest months on record for rainfall.  Our area gauged 9.25 inches of rain for the month.  Despite the wet conditions we were able to complete trimming the older trees in the orchard.  We are just about finished with the Pick Your Own Orchard with its new, dwarf trees as well.  Cleanup will be next on our “to-do” list.  There has been quite a bit of prunings and branches cut off this season and cleanup will take some additional time this year.  It is a good feeling to be this far into the program.  With longer and warmer days, the trees will start to come out of their dormancy and viola’, blooms and fruit set.  Bloom in the orchard is really one of the most breath taking events of Springtime and we never get tired of seeing it unfold.

Labor efforts for this whole month of February in the orchard have been dedicated to pruning.  The weather has not been all that cooperative but when we could get out we were working on trimming the trees.  Not nearly  finished, but we are making progress.  Clean-up will follow and another season will be underway.

Purdue University sponsored the Indiana Horticultural Congress held in Indianapolis, Indiana, February 12th through the 15th.  We were able to attend this gathering of growers and producers and were able to sit in on several interesting presentations on food safety, marketing and business succession.  A trade show was also available to walk through and browse.  There were lots of opportunity to discuss issues with the vendors at the the trade show as well as meet one on one with the representatives from Purdue University.

Farm/business succession has been on the discussion table quite often in the  agricultural seminars that we have attended.  We are all aware that the future of agriculture and rural communities lies with young people.  However, the faces of those in agriculture are those of an aging people.  Farmers want to pass on their family farms to those with familial bonds.  Doing this is getting more difficult everyday as fewer and fewer members of the younger generation just can’t survive on family farms anymore.  There are long lists of reasons to justify this mass exodus from family farming but no one solution has been found to turn it all around.  Small farming operations are struggling to maintain their identity and keep from being swallowed up by conglomerates.

Farming is and has been the backbone of this country’s economic growth and success.  People need to eat and their demand for food continues on a daily basis.  Farmers have done their jobs so well that there is an abundance of food available to consumers at good prices.   Actual food, (fresh fruits, vegetables, meats)  at the grocery store is cheap and a great bargain.  A bumper sticker we recently saw read, “If you ate today, thank a farmer.”  Enough said.

Our area is in the throes of “Old Man Winter.”  With actual temperatures below zero in addition to gusty winds, we have been experiencing wind chill factors ranging from twenty to thirty degrees below zero.  Definitely not temperatures conducive to outdoor chores in the orchard such as pruning.  While pruning continues to be the main area of focus in our orchard during this time of year, it will be “on hold” until the weather conditions improve.  We have a long way to go to finish and are anxious for a break in this recent weather pattern.

Trade shows as well as fruit and vegetable workshops have been sponsored by Michigan State University and Purdue University in the past months.  We make a point to attend these workshops to stay abreast of what’s new in the “growing” business.  New apple varieties, latest equipment and marketing ideas are just a few areas of interest for us growers.  There is an overall feeling of  comradery where  concerns are freely discussed and individual grower problems sometimes find resolution.

With all the hype and advertising to eat more fruits and vegetables, apples do seem to be holding their own in commercial sales.  Consumers realize the importance of the apple as part of their daily dietary intake and continue to purchase apples at a steady rate.  Apples are low in calories, one medium apple has approximately one hundred (100) calories.  Apples have no cholesterol, no fat and no sodium.  Apples supply seventeen percent (17%) of the recommended dietary fiber as well as fourteen (14%) percent of dietary values of Vitamin C.  So, some simple advice from a grower, “Eat More Apples!”

What had been a relatively mild winter season has now become a normal January in Indiana, snowy and cold.  We were blanketed with about eight inches of snow these past few days and temperatures dropped into the teens.  Less than a week ago we were working in the orchard with sweatshirts and now will have to don insulated pants and boots.

Our new season starts when we begin pruning.  Pruning or trimming the trees ready them for the upcoming production season.  Thus, pruning the apple trees has been our main focus of the past several weeks.  Taking advantage of the mild temperatures we were able to start the annual pruning and trimming of the older apple trees about three weeks ago.  Pruning is tedious and at times more challenging than we want but it is a necessary element in fruit production.  Not only is it a time to remove extra growth and dead limbs from the trees, it is also a time  to determine the overall condition of the trees as a result of insect damage, root damage, rodent damage and soil conditions.

Our area was hit by an ice storm in early December.  Because last fall was so wet many of the trees had not dropped their leaves when the storm  system moved through.  Consequently the weight of the ice on the leaves and the wet ground caused some of our trees to uproot themselves.  We suffered the loss of quite a few of our new trees in the orchard, these breaking off at the graft or at ground level.  Disappointing to nurture and care for them for over seven years and then find them broke off and laying on the ground.  Remove and replant is the only option when this happens.

The Pick-Your-Own orchard continues to draw interest from our customers.  If the season progresses as we hope, this part of our business should be available for operation this fall.  Mother Nature plays an important role in agricultural endeavors, however, so we will have to see what develops over the next several months.

First, we offer a sincere “thank you” to all of our customers, old and new.  Without our great customers, we would not be able to have the successful harvest and sales season that we had.   Thanks again for buying from us and helping us “grow.”  No one appreciates our customers more than us.

To say we have had a busy harvest season would be an understatement.  In fact, the intense challenges that present themselves during harvest is the main reason that we haven’t been able to update our posts until now.  Harvest is complete, orders picked up and the closed sign is posted.  It has been a good harvest but not without its challenges.  While the closed sign is up, our plans for next year are being formulated.   This “down” time does not mean “no work” for us.  It is the time of year when behind the scene planning is done and we make an assessment of the problems that came up and how we can produce a better product for our customers.

This past season has seen the new trees in the “pick-your-own ” orchard develop beautifully, a new sales building constructed and a pond built for future irrigation of the trees.  Lots of efforts to get this new orchard operational for next season.

Pruning will be the next focus.  Trees are not quite dormant yet.  The late rains of fall have kept the trees from transforming into dormancy, “falling asleep.”  Many varieties still have their leaves but these are starting to drop as temperatures fall.  The ice storm of last week have impacted the leaves left on the trees as well.  Lots of growth this past year so that will make a busy pruning season.

With Christmas just around the corner, we wish all of you a great holiday season.  Good family, good friends and good times are what life is about.  Merry Christmas!

It has been a challenging and overwhelming harvest season so far.  Peaches were picked, orders filled and the rest taken to market.  Not really a great crop year for peaches.  Although, the flavor was there, the fruit had problems with summer diseases.  The hot, humid weather conditions caused more problems in the peach orchard than what we experienced in other years.

Apple harvest began the first week of August and continues.  We have picked the Gingergold apples as well as Zestar and Sansa.  We plan to finish the Gala and McIntosh and Honey Crisp this week.  September Wonder (early Fuji) will be on this week’s “to do” list as well.  Hopefully, we will get a reprieve from the rains and move picking crews into the Empire by the weekend.

It was a good feeling to get back into the marketing mode again.  Familiar faces as well as new customers have been buying our product at local markets.  We have been selling apples at the Greensburg, Indiana, North Vernon, Indiana, Batesville, Indiana Farmers’ Markets.  We take our apples to White’s Farm in Brookville, Indiana on Wednesday mornings as well.

Not surprising to any grower that the Gala apple has now taken first place honors as the favorite apple of consumers.  Gala apples has been the consistent number one selling variety at our orchard.  It has a great following, even better than Honeycrisp.

We continue to be challenged by summer diseases in the apple orchard too.  Way, way too much rain and humidity with temperatures in the 90’s.  Somewhat discouraging at times, but we are only caretakers of the land and just able to do what we can do.

Weed control continues to be the main order of business in the orchard.  Ideal growing conditions have made the control of grasses and broad leafs a real challenge.  It is an ongoing and continuous job.  Certain species of weeds seem to have developed a resistance to herbicides so weed eater usage continues to be an important deterrent.

There are some apple varieties showing signs of fire blight.  A contagious, systemic, bacterial disease, fire blight attacks the blossoms in early spring, then moves up the twigs and branches through the tree’s system.  Bees, insects, birds, rain and wind easily help the bacteria spread in the orchard.  The name “fire blight” comes from the scorched appearance of the infected leaves, stems and bark.  There is no single practice to control fire blight in an orchard and it can be deadly to new plantings.  Several trees in the pick your own orchard have been destroyed even after many attempts to salvage them.

Although the pick your own orchard will not be producing this season and thus not open to the general public, the plantings look very good.  The apple trees have put on new growth and are becoming very lush and green, thanks to the abundant rainfalls.  Plans for the installation of an irrigation system are underway.

Apple harvest will begin in about four weeks.  Seems like yesterday that the equipment was put away in winter storage and now it is coming out for another season.  Guess “time does fly when you’re having fun.”

Again, you are encouraged to visit your local Farmers’ Markets.  Now as the growing season advances into mid summer, a large variety of produce is appearing every week.  Tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers and zuchini are popular sale items at our market.  Soon to be supplemented by our fresh peaches and apples.  We plan to be able to see our friends, new and old, very soon at the markets where we participate.  Eat Healthy!

Summer Solstice is being celebrated today with a short respite from outdoor labors.  A much needed slow, steady rain has been falling since mid-morning and as it refreshes Mother Earth we are enjoying a day away from weed eaters and mowing equipment.  Rainy days do have a way of refreshing us as well.  The past five to six days of ninety degree temperatures have made our orchard work challenging.

Peaches are progressing and have gone through their “June drop.”  At this point we expect to have a fair size crop of mid to late season peaches.  Peaches are ripening “on schedule” with expected picking to begin about the third week of July.  We will be opening our markets with peaches followed by Gingergold apples.

We expect to harvest apples a little later than past years because bloom was late this year.  Fruit drop is just beginning to occur in the apples.  So far fireblight disease has not reared its ugly head in the apple orchard but dry, hot weather is the reason that it is still under control.  The apples have good fruit set and the crop looks very good.  Of course, we are only about mid season and still have a long way to go.  Summer storms play havoc with fruit, wind and hail are our nemesis.  An interesting read for current crop conditions in the State of Indiana is reported in Purdue University’s publication, “Facts for Fancy Fruit.”  (fff.hort.purdue.edu)

Farmers’ Markets are in full swing and again we encourage you to support your local growers.  Not only do you avail yourselves of fresh fruits and vegetables, you are helping your agricultural community.  Buying local gives you, the consumer,  transparency.  The buyer meets the grower with no middle man involved.  What grocery store can offer the consumer that advantage?

Although the trees’ bloom was later than normal, by just about two weeks later, the bloom period was good with favorable temperatures and little rainfall.  Favorable weather conditions enabled the bees to work feverishly and nonstop.  While the bees collect pollen for honey, we benefit from their efforts by achieving great fruit pollination.  Life is good for all parties concerned.

Favorable pollinating weather is temperatures in the seventy degree range, light winds and no rain.  Higher temperatures, let’s say in the eighties and above, burn the pollen.  Very windy days and rainy conditions keep the bees from flight as they stay out of the elements and remain in their hives.  Several local beekeepers transported their hives to the orchard to help keep a good percentage of honey bees out and about to assist us this year.

The trees in our pick-your-own orchard are growing quite nicely.  There will not be apples harvested from these trees this year.  Instead we are allowing them to develop one more year to gain extra vigor and strength.  These trees are a dwarf rootstock and the root systems are more shallow and need a little extra time to grow.

Summer is here and with it comes the scourge of weeds and unwanted vegetation in the orchard.  Dealing with weeds and grasses will be an ongoing task for the next three months. Although we grow by conventional means, we do not like to overuse herbicides on the orchard floor.  We get out the weedeaters.   Not really my favorite thing to do, but something that needs to be tackled with gusto and determination.  Too many weeds under and between the trees can take away much needed moisture from the fruit trees during the summer months when rainfall is sometimes minimal.

Just like semi-dwarf apple trees, dwarf trees are also produced from clonal rootstock.  Advanced developments have made the dwarf tree very desirable by commercial growers as well as back yard orchardists.  Dwarf trees work well for growers in high density plantings where many different varieties of apple trees are planted in small areas.  Not only commercial growers, but landscapers as well, have discovered the value of dwarf trees as an option in small yard plantings.

Dwarf apple trees can produce full crops in two to three years of planting, averaging about three (3) to six (6) bushels of fruit.  The life span of a dwarf apple tree can range from fifteen to twenty years.  Since dwarf trees grow to about ten (10) feet in height and about eight (8) to ten (10) feet wide, pruning and chemical maintenance are easier to perform.  Harvest very seldom needs a ladder.

Dwarf trees have limited root systems and are very susceptible to damage from high winds.  Staking dwarf trees is a benefit that assures that trunks don’t bend causing extensive damage to the roots.  Staking also prevents leaning over and breaking from heavy crop loads,  Besides susceptibility to wind damage, their shallow root systems make irrigation a necessity during drought conditions.  Dwarf trees also require annual pruning to ensure productivity and longevity.

Dwarf rootstocks for apples are classified as MM27, MM26, MM9, Geneva 16 and Bud9.  The challenge for nurseries is to continue to improve on the quality of all rootstock so growers have good choices.  Whether a commercial grower, backyard orchardist or a do-it-yourself landscaper, there are varying options available for successful plantings.

These posts were meant to be helpful and informative as to what type of apple tree to plant.  There are distinctive differences in standard, semi-dwarf or dwarf trees.  So develop an idea, make a plan, do research, consult your local nursery and do your planting and your efforts will come to fruition.

Today, the 16th of April, we are still experiencing snow flakes and cold temperatures.  We sure could use more springlike weather.  The peach trees are starting to bloom but the apples are about ten days behind normal bloom time.  It will be a later harvest season this year.  Mother Nature remains in control!