This was the first year our little plum tree produced and we got about a couple dozen plums. They are so sweet. I wish we had a couple of boxes of these — they would make some really great jelly.
Plums
We’ve been picking a few here and there and eating them but we picked what was left on the tree yesterday. Bugs and birds didn’t seem to bother the plums at all.
Two of our peach trees had all the peaches get ripe about three weeks ago. Another tree will be ripe probably early next week and two more trees still have small, hard, green peaches on them.
There are a handful of pears on the pear trees. The figs seem to be really slow getting started with anything. As expected, no cherries . . we’ll probably never get cherries this far south. There are no apricots but the guy down the road who has apricot trees has none on his trees either.
There are a few crabapples but maybe not enough to make a batch of jelly. I’ll pick them this weekend and see what I can do with them.
Next year will be the third year for most of our fruit trees so I’m hoping we’ll get lots more fruit next year.
Sherrill says
What time of plum do you have? Those look GREAT! I didn’t get squat on my pear tree this year. Maybe next. Have been getting some blackberries and tomatoes but not enough to do anything with!
Carol says
Judy, a good way to extend what juice you do have is to mix in some apple juice. When we had a cherry tree (very tart) I used 3 cups cherry juice, 1 cup apple juice and 1 tsp. almond flavoring. Made the very best and prettiest jelly.
Carol says
I’d love to have several cherry trees here in north central TX. Have never tried. We just returned from a trip to the northwest and happened to be in an area in Washington where cherry orchards were covering the hillsides. And loaded down. We visited an orchard and talked to the 4th generation owner. He said one thing cherries don’t like is humidity. Did not know that. Warm days and cool nights and low humidity. We did pick some (and could eat all we wanted as we picked) and made it home with about 10 pounds @ $1.50/pound. They are amazing. (Yes, went to a Target and bought a tote bag and they traveled in the airplane in an overhead bin from Seattle to DFW!)
Rosalie says
I live near Johnson City and have had an apricot tree for over 10 years and no fruit…but haven’t chopped it down yet. I had a raccoon problem – they stripped the first peach tree before the fruit was even ripe….now that I have eliminated that problem, I hope to get fruit off the remaining 3 trees (but crop not as good as last year). I will also sprinkle dog hair under the trees as a preventive as well as keep my traps at the ready!
Susan says
That’s not that bad for second year, I think. I hope the weather and other things cooperate to give you a bumper crop next year.
patti says
judy, when you say “this is the third year,” do you mean in the ground or of the trees bearing fruit? we have three apple trees (one granny smith and twoliberty) that we bought bare root and this is the third year. it’s the first year we’ve seen fruit but only on the granny. there are four and right now and are about the size of a ping pong ball. we are excited to just see fruit!
Dar in MO says
Your fruit trees sound like they are doing well even though you are not getting as many as you’d like. When you pick and use your crab apples, please post what you do. I have two of them that were planted by the birds I guess. They are taking overf and entwined in a flowering crabapple tree. Not sure they are edible, but they look like miniature little green apples.