hello, first post.
i am am a relatively new gardener who is currently renting a house on a 1/8 acre plot so my fruit trees are currently limited to an improved dwarf Meyer lemon tree and a cutting that rooted - both in terra cotta pots. Currently living in zone 7 for at least another year. I also have strawberries in pots and a raspberry in a half whiskey barrel and a blackberry in a half whiskey barrel that was the trailing kind and has since rooted next to the barrel in the ground as well.
In the next 3-4 years I would like to own a starter house and eventually my dream house will have a large orchard.
I watched as many old Gardening Naturally clips that I could find on YouTube. If you have access to all 52 episodes, please let me know. I started listening to Mike McGrath on NPR podcast youbetyourgarden.org, and read Lee Reich (grow fruit naturally and the pruning book).
I also read a classic Self-Sufficiency by John and Sally Seymour from the 1970s. This is the book that got me interested in standard fruit trees.
To my knowledge, my yard is 100% organic and I plan to do things as they were done 100-200 years ago if possible - as organic and naturally as possible.
I eventually will have fruit trees. I plan on starting out with some dwarf and semi dwarfed kinds as well as some standard root stock. I eventually want to learn to graft on to my own standard seedling so I can take advantage of the tap roots.
I have a theory that standard rootstock will not only be more resilient to changes in natural water supply and soil types, but also may be more disease resistant when organic methods are used. I haven't not seen any data on this.
I also agree with John Seymour is that one massive advantage of standard trees is that you can graze livestock under them. I believe he reserves newborn cows, etc.
the main worry I have about standard trees is falling.
I I see patients in the hospital who have barely survived falls from ladders and are hospitalized for months with life changing, disabling injuries. I don't see the ones who die quickly or die on-scene based on where I work.
What at is the safety and hazards of orchard ladders and picking / pruning?
How often do people die or are disabled working with standard trees?
Why hasn't someone thought of some safety harness system that prevents injuries from falls (without causing you to swing in to the tree or hang yourself)?
How do you teach children ladder safety and the dangers of climbing trees?
When I was a kid, I clearly did not think about this and I climbed way too high in trees.
I welcome your comments. Thank you!!
Re: safety, I use an orchard ladder plus a pole fruit picker on my big trees. Plus I am very careful. I find it helpful to jump up and down on the first rung to see if the ladder is going to sink or lean. I also think about which branch I would grab if the ladder were to shift suddenly.
Even with the ladder and pole, I cannot reach the highest apples. So I get those after they fall.
Re: kids climbing trees, I think it is best to encourage them to climb low trees when the kids are small. They will learn a lot more from falling out of a small tree (and getting back up) than from any safety lecture 🙂 Of course this assumes the ground below the trees is not cement.
Hi, and welcome to the forum.
I’m pleased to hear someone planning on growing standard sized apple trees. I’d made the mistake of planting ‘dwarf trees’ in very poor soil, then noticing the standard, or ‘full sized’ trees did best; and with yearly pruning, could be kept to whatever size I desired. Their vigorous root system pulled up as much energy as was needed to both allow them to grow above the deer browse line (often a problem even ‘in towns’) and feed, ripen and hold a good load of fruit - as well as myself, eventually climbing inside to prune.
Apparently I raised a couple of cautious kids, as neither actually cared to play on my ladder, or follow me into the trees. Though raking up pruning shoots was dreaded by them, and likely enough to send them off to hide..
Fortunately, I’d discovered a ‘Three-legged orchard ladder,’ fairly soon. My 8 foot tall ‘Tallman,’ built in Hood River OR is still working well, and far more stable that a 2 or 4 legged ladder…
But keep in mind all that’s involved in pruning, spraying (lime sulfur & oil), thinning and harvesting up tall trees... I’d inherited some massive apple trees, some over 30 feet high ..and eventually took out most (replacing them) due to the danger and near impossibility of caring for them at that height.
And, I agree with the previous safety suggestions ...and would add that you stay out of wet trees; move a ladder, as opposed to leaning out, get a fruit picking bag for around your waste (and empty it often), prune an ‘access corridor’ up into your tree, and grow a 'vase-shaped' tree (to climb into). Always have two points of contact, use holsters or rope to carry up pruning loppers and saws - And never allow anyone - especially children, nor pets, to stand below you as you prune. The ‘water shoots’ will drop like arrows! ..my dog caught one just below her eye once - I felt terrible, but she never again hung out under the trees while I were in them...
...it’ll be awhile before even standard trees are climbable. And my only ‘fall’ was having a boot (followed by my leg) slip between the rungs of my aluminium orchard ladder as it was wet … so along with wet trees - avoid wet ladders, too 
It’s helpful and safer to have an open ‘access corridor’ (my description), or ‘limb free’ entry point into a vase-shaped tree. It allows you easy access, without snagging or snaking between limbs… Though it may seem counter productive removing limbs, the ease of access is worth it ~
One more 'safety suggestion' - lightweight 'full coverage' safety glasses, like sunglasses, only clear... It's very easy and no fun to poke an eye on the multitude of stems and twigs.
I would like to address the concept of interstem grafting. I have created several trees with an M111 rootstock and an M9 interstem. The theory is that the M111 provides a robust root that goes deep - artficial support is not needed as with other dwarf trees, and roots are extensive requiring less watering (I'm ready for climate change). The M9 provides the dwarfing. Since I only needed some of the stem of the M9 rootstock, I planted the rest off in a corner and now have a small tree to harvest interstems from (I can share M9 scion if anyone is interested). And of course the second graft happens a year after the first when you attach you favorite cultivar. This addresses the safety issue best as far as I'm concerned, although you won't be able to graze livestock (ducks excepted).
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