APPLES WITH A VIEW !
2615 MAD TOM ROAD
EAST DORSET, VT
802-366-8107
Best estimate for start of raspberry harvest at this point is soon after July 4 - watch for updates in late June.
RASPBERRIES - posted 5/11/13 - All raspberry pruning done - spot sprayed round up on all rows for weed control (with backpack sprayers) - next jobs are to get the fertilizer spread and the trellis posts and wires back up.
APPLES - Posted 5/16/13 - Zestar, Gala, Cortland, Empire and Macintosh are now mostly at at full bloom - Honeycrisp a few days behind. Our bumble bees came in Tuesday and they are happily out buzzing from tree to tree. We did not have any damage from the light frosts Sunday and Monday nights.
Posted 5/11/13 - Zestar and Ginger Gold are now in bloom - expect Macintosh and others to be open mid next week and thru the weekend May 18/19 - come by for pictures when the sun is out.
Much more normal temperatures this year have put bloom on a normal schedule and less danger (but not zero) of frost. The dry weather makes us glad for Otter Creek supplying our 14,000 feet of irrigation lines - I am glad to finally get all the air out of the system and all the drain valves closed.
Next orchard jobs are to spread fertilizer and plow, harrow, rototill, and seed the area for new tree planting in 2014. Mowing will start soon and there are still suckers that did not get cut around the trunks of the old trees last fall.
Posted 3/21/13 - First day of Spring and we just had 14 " of snow - last year it was 76 degrees on Mar 21. The colder weather is much better for the apples because it will delay bloom to the normal mid May time and we will have less risk of frost.
Pruning is the main work in the orchard at this time of year - we have about 350 more trees to go - we prune when the sun shines and it is not too cold - otherwise watch the woodstove.
Click to see our weather station data and forecast http://www.rainwise.net/weather/ved
Apples in bloom on May 16
We are located on Mad Tom Road 2 1/2 miles from US RT 7 at the East Dorset General Store. Look forward to seeing you. Open - Tuesday - Sunday 9:00AM to 5:30PM - closed Mondays.
Pictures - Winter Spring Fall Raspberries Family
scroll down for pictures and more info
Apple Picking
is fun! Children love to pick the low fruit and we provide picking
poles for ambitious people who want the best from the top. Picnickers
are welcome, and bring your camera to record the fun. Cider
and donuts are available on several weekends. Raspberries also add to the
fall harvest.
We are Sylvia and
Tom Smith, and we began to restore the Mad Tom Orchard in 1999.
Planted in 1940 by the Parsons family, the orchard was purchased by Tom's
dad in 1962, and run for many years as a commercial orchard, then as pick-your-own. Loss of the airplane spray service forced the
orchard to close in 1997. We now have pruned over 100 of the best old
trees and planted 800 new trees bringing 8 acres back into
production.
Welcome - Sylvia & Tom Smith
The old trees are big and beautiful, and are all
McIntosh and Cortland, two premier New England varieties. The new ones
include more of these two old favorites plus Gingergold, Zestar, Sansa,
Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp,
Macoun, Empire, Golden Delicious, Fortune, Northern Spy, and Jonagold.
Fruit is available on the old trees and the new trees as well. The mountains around us provide the views, the refreshing
breezes, and a perfect spot to enjoy autumn in Vermont.
Looking south toward Green Peak