I planted my first trees in 2015, which include apples, sweet and tart cherries, and plums outside and some peaches in a greenhouse. Typically fruit growers in this area have apples and tart cherries.
3 Likes
Anyone know who Point125 might be in Missoula MT?
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we still have as many nurseries as members.
murky,
Ever hear from Daniel,(Bear_with_me)?He hasn’t posted for awhile.Brady
1 Like
He’s great, had me out to his place so I could try his mulberries and see the wildflowers, bees, and such.
1 Like
The map has filled in nicely. GF currently has 765 registered users with what seems like maybe a couple hundred of which are quite active. The GF map contains 142 member location points. You can get a pretty good idea of the east and west coast bias just from looking at the map. A also a good representation of people in what I’d call the eastern heartland. What I found interesting is that we have nothing inside the blue area I highlighted. Do they not grow fruit there? Haha
Any members not currently on the map please message me with your general location. I think this map could be quite valuable in knowing who your neighbors are. You may be able to find out was fruit varieties could work for you and also learn ones to avoid.
The blank area is mostly rough country for growing fruit. But there are a few small areas that are good for fruit production in CO and UT. The map is also highly influenced by population density. Much of that area has the fewest numbers of potential fruit growers.
4 Likes
I have visited those places and they are mostly grassy lands and high plains deserts. They grow mostly yucca Yucca - Wikipedia and sage brush Sagebrush // LandScope America and Opuntia https://mgnv.org/plants/ground-cover/cactus/. Those places are beautiful at times but can change rapidly. Storms can be nasty in those places ranging from tornadoes to blizzards and high winds and blowing dirt and sand can be typical. They don’t have much water for fruit trees. They have very cold winters and hot summers and as mentioned with constant drying winds.
“the blue area”
… there be dragons.
6 Likes
Also that blue area has a low population of people. I’m pretty sure if you own a well you can grow fruit trees there. That is if you like growing fruit as much as we do,lol. They were pointing that area out on election night too.
I think that blue area is largely the reason the West doesn’t have all the pest problems we do east of the line - the pests have no fruit to target and breed on
Colorado peaches are very prized in our area and people anxiously await the trucks coming to the area. Jujubes are a crop the state ag service is researching and promoting in New Mexico. i know many school teachers from our area used to spend their summers in Montana where they owned sweet cherry farms. It is not easy and success is limited,but there are fruit growers there.
Feel free to add me to the “General Location Map”. Retired Army after 25 years. Currently teaching HS Social Studies. Purchased 20 acres on Tennessee/Kentucky border in Woodlawn, TN (about 55 miles west of Nashville, TN). Planted 30 blueberry plants in winter of 2014. Have 7 different varieties, O’Neal, Climax, Premier, Summit, Ozarkblue, Blueridge and Bluecrop. The rabbiteyes are currently doing the best (Climax and Premier).
Have planted a willow oak and a silver maple recently out there in open parts of the pasture with 100 feet or so in between them. Planted 5 Bradford pears our first year (before I found out about there pitfalls). Recently planted a weeping willow this last spring. This fall I planted two pink dogwoods and two flowering cherries.
Started an orchard about two months ago. Planted an American Persimmons tree (have found 5 Persimmons residing in my wood lines along pasture border of my property. Planted two plums (Santa Rosa and Methley), a Moorpark Apricot and two figs (Brown Turkey and Olympian). Looking to add more fruit trees.
1 Like
You could graft over the Bradford pears to something edible. @tonyOmahaz5 has Asian pears on his I believe.
You’re on the map!
Thanks so much 
You know, I’ve actually thought about that and will most likely try grafting something on one of them soon. Thanks, I wasn’t sure it was even possible with a Bradford.
1 Like
Welcome zaz, looks like you’re in the area close to @thecityman and @Lucky_P, plus @tennessean is just east of Memphis. I’m up in NE KY, and am going to try planting some blueberries next year. Don’t think rabbiteyes will do well here, but think northerns will. Also, thanks for your service, wow, 25 years, that’s dedication.
Why, Thank you Subdood for your kind remarks and welcoming. I planted 8 Blueberry varieties initially. 2 Northern HB (Blue Crop and Blue Ray), 3 Southern HB (Ozark, Summit, Oneal and Blue Ridge) and 2 Rabbitteyes (Climax and Premier). Of the Northern HB the Blue Rays are completely wiped out. They never quite established any new growth. I’m not sure why (My PH level is 5.4------well within preferred Blueberry range). Two of my BlueCrops are doing good and have nice new growth (about 4 feet high by two feet now). My Southern HB are doing fairly well (I had to replace 2 of the 8 due to declining or no growth), I expect a big year out of them this 3rd year. Initially my hunch was that the Southern HB would soar above all other varieties but I was wrong. The Rabbiteyes are just dominating!! Great new growth this year and have reached past 5 feet high by 3 feet in width. All of my blueberries were initially planted with Peat Moss and mulched the last two years with a thick padding of Pine Needles followed up with Pine Bark on top of the Pine Needles a few weeks later. I had been pinching off the flowers the last two years to stimulate great root systems so we shall see how they do this summer when they are free to produce fruit. Let me know how well your Northerns progress in the years to come.
1 Like