Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

Here at Peaceful Valley, we are in the throes of bare-root sales. However, the terms and restrictions for what can and cannot be planted can be confusing, especially for the first time grower.

The first thing to consider is your growing zone. This is a general description of how warm or cold your temperatures get year round. Where people tend to get confused, even experienced growers, is that in the US, there are two different forms of zone charting: The USDA and Sunset Magazine, possibly more. For simplicity, Peaceful Valley employs the USDA chart exclusively.

How, then, can you find, with any certainty, what USDA zone are you in? You can find zone maps in many locations, but even those cannot be as specific as you need. Fortunately, the good folks at the National Gardening Association have put together a searchable zone chart! Simply go here, and enter your zip code. You will get not only your USDA zone, but links to articles pertaining to growing conditions in YOUR area!

Another question many people have is “How many chill hours do I have? What is a chill hour, anyway?” According to Dave Wilson (the company that has supplied the majority of our bare-root trees for nearly a decade, and services many other nurseries around the nation) a chill hour is defined as one hour under 45 degrees Fahrenheit. However, its not always that simple. For every hour over 60 degrees, you have to subtract one hour. There are other, more specific rules (search for Utah Model Chill), but this is a good general guide.

Now, most people don’t sit out with a clipboard and a thermometer every day, calculating chill data. So, to get your approximate number of chill hours, you would go to your local Ag department — they usually have that data. If you are lucky enough to live in California, our wonderful UC system actually has monitoring up and down the state, with not only recent data, but in some cases, going back 5 years — you get a great picture of trends. The website, broken down by county, can be found here.

As always, we are here to help. Our catalog features many different icons to give you an idea of what grows well in warm climates (ideal for areas like Los Angeles), and what grows well in frigid areas, like Nebraska. But remember, we cannot hold shipments until it gets warm enough for you to plant. There is a method called “heeling in”, which allows you to care for your bare root plants until you are able to plant them in their permanent home. The literature we send out with our plants includes that information, but it can be viewed by downloading the .pdf file on the description page of all our bare-root stock.

Good luck, and Happy Planting!

Me too! I bought ten fruit trees, read up on amending the soil, using gopher baskets to protect young roots, and even painting the bark to protect from sun scald (you can read my planting guide here).

But when it came to pruning my new trees, I stopped in my tracks! I’ve referenced multiple websites, four books, and of course consulted our staff. What did I find? I learned that there are as many different opinions on how to prune a fruit tree as there are resources!

There were some commonalities when it came to pruning second year, dormant, bare root stock (what you’ll get from Peaceful Valley) which I’ll share:

• Don’t prune your trees when they are wet. This makes them more susceptible to disease.
• Select about four limbs which are well spaced (not right next to each other or all on one side of the tree for example). Cut these limbs back by two-thirds, leaving the bottom third of the branch. When you make the cut, prune the branch such that a bud is near the end and is pointing in the general direction you want the branch to grow.
• Remove the remaining limbs by clipping them off, flush with the trunk.

Now wait and watch ‘em grow!

When planning to plant your single tree or home orchard, there are a few bare necessities:

	1. Select a fruit tree. We carry over 120 varieties of fruit & nut trees from Dave Wilson’s nursery. They provide us with trees of the highest quality! Buy 10 trees and get a 10% quantity discount and pay only $3/tree in shipping!
	2. Dig a hole that’s about 1 foot deep and 1.5 feet wide. If you don’t have a shovel, our employee pick is Fiskars Digging Shovel.
	3. Good drainage is essential to the health of your fruit trees. Fill the hole to the top with water. It should drain within 3 to 4 hours. Then fill it AGAIN. If the hole does not drain within 3 to 4 hours either time, then you need to find another location or modify your current location by making a raised bed or a French drain. Need a hose to get the job done? We’ve got ‘em.
	4. Protect the roots from gophers with a 15 gallon, tree size gopher basket. Until young trees are well established, gophers can do significant damage and kill your tree.
	5. Soil amendments such as Soft Rock Phosphate or our Foothill Fertilizer Mix should be added to the soil before planting along with some compost, especially if you have clay-like soil. The roots will spread out so be sure to amend the soil around your planting location as well.
	6. Plant your tree and be sure not to plant the tree any deeper than the soil line on the bare root tree. Water thoroughly and watch for settling. You may want to soak the roots overnight in a 5 gallon bucket before planting.
	7. Protect the young trunk from mechanical damage, pests, and sunburns with a tree guard. Another option to prevent sun scald is to paint the trunk with interior white latex paint diluted with an equal part of water.
	8. Prune your dormant tree. Dave Wilson recommends pruning your tree at knee height as this will produce a great flush of growth in the Spring. Questions? Ask your local nursery or master gardener. We have a wide variety of pruners to help you get the job done. Our staff pick is the Felco Pruner No. 8.
	8. Windy?If high winds will be a factor in your planting location, then the tree should be tilted slightly towards the wind’s prevailing direction. Do not overdo it, a slight tilt will suffice. Supports may be used, but try not to over do it; you want your tree’s trunk to become strong, not dependent on supports.

For further information, read Peaceful Valley Bare Root Tree Growing Guide here.

Enjoy planting!!

The day the bare root trees arrived was spectacular! Seeing a truck loaded, front to back, top to bottom with bare root trees was impressionable.

Our Peaceful Valley team unloaded the trees, sorted the dormant “sticks” into their varieties, and healed their roots into sawdust, pre-dampened by the rain, snow, and sleat.

The weather, while it was snowing, added a festive look to the dormant trees.

But as the weather turned to rain, sleat, and hail… well it left much to be desired for those unloading…

Bare root fruit and nut trees are here and they’re flying out our door! Hurry and order your bare root trees and you’ll be enjoying their fruits this summer.

I’ve been dreamily thinking about lining our driveway with fruit trees and this is the perfect season to prepare for planting bare-root trees. I’d love a peach tree, a pear tree, a couple types of apple, and maybe a cherry tree. What are you thinking of planting? Do you have any recomendations, especially for our climate in the Sierra Foothills?

If you’re like me – full of questions and eager to enjoy the literal fruits of your labor in years to come – you may want to come to a workshop this Saturday at the NID gardens:

Home Orchards – Plan Before You Plant

Saturday, November 8, 2008, 10am – 12pm

Demonstration Garden, 1036 W. Main St., Grass Valley (on NID Grounds)

Free public workshop offered by UC Master Gardeners. Home Orchards – Plan Before You Plant. Learn to find the right site for your trees; determine how many trees to plant; choose trees that will grow well in your soil; plant your trees for long-term growth; water, prune, and tend your new trees.

I’d also suggest previewing our fruit and nut trees. The large majority of them are sold as bare-root trees. Bare-root trees are more economical, adjust to your native soil better than the potted variety, and are cheaper to ship. If you don’t live in the foothills, you can order 10 fruit trees and just pay one flat rate $30 shipping fee.