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Last December I looked at some of the reasons motivating me to continue preparing fresh organic fruit and vegetable juices for my family. For those of you who are interested in making your own juice, I thought I’d take a look at the various technological options available to you. There are many implements and appliances available for making your own juice. These range from the relatively inexpensive to the almost unbelievably overpriced. While the equipment you choose needs to suit your intended purpose, it’s also important for it to fit within the parameters of your household budget. There’s no point forking out money for equipment you’re not going to use after a few weeks. Unfortunately, people often spend good money...

An essential consideration when storing fresh fruit is to ensure that only the highest quality examples are selected in the first place. As an organic producer, the objective is always to provide a safe, nutrient rich environment, one which enables healthy fruit to develop without the assistance of toxic pesticides and other chemical additives. Fruit which has been nurtured appropriately from the earliest stages will always store more easily, and remain fresher than produce which has been compromised by adverse growing conditions or bad management. There are few long term advantages to be gained from storing crops which are in poor condition. Most fruit can be stored in a variety of ways. Any decision regarding the most suitable approach to...

Pruning is required to regulate the growth and shape of fruit trees, vines, and bushes. Because many of these are expected to support heavy crops, they need to develop a strong and resilient framework. This can usually be achieved through a combination of variety selection, and effective management which utilises a range of organic cultivation techniques such as soil enhancement, biological controls, companion planting, regular pruning, and fruit thinning. Immature trees and bushes are pruned to stimulate the correct orientation and solid growth of supporting limbs and branches. Over several seasons, the foliage is pruned into a shape which will eventually provide good protection for developing fruit while maintaining a reasonable degree of...

The propagation of fruit trees, bushes, and vines is a technical field containing considerable traps and difficulty for the inexperienced gardener. For a variety of reasons most commercial growers no longer propagate their own stock. Among these, time constraints, and barriers restricting convenient access to biological materials are believed to deter many growers away from the task. At the same time, the commercial success of large scale nurseries specialising in propagation have enabled these professional breeders to provide large quantities of plants at highly competitive prices. Despite these inducements to abandon their interest in the field, there is a small percentage of fruit growers who remain devoted to the task of propagating their...

Stakes and ties are applied to immature and developing fruit species to control the direction and patterns of growth and to ensure strong root and trunk development. After planting outdoors, most juvenile fruit trees will benefit from some individual support to help them establish a healthy and well distributed root system. Inexpensive and reusable wooden stakes can be purchased from most organic nurseries and garden supply centres. Alternatively, it may be feasible to cut and shape suitable tree stakes from narrow lengths of hardwood moulding. Stakes should be inserted securely into the ground before the tree is planted on the most protected side. In a site affected by strong winds, it is good practice to encircle juvenile trees with three...

While fruit trees can provide the most economically rewarding return for the labour and effort required to establish and maintain them, much of this will be directed toward protecting them against birds, insects, and other organisms. Since the organic philosophy is based upon promoting biodiversity and establishing harmonious relationships with nature, the strategies used to protect fruit trees need to be more sophisticated and enduring than those which only seek to remove or eliminate garden competitors. An integrated approach is recommended for coping with persistent fruit pests. In the first instance, ensuring the health and vitality of soil helps to support strong plants and lays the foundation for a balanced garden ecosystem. Because established...

When integrated within an organic approach, fruit thinning is a useful task which ultimately improves the resilience and vigour of plants. Skilfully applied thinning will help to maintain soil fertility by stabilising the seasonal demand and take-up of important minerals and organic nutrients. It can also enhance the quality and flavour characteristics of each mature crop. Because selective breeding and biotechnology now dominate many aspects of mainstream fruit production, fruit thinning is less commonly practiced and has even been marginalised within the organic sector for many common fruit species. With their ability to manipulate key characteristics of the reproductive cycle, agricultural scientists have developed plants which can produce...

There are several considerations and strategies which experienced gardeners will apply before purchasing their organic fruit plants. The first of these concerns the reputation and certification of the local growers, plant nurseries or garden centres where fruit trees and vines are sold as juvenile stock. To maintain their organic certification, plant wholesalers and retailers are obliged to comply with a strict code of technical management which applies to all areas of plant husbandry including cultivation, propagation, disease prevention, treatment, and the associated aspects of soil improvement, composting, and mulching. Evidence of an approved organic certification is one of the principal safeguards to eliminate inferior stock and that which...

On account of their decision to avoid chemical agents, organic fruit growers tend to assert less control over the timing of their crops and must depend upon favourable conditions and highly effective management at the point of harvest. When utilised efficiently, the labour intensive requirements of organic production help to integrate multiple activities throughout seasonal cycles, from sowing to harvest, then recovery. This means that each task depends upon the quality of observation and effort applied in earlier and subsequent activities. An experienced grower understands that successful harvesting cannot be separated from soil quality, climate characteristics, and patience. One of the basic challenges of successful harvesting is determining...

Many fruit trees or vines can be successfully raised in containers. Within the average suburban allocation, container planting enables a wider diversity of species to be trialled, particularly when there is an appreciation of the various micro-climates and other growing conditions. In most regions it is important to make use of sunny, but reasonably sheltered spaces around walls, pathways, trees, and other decorative features. With the exception of very large specimens, container growing has the advantage of portability. Containers can be moved to accommodate seasonal shifts and to avoid the impact of storms and predatory insect attack. Water supply and drainage can be closely monitored and problems are often easily fixed, before any serious...