Starting an Orchard From Scratch : Greenhouse Allotment

A greenhouse allotment is not needed to start an orchard from scratch. I had signed up for this greenhouse allotment as a present for my mom as she loves plants but often complained that she had no space for them. But now since I have it and I live in an apartment also with no space this is the space i will use. I started all my plants in  my apartment before getting the greenhouse space to rent.

Check out my log on Permies: https://permies.com/t/70991/Newbie-Pre-Homesteader-Log

Here is my GoFundMe Project:  Starting an Orchard From Scratch

If you liked the information here please visit the project page and show your support by just making a comment. If you make a donation thank you so much for your help it means the world to me.

I am bench 105 and so far it is stocked with

Seedlings

17 Kiwi plants

15 Strawberries

8 Apples

2 Cherries

2 Blueberries

2 Spearmint

New sprouts
1 Cherry
3 Blueberries
4 Purple flowers i found bees and monarch butterflies going crazy for.

Lets Talk Business for a second: Here is a breakdown on what I expect to spend based on my current situation:

THE BUDGET

Description                                         Budget               Actual Spending
Funding
Personal                                              $1,950                        $85             
Donations                                           $1,050                       $600
Expenses
Greenhouse Fees                                 ($370)                     ($370)
Greenhouse set up:
Pots:                                                      ($10)                           .
Stationary:                                            ($10)                        ($10)
Soil:                                                      ($20)                           .
Compost Set Up:
Fish:                                                      ($20)                           .
Worms:                                                 ($10)                            .
Seeds from Farmers Market Fruit        ($40)                        ($24)
Seeds from Green Barn Quebec         ($150)                           .
Daily Travel
(Rate $10)  (# trips 180B 2A)           ($1800)                      ($115) 
Moving plants to Orchard Site           ($400)                           .
Buffer for other Expenses                   ($170)                           .
________________________________________________________
Net                                                          $0                          $166

Seeing it in Black and White will keep me focused. It will be updated as I spend.



The Full Story




THE FULL STORY

February 2017
It is waiting list day and I eagerly call in like I was calling a radio station to win a trip to jamaica for a all inclusive holiday. Call after call until the phone rang. I put myself on the waiting list for a city of toronto gargen alottment plot.

I originally wanted to get it for my mom as she loved gardening and she currently lives in a bachelor apartment with no balcony. That hasn't stopped her from keeping plants. The window space I'd filled with plants and so I thought this was a great idea.

I put my name on the list and saved their number in my phone as "Allotment Gardens Present" and waited. But when may 2017 came around and I had not received a call back I gave up hope until next year.

As I waited I started to dream and have a longing to get out of the city. It was not just one thing it was many and it was making my head spin. The wave of terrorist attacks in Europe terrorist always seem to target big cities and crowded places and guess where i live.  The instability of the stock market one day up the next day down the uneasy wait for it to go back up. The fast pace of the city the long hours at work the stressful meetings where nothing gets resolved and it is affecting your world and you cant make the change cause its not your decision and all you can do it wait and watch. It got me thinking of a better way a better life one that I had a little more control.

May 2017
Those dreams put me on a path to purchasing vacant land in the suburbs of ontario. I planted a few things on the land just to see if they would grow and really caught the bug for growing. I planted some plants I had around my apartment there and went to visit to see how they were doing how happy they were and if they were not happy I would love them then recheck their happiness level when I went back. Spider plants, lucky bamboo, a cactus some garlic that started to grow cause I didn't cook with it in time. And I took a leap of faith and planted my little Clementine I grew from seed.

I wanted to see if I could get food growing on the land. So the first thing I bought and planted was a blue berry bush after seeing all the signs on the way there about blue berry picking. I thought oh blue berries do well here. I will plant one and see. $11 home depot

Then another trip I went with my dad I told him my ideas and he was all for planting some trees. So we went Canadian tire and got an apple tree , a small cherry tree, and a strawberry bush. $70 .

Then another trip I had the idea to make a hedge row to line the property with cedar trees for a privacy fence. 2 Small cedar trees end of season Loblaws. $10

Then it hit me. If I was to buy all the plants I wanted to fill all this space about 5 acres I would go broke!

I would try growing my own plants. And so an obsession was born. I tried to grow all the fruits I ate. Most unsuccessfully at first. But with every failure just made me more determined because the guy or girl on YouTube got it to work why couldn't I.

August 2017
By now I have a variety of seeds in the fridge stratifying and seedlings growing in every window space a few maple seedlings here and tropical plants like mango seedlings and a pineapple there. And a husband that is not amused. The other day I bought a pack of kiwis and they were so yummy I couldn't help myself I tried to sprout the seeds and about 20 sprouted. I planted 8 and now I don't know what to do with rest and I can't bring myself the throw them away. I got a crazy look of course when I said that.

September 2017
I was thinking it's time to try and protect the plants on the property from the upcoming winter cold and frost and how I was going to do that.

Then I got the call "Allotment Gardens Present" wow what timing! I jumped at it submitting the paperwork before I could hear sorry we have no more plots! The greenhouse opens October 1 to May 1 8am to 8pm each day. This will be perfect for  getting my seeds started for my orchard. My plan before this was I asked my uncle in Brampton to keep my plants for me until I could transplant them on the property. The allotment is a way better option as I can go there before work and after work to check on my plants. Perfect !!!
My husband's response was Great! The plants are moving out.

I went to Take a look at my allotment when i could meet the supervisor. A really nice man named Griffith that walked me through how this all worked where i could find the things i needed and how much fun it was going to be. I found my bench. I made a periscope video. Find me on twitter @yolybearz

https://www.pscp.tv/yolybearz/1lDxLkyQEnRJm?t=17

Funny story and this is just to say there are persons that think like me and i love that. There was another newbie like myself there that was checking out his bench. I told him my plans for my bench for starting the fruit trees and raising them up so they could be planted at the end of winter. An he said he had a friend that was growing walnut trees in pots in his back yard and he had like 20 pots of walnut trees. Amazing!

September 2017

So it's planning time!
I will need Pots of various sizes

I will start with these 3 sizes of pots and see how it works out.

A watering can and a spray bottle
Mini gardening tools.

All these are on amazon and the look very nice

But realistically to buy all that now would be too much cost all at once so I an going to space all that out over time.
I will start at my dollar store. I will use the paper cups as the different sized pots. Save your coffee cups for me guys :) I have been using them so far and the seedling outgrow them before the paper cups degrade.
I will also get to work making some custom pots for some of your plants. My creative side can have some fun :)
So for now my bench will be the ameteur bench...lol

Speaking of benches. Here I am :) Bench number 105 :). I am very happy

The allotment Opens October 1st. I feel like I am at the starting line of a Dragon boat race waiting for the horn to go off.


October 1st 2017 - Milestone Day!
Its Finally here Greenhouse setup day went very well yesterday. Mom came to help. I filled my bench as best i could with the plants that were in my apartment. It looked like so much in the apartment but the bench was not even half full and was hungry for more.  So far I have seedlings of apples , cherry, strawberry, Kiwi, and blueberries.

I planted some new seedlings that spouted in egg shells to start them off. The eggshells make cute tiny little pots and the seedlings will gain some nutrients (every little bit counts). In the eggshells I have.

I noticed some flies in fly traps so I will grow some insect repelling plants like spearmint and marigolds. I have 2 spearmint plants for now and mom is getting the marigolds.
I put the plants in bags for now to help maintain some humidity and help them adjust.

Check out the video on periscope/twitter below
https://www.periscope.tv/w/1YqGomDMOdlxv


Here is the setup so far. Mom cake to help with the set up and clean up.

Above are little seedling starters - purple flowers , Apples, strawberries

Below are Kiwis and the current setup of the bench so far

When I got home I decided to get to work on the rest of the sour apples. I made my version of apple crumble. This took 3 apples and gave me 23 seeds.

The seed count now stands at 45 apples seeds and 60 pear seeds

Talk soon with updates :) .... See you soon