Our "you-pick" orchard has opened for business during Fall 2021! See the attached flyer that describes how "you-pick" works this year. There are approximately 40 trees with apples on them in June 2018, about 60 trees in production in 2019, and now we have almost 80 trees producing apples.
The last two years have seen invasions of Japanese beetles attacking the trees and eating leaves and developing apples, so the harvest has been reduced some. We are trying to combat the beetles without using sprays or dusts. Our trees are naturally resistant to many common problems and are still spray-free! The bad thing about creating an apple orchard is how long it takes for the orchard to become productive. We hoped for the first apples in 2015 and there were many blossoms, but only 1 lonely apple was found on the 104 trees. It is pictured here, an Arkansas Black. It was delicious. We have two orchard sites. One site has several existing apple trees behind the farm house. These trees have been in production for several years, used by the farm family who has lived on Blackwater Bend Farm for many years. We will add trees to this orchard in the next few years. Our commercial orchard was started in 2011. We planted 35 trees, consisting of four different varieties. Eventually, we hope to fill a 2.5 acre pasture with apple trees. Our first four varieties planted are Missouri Pippen, Arkansas Black, Jefferies, and Liberty. The summer of 2011 was quite dry, and we had to water the trees often. Each tree gets 5-7 gallons of water at each watering, and we tried to water at least twice each week when there was no rain. A rain gauge in the orchard helps us keep track of the rainfall. 60 apples trees were planted in 2012, but due to the drought - only 6 survived. In 2013 we planted 40 more, but only half survived. In 2014 we planted 60 more, adding a couple more varieties, and continue adding trees and varieties most years.. Most will be planted in the commercial orchard, while some will be planted in the house orchard. The house orchard will also have some other fruit trees planted. |
The apple trees were delivered as a bare root, about 12 inches in length, with only a few small leaves visible. Each tree had a hole dug for it, enriched with aged goat manure and mulch. We placed a fence around each tree to keep the deer from eating the new tree. Each tree also got a five-gallon bucket with two small holes drilled in the bottom. We can measure our watering by filling each bucket and then letting it slowly trickle out through the holes. By the end of the summer, most of our newly-planted trees were 24-30 inches tall.
The apple trees are pruned each winter. As the trees grow taller with limbs, the protective fence rings are removed. 
|
Blackwater Bend Farm * 828 NE 771 Road * Knob Noster * MO * 65336