Backyard Orchard Series

Offered each December-February

 

Houston's subtropical climate is great for growing a wide range of fruits. This seven class series will teach you the essentials of growing the many delicious fruits that grow well in Houston-area yards. This series is helpful for those new to growing fruit or new to organic practices in the garden. If you have had problems growing a fruit tree or plant in the past, discover tips to guarantee success. Sign up for any individual class or take the whole series at a discount. Instructors Dr. Bob Randall, Gary Edmondson, Ethan Natelson, Ed Self and Jim Mullins have decades of experience with local fruits and grow many varieties in their gardens.

 

Calendar of Classes and Events

The Backyard Orchard series is held in December through February in the Urban Harvest classroom. Class dates include weeknights and Saturday mornings. For pricing, class dates and times, check our Classes and Events calendar.

 

 

Classes Include:

 

Citrus Tasting: taste a variety of citrus from local gardeners and begin thinking about what you want to grow this winter.

 

Growing Citrus in Houston: plant citrus trees this winter and in a few years you will have bushels of fruit throughout the late fall and winter months.

 

Care of Fruit Trees: learn how to keep them alive, grow them strong and prune them.

 

Tropical Fruits for Houston: learn about growing Avocados, Sugar Apples, Jaboticaba, Cherry of the Rio Grande, Miracle Fruit, Lychee and Grumichama.

 

Peaches, Plums, Pomegranates: learn which varieties grow successfully in our climate and how to grow them organically.

 

Grapes, Figs, and Berries: learn about some varieties you can't find in the store (muscadines, mulberries) that are delicious and easy to grow at home.

 

Apples, Pears, and Persimmons: learn how to grow the tastiest varieties suitable for our climate.

Below is detailed information about each class.

 

Backyard Orchard #1: Citrus Tasting and Growing Oranges, Grapefruits, Lemons and Other Citrus

Sample all types of exotic citrus from back yards throughout Houston.  Be a contributor and bring your citrus to share with the class.  This is meant to be a brief introduction to growing citrus locally.  Taste dozens of varieties and save seeds to start your own orchard.  Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit is available.

Dr. Bob Randall is the author of Year Round Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers for Metro-Houston, 12th edition. He grows a wide variety of citrus and other fruits at his home.

 

Backyard Orchard #2: Growing Citrus in Houston 

Citrus trees can be planted this winter and in a few years will bear bushels of fruit. They are even evergreens that have fragrant flowers, attract North America's largest butterfly and are a good bird habitat. Explore the types of citrus available, how to grow them, and where seeds and saplings can be obtained. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits is available.

Dr. Bob Randall has studied and grown citrus in Houston for the past 25 years.

 

Backyard Orchard #3: Care Of Fruit Trees
This class will dispel the myth that fruit trees require too much work for the average home gardener. In fact, many kinds are among the easiest plants to care for. Whether you have already planted all of your fruit trees or are just getting started, this class has something for you. Learn basic organic fertilization requirements and techniques along with how to plant, prune and mulch your trees. This class will help you use the information gained in the other Urban Harvest fruit classes.  Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit is available. Dr. Bob Randall is the author of Year Round Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers for Metro-Houston, 12th edition. He grows a wide variety of fruits at his home.

 

Backyard Orchard # 4: Tropical Fruits for Houston

Recently we have discovered that there are many varieties of tropical fruits that can be grown in the Houston area. Learn about the best varieties for the Houston area and what is needed to be a successful grower of these fruits. The varieties in this class are Avocados, Sugar Apples, Jaboticaba, Cherry of the Rio Grande, Miracle Fruit, Lychee and Grumichama. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits is available. Ed Self has been experimenting with tropical fruits for the past 25 years with 8 of those years in Texas and has discovered what is working for this area and how to grow them successfully. He currently is successfully growing Lychee, Jaboticaba, Cherry of the Rio Grande, White Sapote, Dragon Fruit and Pineapple.

 

Backyard Orchard #5: Peaches, Plums, Pomegranates & Other Fruit
Many varieties of these fruit trees will make beautiful ornamental additions to your garden and provide some of the best tasting fruits you can grow. Fruit you grow at home will be far sweeter and juicier than the ones available in the market. However, these fruits are more of a challenge than citrus to grow here, and many growers resort to non-organic methods. This class covers the best varieties, how to grow them organically, and also includes other more exotic fruits such as apricots, mayhaws, jujubes and feijoas.
Ethan Natelson, MD is President of the North American Fruit Explorers. He grows a broad selection of fruit including many that are usually found only in research facilities.

 

Backyard Orchard #6: Berries, Figs & Grapes
Blackberries, strawberries, mulberries, and even black raspberries grow well here organically. February is the time to plant many of them for harvest next year. Grow berries too big to eat in one bite, and discover berry varieties without thorns! Figs are some of the easiest, most productive and reliable fruits we can grow and provide fruit for many months out of the year. Learn how to get good grape vines cheaply, how to plant and trellis, and how to care for them. Inorganic and organic methods for growing bunch grapes will be discussed, as well as delicious hybrid muscadines that grow well using organic methods. 
Dr. Bob Randall grows eight different varieties of fig trees as well as many berries and muscadines. Jim Mullins owns Orchard Creek Farm and Vineyard. He grows dozens of varieties of bunch grapes and many berries at his pick your own farm.

 

Backyard Orchard #7: Apples, Pears & Persimmons
These are three easy-to-grow warm weather fruits you can plant this winter. If you plant the right variety using our tips, you'll have sweet, tasty, results from fairly pest-free trees that are easy to care for. This class will focus on the best varieties both for flavor and adaptation to our climate. We'll explain chill requirements and how to keep trees low enough to pick your fruit. Grafting techniques will be demonstrated so you can learn how to add hard-to-purchase varieties to your yard.
Ethan Natelson, MD is President of the North American Fruit Explorers and has grown many varieties of apples, pears, and persimmons.