Orchard "Field"

Our "orchard" may be over the septic leach field. There is no as-built on file anywhere in the county. Just an elementary drawing of where it might be. Right under the fruit trees!

See the drawing. The trees (all 6 of them are in that vertical line area called the "drain field".

I know that the trees being there is not a good idea  because of the severe multi-thousand dollar damage they can do to the system. Most are diseased anyway so, I have no sadness about "chopping down the cherry tree" or whatever they are.

Here is my orchard before I chop them down and start a-new.

Besides being planted too close to a leach field, these poor trees were planted way too close to each-other (about 8-10 feet on center). :-(

Maybe you can identify some for me.


From right to left:
- The big sick tree that will be the 1st to go.
 - Another mystery tree - no fruit present.
 - Big Apple tree
- Little Apple tree
 - big Cherry tree of some sort (very sour)
 - Little mystery tree (you can barely see the trunk - its has bright green foliage and is terribly cankered.

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Two are apples of some sort - that much is obvious.

There is a large apple. Now it is about size of 2 inch diameter and still growing.

Big Apple

Big Apple - Leaf

Big Apple - Fruit

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There is a Little apple. These are tiny - about 1 inch diameter. Crab apple maybee?

Little Apple

Little Apple Tree - Fruit

Little Apple Tree - Leaf

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The small mystery tree with bright green leaves.

Small Tree - fruit

Small Tree  - bark

Small Tree - Leaf

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The cherry tree is BIG. About 25 feet tall and 20 feet across. Very thin and leggy.

Big Cherry Tree of some sort

Deer munchies on apple tree

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This is another mystery tree. It is going to be the 1st to go. In the picture of the orchard, it is the one with the pile of sticks underneath. Much of the canopy is crowded with strange willowy growth of very thin twigs with nest-like growth patterns. I think it to be a stone fruit of some sort. Much of the foliage has severe chewing insect damage.

Insect damage and abnormal twig growth.

Closeup of leaves

Twig detail

Fruit of the big sick tree is few & far-between.

That's the old orchard. It will probably be a slow removal. I will most likely leave the 2 apples at least till I can get replacements for them.  I am thinking where to put the new orchard. Or, Maybe an espalier orchard for easy harvest. The leach field will probably be best used for occasional grazing of goats and chickens and nice cut grass for the compost heap.