Back in the late seventies started out with the NAFEX group, learn a lot about apples, pears and stone fruits, met some of the finest members there.
Then joined the old Gardenweb, known as Persimmonbob. These fruits were and still is my hobby. I diversify into citrus and Paw paw’s. Went into no spray culture.
Now, I am going into small tree’s, age has a lot to do with it. So persimmon makes me the happiest, for one thing, they are in the ground, no containers and beautiful ornamental trees.
When I look at my harvest this fall, it just make me feel great.
Btw, I planted 80 cloves of garlic, a excellent variety, all my hot pepper plants that I planted late are now mixed in with my citrus in my grow room under lights. Paw paw’s has been great again. Friends on this forum are great, can’t complain. Scot’s forum is the most finest and smartest set up of all of them. It cannot be Improved!!
I have not been growing a lot of fruit for that long, but have grown some fruit since the 70’s too. One has to find what works for them. It’s not easy. Like for me Persimmon is not my cup of tea, nor paw paws. The texture, and other reasons. Many fruits I grow people don’t like either like figs and black currants, they work for me, not for others. It is nice though to be where I’m at. I’m still playing with new plants but I have not added a lot in the last couple of years and removed many others.
Garlic is one I like to grow. I plant about 40 cloves a year. I would plant even more but room is an issue. You can buy fairly decent garlic, but I like the fresh stuff a lot, and it’s so easy to grow here. No rust issues or other problems. I’m not even sure what most of it is as I tried many and only kept the best for seed. Soon they became mixed up, but it doesn’t matter. I have a line of hardnecks and softnecks that work for me. I try new cultivars from time to time, but only if it performs will any cloves be kept for the following year.
Anyway I have a routine for what I grow, how I use it. It’s nice to get to this point after years of trial and error. Now most what I grow just produces for me. Most purchases are refinements on what I have. Better production, fruit size, etc. I feel satisfied with what I have, and feel I accomplished what I set out to do. Constant refinement and experimenting will go on, just on a much smaller scale.
Drew, please explain that you have two properties and can grow many fruits! What, where, it is very interesting.
Yes, I do have 2 properties. I own a cottage on Russell Island MI No cars allowed on the island. It is a very unique community much like a small town. 130 cottages on the island.
I started a second garden there. I can’t be there much so I focused on perennial bushes and no work fruit trees. So this still is not done. The first season was this one. I still don’t have all the plants in even. For trees I went with jujube, two trees, 4 hazelnut trees in a hedge setup where they can sucker and spread. And one mulberry tree. I just put in the rootstock. Russian lineage, next year I will graft Oscar, and A newly found hardy black mulberry (Morus nigra) from Bulgaria. There it is called Tsarigradska mulberry. If it fails to thrive I will just grow my mother tree in a container. But I want to try and graft a piece. I have developed two main leaders on the rootstock. If the nigra fails, I will remove one leader and just grow out oscar. I could add Wellington or Kokuso too, I may do that instead.
I also added honeyberries, and I plan to add a couple blueberry plants this year. I also added black currants and gooseberries, all clones of cultivars from my yard here in Sterling Heights. None of these need spraying, but will definitely need netting. So I’ll be buying a lot this year! Already on the property is a peach tree (unknown?), 2 tart cherry trees, and two grape vines. Oh I also added two hickory trees Shagbark and shellbark
Thanks!