That is the Western Cherry Fruit Fly.
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Colorado scion swap sounds interesting. I guess it really comes down to where and when. Time is fickle, so I wouldn’t really know if I could make it until last minute. I guess I will save a couple/few sticks of everything I am pruning just in case. It’s too late for some, I threw out a ton of Redhaven a few weeks back and I have a pile of mixed pear with really no idea what is what other than a handful of sticks that I saved before reading this.
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@cis4elk & @Dr.Dude - Calvin and Chris - added you to the scion swap message. @Jerrym303 also added you earlier, though it looked like you had not seen it… you might have already accepted by now.
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Yes, i had someone from CSU and the department of Agriculture come out and check and while i don’t remember what specific species it was, he said it was native.
Regardless of whether it is native or not it causes basically a complete loss of fruit in these two sour cheery trees. I was not aware of such a devastating insect in our area before this.
Despite this, i was able to collect a bin full of cherries last spring and freeze them. Then i proceeded to make them into Nostradamus Jelly. It really is one the best jams/jellies I’ve ever eaten on toast. I highly recommend it to anyone with access to sour cherries.
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Hello. New member. Have a small orchard west of Loveland and south of Masonville in a riparian area at 5000’. Mostly apples and pears. This area used to have commercial cherry and apple orchards. I also grow raspberries and strawberries successfully and blueberries unsuccessfully;-) Use organic methods and trying to build up native flowers and grasses in the area. I get to “share” happily with grandkids and grudgingly with elk, bear, deer, squirrels, birds, voles and bugs. I volunteer at High Plains Environmental Center.
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Advise on fruit trees and berry bushes for Colorado.
My sister is asking for advise on what fruit trees and berry bushes will grow and give a reliable crop in the Colorado mountain range. She lives about 35 miles up from Pueblo at about 7600’ ele.
I curious it a mulberry tree (alba or albaXrubra)
and maybe some raspberries, crabapples would work for her location? Any other low maintenance fruit that might work?
At this point I dont know what her soil or sun/shade conditions are.
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Based on my experience at 8300’ further N on the front range, there should be quite a few things which will do well there. Apples, sour cherries and pears certainly, maybe peaches and apricots, raspberries honeyberries, strawberries. As typical for being at altitude, short season varieties of all these tend to work best. Late ripening, long season varieties may be hit or miss if they will produce ripe fruit.
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Toadham it sounds like we are neighbors! I also live west Loveland, just west of devils backbone. I just started my orchard at this property 2 years ago, so things are tiny still. I’d love to know what varieties you’ve had success with.
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The swap sounds awesome. Unfortunately I have moved to a new property two years ago and so everything I have is tiny so far. Nothing to share, and I haven’t tried grafting (yet.) Eventually it would be great to attend, even if just to meet others and chat about the best ways to have success here in Colorado.
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Welcome!
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I think so- I’m also west of the backbone. I’ll be doing some apple grafting in the next few weeks if you’d like to watch. I kinda went crazy buying scion wood, so I’ll probably have some spare sticks.
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A couple suggestions:
-Consider zone 3 apples that bloom on the late side but have a relatively early harvest. Sweet Sixteen and Harelred are examples. I have a Harelred and it’s a fine apple. Am grafting Sweet 16 onto a few trees this season. It has a good reputation.
-Mulching trees can delay blooming. It’s always tricky on front range. Those late May blizzards can mess with fruit set some seasons. But late blooming varieties are a better bet here.
-in the fall, find successful trees in the area that taste good. Ask owners if you can cut scions next spring and graft onto her trees.
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Hi,
I took out two asian pear trees and replaced them with plum trees. Would anyone like the pear trees? They were 2year-old trees when I planted then last spring and are in great health. I started to espalier, but they can be pruned to any shape.
Free to good home. I am ner 144th and Sheridan.
Jerry
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Hello everyone. I have some Conadria fig cuttings if anyone wants any for free. I have the mother fig in a pot and it fruits pretty well and the fruit is good.
I have a Violette de Bordeaux fig in a pot but it has not fruited well so for free also just another equal size pot in exchange would be helpful.
I also have a 2 pink guavas in the same very large pot that one fruits well but the other doesn’t but that could be due to one of them is overtaking. If anyone wants it they are free I just like my pot or or equal replacement.
I also have a Mexican cream guava that is free in a pot also but it is struggling. I re-potted it last year because it was not doing very well and found these crumbly nodules on its roots. so it may be diseased. I was going to take cuttings of what is left and try and root them but I am going to stick with my one fig.
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I tried my first grafts about amonth ago and, surprisingly, many are showing growth. Here is a Comice Pear on a Bradfrpd Pear tree. Any ideas regarding when I should remove the parafilm wrap?
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Congrats Jerry. No need to remove the parafilm. The buds can grow through it just fine (as yours are doing), and the film will largely disintegrate on its own over the summer. I think you risk more damage to the new shoots trying to peel the film off than just leaving it be…
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How are your experiments going? Mine are stratifying right now. Just curious. I know @Stan has done a lot with the CandyCot varieties.
I got started down this rabbit hole with the Ladakhi apricots - which have research orchards allegedly at 3000m elevation?!
So I’ve also got nearly 5 pounds of apricots shipped from a packager in Kashmir who contracts with local growers who have both Ladakhi and Afghani apricots growing. So I’m working through those as well and will see what i get.
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@Jerrym303 @danCO @Scooter @oulous @Rusty - I noticed you all mentioned in this thread you are growing grapes. Others welcome to chime in, too.
I’m looking to find a location on my property to grow grapes, and light is a challenge here.
For table grapes that you grow, what months do you harvest here in CO? Anyone getting less than 8 hours of light at harvest? I would think we could do less here in CO.
If you have any favorites or best producing table grapes, those would be great to hear about, too!
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I have two table grapes growing at the moment: somerset seedless and Mars. The Mars is pretty tart and the kids didn’t care for them. I have yet to get anything off the somerset.
Our yard faces north so light is a challenge as well. Early summer, most vines get 10 hrs. By mid September it’s down to 6 hours or less. However, I have had no issues with the wine grapes ripening. Most years (depending on variety) the last grapes are ready for harvest in early September. Last year due to the cold spring, the last grapes were picked at the end of September.
Given you are looking to plant table grapes, I think you should be good if you have the space.
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Thanks, Dan! That is helpful. I probably have more areas with 6 hours in early sept, than mid… but need to check a little more. Do you know when early table grapes are harvested here in CO?
Interesting on Mars being pretty tart… a horticulturist I know mentioned it’s his favorite. I’ll have to ask if he has the same experience.
Looks like it will be a great fruit year… hopefully you get some off Somerset this year or next.
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