06/10/2026
Here’s what’s been up around the nursery…
Zac and Adam have finished planting ALL of the grafted fruit apples, pears, and plums. With 25,000 grafts to go in the ground, it is no easy feat. There are some replants, a few more Sweet Saps, and Brandywine raspberries left to plant, and then we will be able to move into full-time weeding and mulching.
The orchard is loaded with the first signs of fruit! The orchard is about 5 years old, and this year will likely be the first significant harvest of apples.
Connor and Allyssa started an exciting project- collecting leaves for genetic testing on 50 of our permanent orchard trees. Genetic testing has become much more affordable and accessible in recent years, so we are planning to test 50 or so trees each year, starting now! Many of our “SLN introductions” were scions given to Bill or even Fred throughout the years, so it will be interesting to know the full genetic background of some varieties that we have not had a lot of information on until now. The samples were sent to Washington State University, and it will be another 3 or 4 months before we receive our results.
Did you miss our spring deadline but are still looking for a tree? We potted up a small (but very diverse!) selection, which are available for purchase at the farmstand on Rt. 310 in Canton. There are a few apples and a few dwarf cherries remaining.
Today we are working on major cleanup and general sprucing up for our first event of the season- the Gardenshare Fundraiser dinner next Friday, June 19th. Catered by , drinks by , and 30 years of memories with . There are still tickets available, but be sure to sign up in the next few days, as spots are limited! You can reserve your plate on the Gardenshare website.
