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We are also picking Satsuma and kumquat. We have a good crop of both. The Satsuma is seedless and very sweet. All citrus is $2.00 per pound. There is also a supply of Asian persimmon (Fuyu) and Asian pear trees for sale. These are the same trees we grow in the orchard.
Our hours have changed, no standard hours. We will be working in the orchard and will accommodate all customers. However, it’s best if you call ahead 281 467-9758 to make sure we are expecting you. If you call and make an appointment we will meet with you however, we will not wait more the 30 minutes past the time you said you would arrive unless you call to tell us you’re running late.
September 2007 Jujube (Asian dates) are picked for this year. Figs are being picked every 4 days. Our next fruit is Asian persimmon which should be ready for picking the first of October unless you get an updated message. Therefore, the orchard will only be open by reservation. WE WILL NOT HAVE
August 2, 2007 Here it is August already, time really flies. Lots have happened since my last update. My father in-law passed away July 23rd and we had services July 30th. The orchard was open even if I wasn’t there, thanks to Cody. We need to catch up with our mowing and trimming to make the orchard presentable to you.
Here is a fruit update.
With all the rain figs came in strong but fast. We still have figs but we need to wait about 4 days between pickings. So if you want figs call and I’ll give you a fig status.
Jujube (Asian dates) are in. We have been picking for a week to 10 days now. The Le jujube is big and round, we have several trees and they are ripe. Lang are oblong jujube, it normally comes in two weeks later than Le jujube. They should be ready soon. Several folks want to purchase a jujube tree, we sold out bu6t will get some more this winter.
Asian pear very few this year thanks to the raccoon. I wish there was something I could do to keep them out of the orchard. We added a 8ft fence to keep out deer and hogs but the fence does little to keep out raccoon. Any ideas??
Asian persimmons are on schedule, they will be ready in October. We still have some persimmon trees for sale.
July 14, 2007 Another rain day! And more rain to come for the next 4 days. Blackberries, tomatoes and cucumbers are finished for the year, it was a good year. Figs are coming in strong they are very sweet this year. Thanks to a customer who told me how to can figs I put up 3qts of fig preserves. First time I ever canned anything. It was fun and hopefully rewarding. With all the rain and no sun our Jujube fruit (Asian Date) are not ripening, looks like another week or more before we start picking Jujube. Call the 'fruit hot line' 281 351-7676 or check the web site's news for picking updates. Don’t be to rough on me with predictions…..I have no controls over the weather.
Have you noticed the new picture of the barn and sign on all the web pages? Thanks to Drew, a friend, who took the picture. I’ve wanted to add a new picture for over a year. Thanks Drew!
July 01, 2007 Today we started picking figs at $3.00 per pound. They became ripe fast, faster than I thought. Jujubes are starting to turn a light yellow, give it 7-10 days and they should be at their peak. Blackberries have about one more week and that will be all for the year. However, you will spend more time picking a 1gal bucket than you did a couple of weeks ago.
Please remember to call our fruit hot line {281 351-7676} prior to driving out. Our hours will change between now and October. Have safe and happy 4th.
June 26, 2007 Another rain day? Yesterday we had 80% chance of rain but the weather cleared and folks could have picked later in the day. Today 70% chance, who knows what we will receive, if any. Right now the sun is shinning and we are open for picking. We still have blackberries! Our tomatoes are really coming in now, they are red and juicy.
June 20, 2007 Today is Wednesday and we had lots of rain last night and more coming today. The orchard will be closed today and reopen Thursday. There are blackberries, black and red ones turning. We also have tomatoes and 1015 onions.
June 15, 2007 We still have blackberries to pick. This week our vegetables are tomatoes, cucumbers, 1015 onions and corn.
I’m hearing there is some confusion about tour customers and pick- your-own customers. Pick-your-own customers do not pay for a tour if they come to pick fruit, which means, the only cost for a pick-your-own customer is the cost of the fruit or berries you pick. You DON’T even pay for the box. Tours are groups of 15 or more, with a reservation and deposit. Activities for tours customers are detailed on the ‘TOUR’ page from my web site.
Figs are coming along, lots of small green figs are on the trees. Looks like mid-July will be fig picking time.
June 6, 2007 It’s blackberry season and all those on my mailing list received an email informing them two weeks ago about the berries. We have had lots of pickers and some days we were picked out for a day…..BUT, more varieties are coming in production and we have more to pick today than the last two weeks. The berries are big and plump. Our price is $3.00 per pound you-pick or $5 per pound if we pick. I’m amazed at the store prices, 5.6oz at $4.99, which is $14.25 per pound.
Our picking hours are Monday through Saturday
April 15, 2007 A beautiful summer day it's my Mother’s Birthday, a day to celebrate. We had some cool weather the beginning of the week and I was praying that there would not be a frost. All our fruit trees bloomed and a freeze would have wiped out this years fruit. We were lucky, the temperature got down to 35 degrees. Just another one of those things a farmer has to contend with.
Easter Monday brought the first
When you come to the Orchard you will now notice our beautiful new signs, thanks to The Casanova Sign Company. Our old company sign was falling apart and was replaced with a sign that will last many years to come.
One more item, last year someone lost their cell phone…we found it! Call us and we can hold it for you.
WOW where does the time go? What’s new? Well we are busy getting ready for berry and fruit picking. Blackberries look good for picking in mid-May. I’ll send out emails when I think it’s time to pick.
I’ve been pruning the persimmon trees and found Sooooo many tree limbs broken, big and small limbs and not one person told me they broke a tree limb last season. When the limb is broken persimmon will never again grow on that limb, the loss is not small. This was mostly caused by some pickers pulling down a limb to pick a persimmon. It’s disturbing, I planted the orchard 10 years ago, fed, weeded, pruned, groomed and generally took the best care of the trees for my customers to come and enjoy a little country and have the pleasure of really fresh fruit. Yes, and to make a profit. So I’m hurt that respect was not given to my orchard. And some people I trusted to walk through my land could not be trusted and they damaged the trees. Last year I found men and women climbing trees, children were pulling fruit off the trees and throwing them at each other, people eating in the orchard prior to purchasing the fruit and throwing trash and persimmon peels on the ground. People, this orchard is for YOU! Please help me to take care of it. Point made???? I hope so.
Found something interesting I’d like to share. As you know we have the ruby-throated humming birds visit us at the orchard. In fact, at times I’ve counted over 25 at one time. Well, I learned a little something from Larry, a fellow grower and friend. Humming birds maintain their metabolism by eating flower nectar and sugar water but, they get protein and other nutrients from spiders and soft body insects. Humming birds have feet but can’t walk. They beat their wings 53 times per second, for migration they fly non-stop across and back the
January 20, 2007 Happy New Year! So what do we do when no fruit is to be picked? Well, the work really begins and it all boils down to getting ready for next season.
- We are pruning all fruit and berries in the orchard.
- We are trying to get weeds pulled.
- We ordered and planted more blackberries for the ones that didn’t make the year. Fifty berries are potted ready for sale.
- We ordered and potted a new supply of Asian persimmon, Asian pear and jujube trees to be shipped, sold to our local customers or added to the orchard.
- We are waiting for some cherry trees. Our plan is to test how productive cherries will be in
The weather was cold and we had ice on the trees. Not to worry, because it only got down to about 28 degree in the orchard and a little cold weather is needed to set fruit and kill any over weathering bugs. So we did OK. I don’t think it killed an ant….darn.
You will be happy to know the road from Mueschke to the 1st orchard gate was repaired. Hopefully it will be in good shape when we start picking blackberries in May. The other road need some work and material added. When we get some dry weather I’ll work the road again.
Also, we have 4 baby guinea hens, very noisy!
We had a good bow hunting season with lots of activity but, not enough animals were taken. We added two 16' tripods stands.
Well that’s the news for now. If anything happens I’ll keep you informed..
October 20, 2006 Thank you to my customers! Because of the tremendous turnout of pickers we are now picked out of Asian persimmon. We will have some citrus available mid November. The pumpkin patch will be open till the end of October and we are continuing to book tours and bow hunts.
December and January is our fruit tree sale, we sale potted trees and blackberry plants plus take mail orders. Our first fruit in 2007 will be in May for blackberries. As you recall we planted 5,000 blackberry plants in June 2006.
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October, 2006 This poem was passed on to me by, Dick M, another pumpkin. I liked it enough to share it with all the pumpkins in my patch. Rick
A person asked the farmer, "What is it like to be a Christian?"
The farmer replied, "It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.
He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for the entire world to see."
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September 23, 2006 We are picking Asian persimmon at .90 per pound. Our new hours are Monday through Saturday
We do not charge a fee to enter the orchard therefore, we asks our customers to please purchase the fruit prior
to eating. We greatly appreciate your assistance. Please come and enjoy the country.
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September 16, 2006 We added an interesting pumpkin receipt to the Receipt Web Page; it’s called ‘Susan’s Pioneer Pumpkin Recipe’. Susan is a teacher and says children are the cooks; they enjoy making and eating the Pioneer Pumpkin Recipe. Try it with a fresh pumpkin! If you have a favorite receipt you would like to share let me know, of course I can’t vouch for the receipt.
It’s getting close to the time for Asian persimmon picking; I anticipate we will start picking the week of Sept. 24th. There is some ripping now but there will much more next week.
Would you believe….finally we have 4 baby guinea fowls. All this time I’m finally a proud parent of guineas. You need to see these cute little babies.
Our Harvest Festival and pumpkin patch will start October 1st. There are some times available but, we are filling up with school field trips, birthday parties, and social gatherings. Reservations are required.
August 23, 2006 Once again my friendly raccoons have helped themselves to fresh fruit. This time it’s the Asian pear. I looked for some pear yesterday and found one, which I picked for myself, it was a small one. Now that the pears are gone I wonder what’s next. All this is in the life of an orchardist. There is still some Jujube, mostly the Lang variety, you know the pear shaped ones.
On the brighter side, the Asian persimmon continues to ripen, even have some ready to pick. Don’t rush out because it’s only the beginning.
Our hours are the same
Harvest Festival -- October reservations are filling up. Saturday and Sunday’s are reserved for families who come to pick and want to picnic. However, we are taking reservations for the Harvest Festival after
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Jujubes, Asian dates, are also coming to an end. Trees were loaded again this year and folks liked the Le jujube the best. I enjoy watching families come and pick fresh fruit they really have a good time, especially the kids. It is truly a good way to introduce kids to farm life.
Asian pear will be our next fruit to be harvested. Because pears grow on a tree that grows straight up, I believe I’ll do all the picking. Last year we had a lot of tree damage from pickers.
Good news It appears the Asian persimmon will be early this year due to a mild winter. Some of the fruit is changing to a light yellow color. Watch for an email from us. Our price will be the same as last year, .90 per pound. Have a good week!
As you know our hours for picking are seasonal depending on what there is to pick. We changed our hours to
– Lots of rain and more rain is coming. The orchard is closed today and Thursday, July 27th. We should be in good shape for Friday plus, this weekend should provide sufficient fig and jujube for pickers.
I have been asked ‘why I don’t send emails when I signed up for the mailing list’. The reason is we evaluate the production and send emails when the production is sufficient for picking however, fruit is available and we welcome all pickers. I try to keep emails to a minimum. We anticipate three emails per year one for the blackberries in May, another for figs and jujube in July and the 3rd in September for Asian persimmon and pumpkins.
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Judy asked what varieties of figs do you grow and when are they ready?
ANS We grow six varieties; Anna, Celeste, LSU Purple, Brown Turkey, Improved Brown Turkey and Banana. Figs are ready in early to mid July to October.
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July 16, 2006 – This year we replaced our blackberry planting from the front of the orchard to a new area in the back and planted 5,000 new blackberries. If everything goes well we should have berries from May into July. In order to have berries for 8 weeks I planted 6 varieties. Two of these varieties are thornless and the other four are quality berries worthy of thorns. We planted the following varieties;
Our Asian pears have been expanded to 100 trees; varieties include Hosui, 20th Century and Shinko.
Another addition to the orchard is planting of Asian persimmon trees in larger pots. We plan to grow these trees out to 100 gallons. This will allow a customer to purchase an extra large tree that will have fruit the first year.
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July 11, 2006: Figs - are ready to pick at $2.50 per pound.
Jujube (Asian Dates) - are ready to pick at $2.50 per pound.
Asian Pear - ready in August at $2.00 per pound.
Asian Persimmon - Asian persimmon are ready for picking in October at $.90 per pound.
Satsuma - Ready mid to late October at $2.00 per pound.
Nursery - Fruit trees; fig, pear, jujube, persimmon, and satsuma.