Peaches and apples grow quick and produce early, they will produce the first year but should be pulled from what I have read. As long as you buy big healthy trees, not from Ty Ty nursery, but a local nursery.

Pecans and walnut take many years depending on the variety and size of transplants. I have a pecan that is 10 years old and no nuts yet. I have a 7 year old, different variety, that is blooming the first time this year. I also planted 2 Hazelnut trees last fall and they had some fruiting, I pulled them off.

Persimmons grow wild here so I have never planted.

My dear departed Dad lived by the rule of "buy a $30 tree and plant it in a $100 hole." Dig the hole much bigger than you need to just get it in the ground, and use mostly native soil, a little compost will be OK.

The clay soil shouldn't be a problem, clay is rich in nutrients.

May I recommend pears. Here in northern va I grow asian pears hosui and shinseki. If I had to plant them over again I would not put them side by side. You need 2 varieties for cross pollination, but mine set too much fruit and we wind up having to spend way too much time thinning the heavy fruit set.

I started with apples and peaches, but I hated having to spray them. Without a spray schedule, we had very little usable fruit. Now I grow pears, figs, oriental persimmons, and blueberries--all pesticide free.

Eight acres is a dream come true--enjoy.

I would go with planting bare root trees. This allows the tree to focus on underground growth and getting established. They are also cheaper than container purchases. Even though they aren't trees I would suggest putting blueberries in now. They will bear at 3 years old. As mentioned never buy from TyTy but DG website has a good review base for nurseries. Check that out and good luck...

I have just noticed TyTy in my search. That has got to be the strangest nursery web site of all time! The choice of photos are just odd.

But yes... I'm thinking edible shrubs and trees that are hardy.

Dont forget Juneberry/serviceberry amelanchier/grandiflora (accept no substitutes ;-).
They are native to your area, produce great fruit quickly, and you should be able to get them at your local nursery. Very sweet fruit, that looks like blueberry, but much better tasting. Great looking as well. Final size about 15ft high by 8 feet wide. Get the clump type. Only downside is they only produce fruit for about two weeks. Also the kids love them!

Always an...Angel

If I was going to plant trees for edibles I would use espalier / arborsculpture techniques to keep the fruit where I could reach it. Something to consider since you're starting from scratch.

Cherry trees are another one you could grow.

Use caution with walnuts, especially black walnuts, as they are allelopathic and leach a non-toxic chemical that weakens some plants, including apples, berries and grapes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Walnut & Allelopathy

Hello Citynowcountry boy Congratulations. The best thing I did when I bought my 10 acres was to get a soil test so I knew what I was working with. This was so I could be minimalist with any additives. I planted lots of trees that are not normally grown here and have had success (and failures) but have ended up with a great diversity. I also have haevy clay but where necessary have built mounds for trees.

I don't know anything about Tennessee but agree with the principle to get the trees in first. After 8 years the cornucopia here improves each year. Please consider the Australian tree Macadamia nut. It surives frosts here to minus 4C and 42C = freezing and boiling. They taste good and are versitile. I'd also consider pine nuts for pesto. Go for it and good luck. PS I've found asparagus to be a great long term producer- and it looks great anywhere. Cheers max

Too bad macadamias won't live in Knoxville.

Oh yes..... Macadamia would be amazing. I'm looking for calorie rich foods for starters (which is why I'm looking at Pecan trees.

Apparently, they are iffy here in Knoxville. Some people have pecan trees here and they are doing superbly... but the experts seem to disagree.

Now that I have been here a few months, I'm learning more and more what I like and don't like about this spot.

Because I'm "in town", there is too much road noise for my taste. Actually, there is some sort of major train activity about a half mile from here and they create most of the noise (and it ain't a pleasant "chugga chugga"). That's the price, I guess, for trying have acreage with close in-town convenience.

The soil looks amazing. I've been having some land moved around (bob cat work) and the soil appears to be very rich. The soil in the 5 wooded acres is insanely rich and loamy.

Too bad the trees make it so shady. It was probably the trees (and dropped leaves) that created the great dirt.

I'll probably end up turning some of these trees in into firewood as I create a little "farm land" back there.

I did find some cheap $20 Eliot pecan trees at a new "Big Lots" type store near here (oddly enough).

You might consider planting some of those fast growing leyland cypress trees between you and the noise. They really grow tall and muffle traffic noise.

Leyland cypresses are a little boring, but I'm thinking about those.

The noise can vary quite a bit, but it's almost like the noise is bouncing off the sky and down on us! We're high on a hill with most of knoxville downhill of us.... the traffic/trains aren't very close, but by some acoustical magic...it finds it's way up.

Sometimes it is barely audible and others it is much much louder and I can't pinpoint a pattern.

Anyway, I was also considering Green Giants as my understanding is that they are the hardier version of the Leyland. Is this true?

The wind makes the train sound closer to me. The other day it sounded like it was right beside the house, but it's 8 miles away.