Planning for 2017

General Fruit Growing
#1

I’m currently planning for what I tended to plant for the comming year. I was curious as to what advice other people might have for the plants I’m looking at. I live in Richmond VA, just about on top of the 7a/7b line. My front yard is something of a frost pocket, and it hits in the 90s for a sustained period in the summer. I’m mostly interested in fruit (or vegetables) that are significantly superior to what you can buy in the grocery store, or that you can’t find for sale. I’ve got a significant arrangement of berries already.

Apples: I was going to plant EMLA 27 dwarfs of Karmijn and Rubinette, some kind of Cox, and an Ashmead’s. Maybe a Goldrush, too.

Fig: was considering a Flanders. I think it is hot enough here for it to work, but I’m not really sure.

Cherry: Thinking about the Raintree 4x1, which would be some combo of Glacier, Emperor, Francis, Lapins, Early Burlat, & Montmorency. Also thinking about trying Nugent, which is supposedly birdproof since they never turn red.

Peaches: I’d like to plant a peach tree since I heard peaches benefit from being home grown almost as much as tomatoes, but I have no idea what to get.

Berries: I’m considering getting some of Raintree’s fieldberries & nagoon berries to edge my berry bed, but I have no idea if they would be worth the trouble. I’m also thinking of buying some Lipstick strawberries for my heavily shaded back yard in hopes it would colonize the yard before the damn ivy comes back.

Apricots/Plums/Pears: I’ve never been impressed by any of these that I’ve eaten, but they were all store bought.

I don’t suppose anybody has a favored red/pink/white currant for areas with heavy mildew pressure? Also, are any of the more exotic stuff (Goumis, Aronia, Honeyberry, Seaberry, Serviceberry/Saskatoon) any good?

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#2

You might reconsider Karmijn, and the Cox Orange Pippin, they don’t handle heat that well.

#3

Goldrush should work well for you. You should go with Stayman Winesap too. Rubinette might have a chance, but Kidd’s Orange Red might be the better Cox child for you. Karmijn is probably a no go. Put your apples on 111, B.9, or a Geneva rootstock to guard against fireblight.

For a blonde cherry, try Whitegold on a Gisela rootstock- better tasting and more disease resistant.

Peaches and figs (protected or pot culture) should both do really well for you.

I’ll let the others chime in…

#4

I’m in 7B on the other side of the country from you, Ashmead’s Kernal appears to handle 100+ temps. and produce nice fruit, if you want full flavor you might consider something like Wickson which loves heat, or Reine de Reinette.

#5

Ginger Gold apple likely would do well for you and is definitely worth the attempt.

#6

For the cherries and peaches make sure to look at an eastern orchard to get varieties doing well here. Some of the western ones do not do well here. Adams County Nursery for example is a good source. Or ask about some varieties here. Apricots and plums when home-grown are like peaches much better than the usual store version. Cherries on the other hand can be good in the store and there is less reason to grow them. Except for sour cherries which are great for cooking and uncommon in stores (and are also much more reliable than sweet cherries).

#7

Talking about the difference in fruit quality between store-bought and home-grown, I think apricots are at or near the top of the list. I live in San Joaquin county in California, literally in the middle of the stone fruit country and it’s almost impossible to buy a good quality apricot, even at farmer markets. If I have only tasted store-bought apricots, I would consider them one of the worst fruits ever. Fortunately, I grow them in my backyard orchard, and there are not many fruit eating experiences that compare to savoring a tree-ripened apricot of a high-quality variety.

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#8

I couldn’t agree more!

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#9

Add the apriums and other interspecifics to this rec - a tree-ripened aprium is one fruit that actually does beat a tree-ripe apricot

#10

Local peaches compared with grocery store peaches are dramatically different also.

Peach consumption per person has been in a decline for a good while. I blame it on the poor taste/texture of the peaches in the supermarket. Its just not possible to pick a peach before its ripe,refrigerate it and ship it across the country and have anything worth eating. That process works great for apples and some other fruits, but not peaches.

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#11

Peaches become very bland and even mealy with age. I had so many this year many of my own peaches did just that. I now will make sure I preserve them soon after harvest. So growing them and getting the perfect peach is great, but soon you have store bought quality peaches, the window on greatness is a short one. Preserving them helps, i used some nectarines last week, and man, just perfect. I got a Ninja blender for smoothies this Christmas, I didn’t ask for it, but I really like it. Raspberries are still my favorite fruit, the frozen raspberries smoothies are great! With blackberries I first process them. I heat them, mash them and put through a sieve to remove seeds. I then freeze the liquid into ice cube trays. Good for martini’s as well as smoothies!
Anyway I’m rambling, preservation is also needed to enjoy your harvest properly, prep to do that also! Well you have some time!
Check out the peach report for good cultivars to try

Figs,

You don’t have to buy any, we can send you cuttings to root, if you wish? I have many cultivars. I’m about to take some cuttings for another member today. They are easy to root.[quote=“TheGrog, post:1, topic:8312”]
I don’t suppose anybody has a favored red/pink/white currant for areas with heavy mildew pressure?
[/quote]

Not really, Jonker is not supposed to do good in moist areas. I would avoid that red current, and Red Lake too, another known to have problems. Try Rovada, that seems to be a favorite among growers. I like Laxton’s No 1 also, as it grows well, and takes abuse very well… I have had very good luck with the pinks and whites, very productive. Some don’t like them though. I myself love currants.

Strawberries

Even though I have been growing them awhile, I’m still looking for a good June bearing type. For everbearing I love Mara des Bois. A must have along with White D Pineberries. Extremely hard to find, the White D that is.
I like June Bearing as for me they yield more berries, all at once too, a plus, and a minus. So I grow everbearing too, but like the high yields, taste, and large size of June bearing

#12

I have two varieties of Goumis and I don’t think it’s worth it. But birds do love them though.

#13

I want to try them myself. I don’t want them for fresh eating, I’m looking for unusual fruit flavors for cooking,syrups, and juice. Honeyberries for this look very promising. A great color and flavor. I hate using fruit that’s good fresh like raspberries, strawberries or blueberries. I would rather have those fresh if possible. I use currants, elderberries, highbush cranberries, dogwood cherries and tart cherries for cooking, but more flavors are always welcome. I have been making a red currant/nectarine crisp, served with coconut ice cream, wow, the best. I tried raspberries, as all my currants are gone now, and man, it was even better. I use about a 3 to 1 or 2 to 1 ratio of nectarines to berries. The raspberry seeds are few, yet the flavor is there. It can overwhelm the nectarines, so the ratio is important, experiment.

#14

I love goumi. I started with just one shrub and now I have four (two Sweet Scarlet, and two Red Gem). If you like tart fruit like I do, you’ll love them. I like red currants fresh off the plant, and goumis even more. It’s a carefree shrub and although I’m running out of places to plant with full sun, I’m moving mine soon to a sunnier location because I like them so much.

I don’t know if you’ve tried autumn olives, they taste very similar to me but goumis are larger and fruit much earlier in the season.

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#15

OK, now I’m going to have to get some! I’m a tart fruit fan for sure.

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#16

If you like them, try autumn olives too! The cultivars have only a slight difference in taste, so far my favorite is Delightful (Rolling River Nursery) although this will be the first year I’ll get to try all eight of my varieties :slight_smile: It’s nice to have a berry that late, although the fruit is smaller than I expected. Very fast grower!

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