Apple tree plantings

The 100+ year-old orchard on our farm was planted by native Klallam man Boston Charlie, likely in the late 1800’s, most likely to fulfill one of the requirements for a Federal Land Claim. 

When established, the orchard extended at least three times as far as it does now, toward the east across what is now riverbed. Over time, and with the more dynamic river activity post dam removal, the remaining apple trees are at risk.  Last spring, with help from a few friends from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and a friend of theirs from the Olympic Orchard Society, we received assistance and training to cut scions and graft them to rootstock.  We now have about 20 young trees which we are planting just to the west of the existing trees to help the orchard “migrate” away from the river.    

The Olympic Orchard Society specializes in “exploring heritage orchards and taking the scionwood (a shoot of a tree collected for grafting) to rebuild the gene pool of local, historic fruit tree varieties.” They treasure these trees and others like them for their heritage gene pool. So do we!