Milehigh,
I’m joining the chorus of happy to see you back.
I’ll admit I’ve not experienced a location like yours where it’s that difficult to grow fruit. I suppose it might be like trying to grow sweet cherries here, which are pretty much impossible.
I got a lot of favorable comments this season about our sour cherries, but they really aren’t that sour. I grow Danube, Jubilieum and Balaton. Balaton is by far the most productive (only 15 trees). But I’ve harvested a good amount of cherries from Jubilieum. It’s good enough I planted another 20 trees of it this spring. Danube even did reasonably good this year, but this is the first year it’s done anything. Probably have had that one tree for about 10 years.
A lot of people are planting the sweeter bush cherries like Juliet, so that may be something you want to consider.
In terms of peaches, has Contender been as productive as PF1? Contender is very productive for me in marginal spring weather. I’m still trying to grow the W. Balmer from the lady in MA you put me in contact with. It’s been a long road to get that one going. She sent me the wrong scionwood the first time around. I didn’t find out about it till it fruited. Then we had to do it all over again. I don’t remember if the little tree has fruit on it this year or not, but the little tree looks healthy.
I’m one of the very few people who can understand what you went through with your back. Before you roll your eyes, I laid in bed for at least 18 months in intense pain (I was in less pain for much longer after that - years longer.) I got just a few hours sleep every night. I had to sell my farm, which was my life’s dream. Every night I wished it was morning, every day I wished it was night. I prayed for death every day and every night. I lost all hope of everything. I’m 6’2" tall and got down to 135 lbs. Time seemed to stand still. Seconds seemed like hours. Minutes seemed like days, hours seemed like weeks. A very small percentage of people nowadays have experienced anything like that. Just about anyone can experience a lot of pain when they know there is an end to it at some point in the future. It’s when the pain is intense and you have no hope of it ending, which is something very different. It changes you forever, and not necessarily in a good way. And if you do get better, it’s not like it’s a time for rejoicing like most people would expect. Your dreams are already gone. It’s such a deep sadness of the soul, you can’t recover to the way things were. It’s a darkness over your heart which can never be completely removed. It changes your view of God. But, I still believe in God, btw.
Nevertheless, after years of battle I was finally able to make plans and dream a little bit. That’s why I have an orchard now. Life is still much smaller for me than it was before I was hurt so bad so many years ago. I still have trouble with my back (and other joints in my body) and still get discouraged and depressed at times. Good days and bad days. I helped pick peaches all morning yesterday and weeded tomatoes all afternoon and my back is feeling it this morning.
Anyway, I’m glad you are planning a few things again. I hope your able to keep checking in here on the forum as much as you feel comfortable. You have a lot to contribute to fruit growing and can give people a reality check from a climate so difficult to grow fruit.
It seems like previously, planting peaches in our sunniest spot wasn’t the best plan, as they flowered early and Colorado can have late frosts.
