Thanks Scott for starting this forum. I really the format! I have participated with the gardenweb fruits and orchard forum sporadically but now that this forum exists outside of GW I hope to become a more regular participant. I still consider myself a midwesterner but moved to Rockville in 2007. When we bought our house in 2009 there wasn’t very much growing in the year besides grass and a few shrubs. My lot gets pretty good sun but I one neighbor who has a wall of vegetation on his side to the west of me and I am diligent about trimming branches of his trees that reach over the property line. So as soon as we got settled in I researched the various edibles I could grow. So besides veggies and herbs I grow a number of different fruits:
Figs - many varieties; some in-ground and some in containers (the last 2 years have been bad for in-ground figs!)
Asian Pear - Korean Giant, Shinko
Persimmon - Saijo, Wase Fuyu, Makewa Jiro
Blueberries - Sweetcrisp, Sunshine Blue, O’Neal, Powder Blue, Legacy and a couple others
Pomegranate - Liyubimi
Raspberries - Jaclyn
Currants - Rovada, Champagne
Juneberry - Prince William, Regent
Cherry - Northstar
Strawberries - Alpine and conventional
Asparugus (ok, not fruit but a perrenial edible) - Jersey Knight, Purple Passion
I’m sure I will learn a lot about pruning and maintaining my trees and shrubs from this forum. Happy growing!
Thanks! Tony, I grew up close to Omaha (in sw Iowa) and have enjoyed your posts about pushing your zone with persimmons there. If I ever move back I’ll have to try some of your approaches.
I’m across the river in Arlington, VA. How have your pomegranate and currants done in our area? Have you had the pom in the ground and has it ever fruited for you?
First of all, I just wanted to apologize to Scott and others for making my introduction a stand-alone post. It wasn’t until after I posted this that I realized that everyone else was introducing themselves in a single “introduction” post.
bchiker, southern MD is really nice so I’m envious. I’ve grown kind of tired of city life too but it is the age-old dilemma of the sacrifices you make for a really short commute. I do get to spend less time commuting and more time in my garden so there is that.
zendog, glad to make your acquaintance. Currants have done well for me for the most part. I started out with a variety that I think was simply called “Red Currant”. They grew a bit more vigorously than the Rovada but the fruit on the Rovada was larger and somewhat more tasty so I have tranistioned over to Rovada. The nice thing about currants is that they don’t need a lot of sun so most are growing on the north side of my garage. I originally planted a Salavatsky Pom. but it froze to the ground after the brutal 2013-14 winter. My friend in Fall’s Church, VA has a Liyubimi and it came through un-scathed from that winter. So I replaced it with a Liyubimi from Edible Landscaping which is still quite small (so no fruit for at least 2 years). Not knowing how to protect poms in the winter, I put a small ring of fence around it and filled that with leaves. Then when it became clear that we were in for another cold winter I covered the whole thing with an upside down trash barrel. Fingers are crossed that it survives.
Steve,
I’m planning a trip this spring to Edible Landscaping to pick up a few Pawpaws and was planning on getting a Salavatsky pom. But if the Liyubimi is more winter hardy. May be I’ll get one, what are the seeds like and how big is the fruit?
Welcome aboard Steve! Post where you want, we are a small group.
My Salavatski did the best of all my poms in that bad winter, it had no dieback. But I don’t have Lubyimi. In general I have not seen a clear hierarchy of hardiness based on the results I have heard. Kazake is supposed to be the most hardy but it did not do well at all in the bad winter - somehow a late freeze nailed all the developing buds and I lost a nice 8’ specimen. Most of my poms died to the ground.
Scott, my Salavatsky was planted Spring of 2013 so it was quite young when it got hit by that winter. The other factor is that I didn’t protect it all except for maybe an inch of mulch. I should also mention that it did try sending up a couple green shoots from the roots but the shoots died before really getting going.
MrClint, Sunshine Blue is one of my favorites too. The first couple winters mine remained as an evergreen whereas the other varieties lost all their leaves. However, last winter and this winter only a few leaves remain.
bchiker, my friend Pooya should be joining the forum soon. He is the friend in VA who has experience growing both Liyubimi/Favorite and Salavatsky. In his yard Liyubimi had essentially no damage at all last winter whereas Salavatsky was partially damaged. He also said that Liyubimi’s fruits are a bit smaller Salavatsky. I’m not sure about how the flavor compares. Michael at EL would be a good person to ask about this.
Welcome Steve. I’m not located anywhere near you. I think the best friendships are centered around a common interest. Scott did a great service to all of us when he started this forum. Bill
Hey guys I live on Maryland eastern shore, in zone 7a. New to fruits. Relatively new to all gardening lol. I do have a black mission fig tree that has survived 2 summers so far but has not yet given me any fruit. I also have a huge blackberry bush (1 summer old), a grape plant (1 summer old, planted 2, one died) and a few strawberry plants. Can wait to learn from more experienced people
I am excited to be here. I have spent the last two days reading threads about espalier trees and will continue to read and learn from you all.
I am in Montreal, Canada, zone 5b. I have a large indoor potted citrus collection which i have gotten the hang of over the last 13 years. I bought two 3-tier grafted apples in horizontal cordon. I bought those because i couldn’t wait to do my own, which is the plan for the rest of the fence this summer! Likely pear and apple in a mix, but havent quite finalized the best way and best varieties (combined with availability!) I have room for a freestanding fruit tree or two, and am leaning towards peach. Happy to join you all!
