fruit walls

[mikemap]

This should be of tremendous interest to the boundary pushers and urbanists here. A nice article about the now uncommon technique of using stone/brick walls to control microclimates in orchards.

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/12/fruit-walls-urban-farming.html

[geosulcata]

The repository in Miami has an area like this. We were told that during the most recent very cold winter (I think 2010), that the walls ended up becoming so cold that they had the opposite effect and caused more damage than if there had been no walls.

[bsbullie]

The repository in Miami has an area like this. We were told that during the most recent very cold winter (I think 2010), that the walls ended up becoming so cold that they had the opposite effect and caused more damage than if there had been no walls.

That makes sense however in a cold period, if you could provide a heat source to the stone/wall it could in turn be beneficial at holding ambient air temps warmer.

[simon_grow]

Thanks for sharing the article. I love the old pictures. I wonder what is the most easily and cost effective material that is suggested for building a modern fruitwall? I would assume cinder blocks are most commonly being used as fences that may retain enough heat?


Simon

[Vernmented]

Fantastic article. There isn't a ton of info I can find about espalier so it is a real treat when something new pops up. Thanks! Fruit walls work even better when you espalier along a house, especially one with crappy windows that let a lot of heat escape.

[zands]

Thanks for sharing the article. I love the old pictures. I wonder what is the most easily and cost effective material that is suggested for building a modern fruitwall? I would assume cinder blocks are most commonly being used as fences that may retain enough heat?
Simon

Cinder blocks will do it. But drop sand etc into their interior for more thermal mass

Navigate to this article with its photos and what you will see is a commercial operation. That raced to sell the first peaches of the year for premium prices. When urbanites  were only one or two generations from the land//////

My guess-timate is that the  earliest ___walled espalied___peaches went for four times the normal price. Bringing in bragging rights and prestige.

[bsbullie]

Thanks for sharing the article. I love the old pictures. I wonder what is the most easily and cost effective material that is suggested for building a modern fruitwall? I would assume cinder blocks are most commonly being used as fences that may retain enough heat?
Simon

Cinder blocks will do it. But drop sand etc into their interior for more thermal mass

Navigate to this article with its photos and what you will see is a commercial operation. That raced to sell the first peaches of the year for premium prices. When urbanites  were only one or two generationws from the land//////

I would personally have some sort of heating element within the center of the blocks.

[zands]

That heating element(s) will go nowhere butting up against cinder block and ambient temps.

[bsbullie]

That heating element(s) will go nowhere butting up against cinder block and ambient temps.

You are quite wrong.  The heating element would keep the wall warm which would radiate out. 

[ScottR]

Mike, thanks for link to interesting mag.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Thanks for sharing the article. I love the old pictures. I wonder what is the most easily and cost effective material that is suggested for building a modern fruitwall? I would assume cinder blocks are most commonly being used as fences that may retain enough heat?


Simon

I agree, I love the article and the old pics...if I'm not mistaken, this article basically shows the evolution of fruit walls into the first all glass greenhouses, of 1890.

but I don't think there is a more cost effective way to keep cold sensitive plants alive, other than using the typical materials for a greenhouse today (metal, plastic, and wood).

those walls would be too expensive, and labor intensive to build today...but if you could make use of some existing walls that would be great.

i've always dreamed about making use of the easements, next to the expressways, they have walls about 30ft tall that run from east to west...you could grow some nice lychees or mangoes here in central FL....I think all you'd need to do is run irrigation up the wall so you can run the water constantly if we get a nasty freeze...the plants will ice over, and the frozen water will insulate the trees from temps below 32F.