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Message: [QUOTE="Mr_Yan, post: 209768, member: 10313"] [USER=14351]@SfromKY[/USER] Nice work on laying out this post. We're in almost similar zones but I am shifted a bit colder. You sound like you're one year behind me but with more neighbors and a little less space. You have your planting order listed. So that knocks off my first question. What do you want to eat? What is that big tree if it is a walnut it may make some things difficult. As walnuts produce [URL='https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/allelopathic-plants.htm#:~:text=Allelopathy%20is%20a%20biological%20phenomenon,inhibits%20the%20growth%20of%20another.&text=Through%20the%20release%20of%20allelochemicals,by%20leaching%2C%20decomposition%2C%20etc.'] allelopathic compounds (link)[/URL] that inhibit the growth of other plants. Really think about your layout. I am trying to do a "stealth suburban permiculture food forest / orchard". I want my yard to feel and look like a nicely landscaped area NOT a commercial orchard. Think training grapes over a patio pergola rather than in a "traditional" wire row trellis. Since I moved here in May 2020 I have planted: [LIST] [*]6 apples (Honey Crisp, Fireside, McIntosh, Wolf River, Cortland, Candy Crisp) [*]2 Peaches (Contender, Red Haven) [*]Sweet Cherry (Stella) [*]2 Tart Cherry (Montmorecy, North Star) [*]2 Pears (D'Anjou, Bosc) [*]1 Carpathian Walnut [*]13 Blueberry bushes (Bluecrop, Jersey, Elliot) [*]Strawberries [*]Hardy Kiwi [*]Raspberry [/LIST] From what I have read and watched vids on - you don't have to only get dwarf or semi dwarf if you prune them and stay on the pruning. This vid was pretty good about backyard orchard pruning and is one source I have for not needing dwarf rootstock:[MEDIA=youtube]ZV2kr50K7Is[/MEDIA] I live in a major commercial fruit growing area and looking at the orchards the modern idea is to plant apples, cherries, peaches, and pears about 6' apart and prune heavily. Most orchards now don't let hand picked fruit trees get above 7 feet tall. By planting "too close" together the trees will merge into each other and bees won't even know they hopped from one tree to the next and better pollinate them. This is supported by trials Purdue University did with Cherry farmers near Traverse City Michigan. The take away from that study was planting too close gave about 25% better fruit set and yield. Are you up for learning about top work grafting? You'll be able to get more varieties growing in a tiny area. Two things working against you: That big tree may shade much of your yard through the day. Everyone wants to plant fruit trees right now so the supply is about zero Mid summer is one of the hardest / worst times to plant a new tree What plants can you source locally? I don't like to order plants from a significant distance from home - my thinking is a lot of the online nurseries are much farther south than I am and a plant shipped from Texas or South Carolina may not like my winters. I placed an order with Burgess in Bloomington IL back on May 14 and it still has not shipped. (5 grape vines, 2 kiwi vines, asparagus, strawberries) [/QUOTE]

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