Have you gotten fruit from most of your berries in the past? I’m curious your favorites, and the ones you’d call winners and losers!
Had more fruitlets than ever this year, but only some pears and peaches (ones I protected) are making it. However, with 7”+ of heavy snow forecasted (not to mention tomorrow’s forecasted low of 25), I’m more worried about storm damage to the new growth.
Most were put on last year and I removed the beginnings of berries to encourage rooting
everything survived the winter and came back very strong before the first storm had a little bit of die back after that (mainly mulberries), but we’re buckling up up hard for this one 
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You’ve convinced me to try honeyberries. I’d been thinking about it, and this is just the testimonial I needed. Thanks!
A lot of people say honeyberries struggle with high temps and direct sunlight - very much Colorado and I’m guessing your location in CA as well. Mine are along the east side of a fence and under some peach trees and do excellent there. Maybe consider providing them some shade…
Everyone do alright with the storm? I had numerous large fruit tree branches break from the snow. Sucks to have such a crummy start to the growing season. I think those honeyberries, and maybe some strawberries, are all I’ll be getting this year.
We got 9” here. I shook them at 11/3/7 and no breakage, but it was definitely needed on some.
Hi!
What rootstocks would you recommend for a combination peach and apricot tree in Denver? I’m considering Krymsk 86 for the clay tolerance, but I’m new and inexperienced so I thought I’d ask what you all would choose now (which might differ from the rootstocks I see mentioned in your current orchards) for a peach/apricot on the Front Range. Would grafting to a rootstock with plum parentage affect the bloom time and possibly help the peaches and apricots escape the late frosts?
Also, what would you recommend for the initial graft, for good branching and perhaps cold weather and disease resilience?
TIA 
Welcome, Donna!
I don’t have direct experience with grafting that combination (or peaches at all), and think it will be more challenging than apples and pears.
However, CFRG has a relevant doc with the below table, which seems to indicate apricot is better as the scion, with peach as the base tree. That will be an interesting experiment.
I’m no expert here, but have one contender on guardian at about 5 years that has been quite healthy (~115% vigor of lovell; I specifically chose Guardian) and I think Lovell is the most common here, but others may mention otherwise. IIRC one of Bailey or Citation has issues here.
My notes say:
“From CSU - The data showed Guardian and Krymsk 86 were the most cold-hardy; and Atlas and Krymsk 1 were the least. The data showed Guardian and Krymsk 86 were the most cold-hardy; and Atlas and Krymsk 1 were the least.” but I can no longer access the hyperlink.
There is also some recent CSU NC-140 information here: NC-140 Peach, Apple and Cherry Rootstock Trials Update
I assume you are aware that it would be a rare event to get Apricots here without some form of protection. Much rarer than peach.
I believe Bob Purvis grafts most of his apricots onto Manchurian.
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Wow, thank you for all of that! That’s good evidence that it’d be a long shot trying to graft a bunch of peach and apricot varieties onto a plum tree. I know it’ll be a real long shot to ever get an apricot (even on a peach rootstock). It’s a housewarming gift for a couple in Denver, one person who wants a peach tree and the other an apricot (despite the odds).
I’m off to check out those links and dive down some rabbit holes! I’ll reply eventually with the final choices - and the outcome.
For that, 2 trees in one hole might be an option, but of course as with any grafted or mixed solution, there’s more maintenance.
Edit: Some years ago, Bob mentioned to me in an e-mail: “There was a photo on the cover of a Raintree Nursery catalog about 5-6 years ago of a St. Julian A in NY State that had been grafted with a number of apricot, cherry, peach, plum, and almond cultivars. It was a mass of white, pink, and red blossoms in the spring, as shown by the photo.“ I believe the horticulturist’s name there is Laura… she has a number of videos published under raintree.
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I’ll push back a bit here. I wouldn’t recommend apricots in general, but if you’re set on it I don’t think it’s a total waste. I’ve had my Montrose apricot, grown as an espalier against a shed, bloom for four season; two of those seasons bore mature fruit. I put it against the shed to potentially use tarps to protect it if need be but those two years I didn’t use any protection.
Now the fruit was dry and not great (probably an tree-age or a me thing), but I did get a harvest. Also grafted Zard on it and it’s blooming later than Montrose which bodes well.
I do agree with your assessment on a potential two in one hole or something other than grafting. While I like the idea, I’d have a sneaking suspicion that either the peach or apricot would outgrow the other unless you gave it serious attention.
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