Need fruit tree advice

[BB_TX]

If adequate rainfall and/or ground water is a problem, then terracing should be a consideration. Terracing will hold rain and let it soak in rather than run off.

[wasabi]

Have not really thought much about that part yet BB TX....At the moment, all is fairly soggy. Last summer was a bit dry, but not dangerously so. Eventually, my plan is to put in a nice irrigation system. We have two decent flow year-round springs that are conveniently located near the top (elevation wise) of our land, so, with the right piping/storage tank/valve system, I think we'll have all the high pressure (gravity feed) clean water we'll need.

[BB_TX]

Fertilizing is also a consideration. The more the water soaks in rather than runs off, the more your fertilizer will soak in rather than run off.

[wasabi]

another good point! Philosophically, we would like to use manure and stay organic. We'll see what the bug population has to teach us.

[wasabi]

By the way, Dozer, I neglected to fully respond to your kind heads up on the deer issues. You're absolutely right! They can be worse than bad!

For the last 17 years, I've lived on an island on the coast of SC...where deer are thicker than black flies in the north. Here, not too long ago, one of our venerable old gated communities, (long ago state sanctioned as a nature preserve), made national news by serving up prolonged struggles, lawsuits, counts and re-counts (no chads tho) and absolutely daft divisiveness over whether or not the herds should be thinned. Gardeners and homeowners were up in arms over the loss of shrubbery. Tree huggers were aghast at the thought of dead bambis in the forest preserve. A big thing was also made of driver safety. Eventually, following a multi-year battle, the court allowed the sharpshooters to do their deed and the herd quickly dropped by 250. Other such "plantation" style communities around here just shoot the suckers and distribute the meat through charities.

For years a small herd of about a dozen traipsed through our backyard nightly, nibbling azaleas, bamboo, hostas and virtually anything they could get to. They just laugh at our Pug named Bonsai. For weeks last spring, a doe was bedded down in the backyard by the trampoline near the marsh!

The list of what not to plant here, 'cause the deer like 'em, is ten times as long as what you can plant. They have been known to be bold enough to come up on our back deck to eat the roses. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

Since we got Buddy, a three year old Rhodesian ridgeback/yellow lab mix, the deer don't come by as often.....he can almost catch 'em! [img]/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Your advice re: dog is right on...he's the best deer deterrent yet!

You bet hunting is fun...and I like venison!