I can always cut them down right? I can’t go back in time and plant them…
True but if your like me and others I hate cutting a tree down, when several years in you’ve nurtured it so long. And it looks like your about to really get a harvest. For me I’ve watered it and pruned, training you’ve got it to size it’s like a kid I guess is the best way to describe it.
I cut down or graft over what I don’t like. Grit and bear it and remember all the time that mediocre fruit or no fruit is sucking out of your life- it’s a mutual arrangement- they make fruit you love and you nurture them in return. Don’t be a sucker fruit tree slave!
When selecting varieties for a new orchard, I suggest focusing on tried and true performers in you zone, or, in your case, at least varieties that were bred for cold weather.
Reliant may not be a more durable peach in cold climates and will rarely provide you with fruit when others don’t. Its flower buds are slightly more tolerant of extremes but, as far as I know, not its leaf buds.
I’d run with better tasting but known cold-hardy varieties such as Red Haven, Contender and some of Paul Fridays selections. Madison is high quality and tough as well.
I think you are warm enough to grow some really good Euro plums such as Mt Royal and probably others not quite as tough, such as Valor, from the Canadian program. Valor is a superior quality prune plum if your season is long enough to ripen it.
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That is an interesting idea. What trees would help with predatory insects?
I was looking at Mt Royal as an option. Have you had any experience with Stella for a sweet cherry?
I am mistaken on the peach. I have Contender now. I had Reliance, but it died this spring to what I think was peach canker. Thanks for those suggestions. I would love to get some tree ripened peaches here.
Awesome it sounds like your right on track!
If you decide to go the natural route then your going to need allies and plant defender plants like our ancestors did, I do not think this works if you go the non natural route because pest insects don’t have a issue with herbicides and pesticides but the predators do and are very weak to them (We have not selectively evolved these guys like we do our pest insects). You then need space for bees, ladybugs, wasps and Lacewings and there ilk. If you look at all old european and asian gardens you will find that they incorporate running water in some way (Fountains, ponds or bird bath type things) and have a area with mud and a area with wood pile and loose sticks. This will provide most of the homes for your beneficial insects. (A fun fact is that when you move in bumble bees they will take over mouse holes!)
Once you have given them a house you want to give them food. Its a decent idea to check with your beekeepers and see when they have dearth weeks/months as most pollinator insects during that time are having a hard time getting nectar (Some have longer tongues or can specifically hit certain plants) and its worth checking whats a important native or non native that flowers during then to plant and this will attract all forms of pollinating and predatory insects. There is a large value in late fall and summer blooming plants that produce nectar.
Some great options for perennials are Anise Hyssop, Bee Balm, Lavender, Thyme, Scabiosas, Hardy Geranium, Cat mint, Cat nip, True Hyssop, White clover for your lawn, Onions & Chives, Oregano, Basils… If these are planted near trees for example the predatory mites can live on the perrenials earlier in the season and stomp out the spider mites and migrate up the trees once its warmer, Once its warm spider mites can make little web parachutes and fly for a really long space where as the predatory mites don’t do this and must walk and they are really small so they don’t make it very far and will die before getting to there next food source where the spider mite traveled and is happily eating away. Basically the way we have evolved our gardening is just to very efficiently farm pest insects and discourage the predators.
This was a great thread and has many more ideas
Trees however produce the most nectar and the most valued are the summer and fall blooming trees
Things like European Linden, Basswoods, Black locust, Jujubes, Persimmons, Bee Bee Tree and others can help bees for the build up over winter. The warmer it is and the more freeze/thaw cycles we have it will be harder every year on bees / pollinating and predatory insects
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@Travis you are a bit North of me but or winters are basically the same. I’ve tried most cold hardy peaches and the only one that made it through last winter (-30) relatively unscathed was intrepid. It didn’t have any fruit but it had minimal dieback. I replaced a reliance, contender and Madison peaches due to either complete death or severe dieback. The caveat here is the intrepid was a couple years older, so it being larger and more vigorous probably helped it survive better.
For sweet cherries, I have Kristin and lapins, and they have survived and grown well for me. I have only gotten a few cherries here and there so can’t really comment on the fruit quality.
Purvis nursery website has some good descriptions on cold hardy fruit varieties and you can order scions too.
Also, for mulch, I haven’t had any luck with chipdrop. However, I have gotten wood chips by just calling local arborists and letting them know if they are working in the area I’m willing to take their chips.
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When I am planning I shuffle labeled and colored circles around the map that represent a plant’s expected final diameter. Makes it easier to freely place them while also heeding the necessary distances.
I can totally understand your urge to collect plants/varieties because I am just the same. In order to reduce the number of trees I want to graft multible varieties on one rootstock. I plan to graft 8 pear varieties on two Pyrodwarf rootstocks. The downside is that combinations and positions need to be carefully arranged while heeding the individual growing strength of each variety. But even then such a tree needs to be controlled and pruned regularly in order to prevent disproportional growth.
You could also plant a hedge of hardy fruit at the border to buffer cold winds and for additional harvest. Bees and birds would also benefit. You could plant: Elderberry, Serviceberry, Sea buckthorn (especially in the sandy soil, needs a lot of sun, watch out for the roots!), Gooseberry, Cornelian cherry, Blackthorn, Hawthorn berry, Hazelnut. There are also cultivars for improved fruit crop of these.
You could plant Lupinus and Phacelia tanacetifolia in order to improve soil.
There are several other self fruitful sweet cherries that are probably a lot more productive than Stella. White-gold would probably work if you are interested in yellow cherries. Black-gold looks good for a dark red variety. https://shop.cumminsnursery.com/shop/cherry-trees/black-gold.
I can’t remember the name of one I used to grow that is hardiest of red cherry varieties and would grow their. It was on a vigorous rootstock and I got tired of netting it. However, it needs a pollinator.
I do 20 feet between rows and 15 feet between trees for peaches which is perfect if you have the room.
My semi-dwarf apples (M-111 stock) are further apart but only because I started out with standard size apple tree spacing. I think that the 20/15 spread would work well for them as well.
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Try Wolf River apple: “Enormous fruits, often one pound or more. Pale yellow skin almost covered with pale dull red. Soft, tender, slightly mealy, creamy white flesh. Subacid flavor. Long-lived, very hardy, productive tree. Strong, spreading, sturdy limb growth. Hardy to -50°F. Open-pollinated seedling of Alexander found growing on the banks of the Wolf River near Fremont, Wisconsin, in 1875” (Seed Savers’ Exchange). This apple was discovered just down the road from you.
I knew it was in WI, but I did’t know it was that close to me. I’ve read that’s more of a cooking apple rather than fresh eating. I should consider it that’s always an easy one to find at the nurseries bare root in the spring.
Where’d you find the Intrepid? I hadn’t heard of that one before. Hopefully this winter is a little milder than last.
I ordered some apricot scions from Purvis Nursery last spring. He was really helpful! I probably wouldn’t have had the success I did without his guidance. I’m definitely planning on ordering something again next spring.
Good idea, I have a friend that’s an arborist. i should just ask him if he knows anyone in the area looking to get rid of chips. There’s a greenhouse down the road that I think takes a lot of them and then resells them…
Great idea, I’m going to give that a try, thanks!
Eventually I’d like to do that. I need to take some time and clean up the borders of the property a little beforehand. Have you tried growing sea buckthorn? Are they worth it? All other others are on my radar to at try at some point.
Thanks, I might try black-gold and see how it does.
I ordered intrepid peach from Stark Bros a few years ago.
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One of the best nurseies to buy peach trees is Vaughn Nursery. They have tons of varieties, good rootstocks and the best price.
Their trees are small but that’s not an issue with peach trees as they grow very fast.
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You aren’t kidding, those prices are the best I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing!
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If you just want to buy peach trees in bulk Vaughn has good prices (I have not ordered from them) or Cumberland Valley Nursery (you have to call to get there catalog) have the best prices. If you want one tree Starkbros is your place to go. On cherries the rootstock is super important.
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You can buy a few trees from Vaughn. You can buy one tree from it but the shipping cost is the same as a few more trees.
Stark does not tell you rootstocks. Some peach rootstocks do not do well in colder zones.
I called Vaughn several years ago and they said they had a $100 minimum, if they are taking smaller orders they have changed (or I was told wrong on the phone). I called Stark Bros also several years ago - they used two different rootstocks at that time - Red Leaf (I think that was the name) and it was either Lovel or Halford. I specifically asked if they used Nemaguard and was told no - which is the rootstock I would worry about not being cold hardy. Given that they sell some peach trees as being compatible in Zone 5 I do not think you have much to worry about with Stark Brothers.