i agree. since I’ve been planting in lighter soils in raised beds or mounds., I’ve had a lot less loses to diseases and the growth rate has doubled. my soil is so heavy and rocky the roots can barely penetrate it even after 2-3 yrs. they just weaken and die.
I’m still watching my Puget gold apricot with a bunch of grafts on it. I’ve probably trimmed off 50% of the branches…it’s sprouting new branches everywhere so its not dead…but it lost a lot of the grafts. Even the Superior plum graft on it might be toast.
Other then that i haven’t seen as much damage as last spring. I actually had one peach flower bud make it and the fruit is developing. A squirrel will be very happy.
Lapins is a monster when it comes to hardiness. Mine made it just fine even after -30Fs… The tree is full of cherries right now…if we can stay dry maybe the rot won’t get them…
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Of the bush cherries, I have Romeo, Juliet, and Cupid, and you’re right, Steve, they have no problems with winter here at all. All have lots of blossoms this year, though they are only about two feet tall.
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i just put in a XXL romeo from HBUSA about 10days ago. its already blooming with maybe 30 blooms. I’m not expecting them to develop but would be nice to get a few to try. also have 2 juliets, a carmine jewel , montmorency and lutowka polish cherry but they are still a few yrs out from fruiting.
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i may have to try a lapins. are they self pollinating?
I believe lapin’s is self pollinating, but likely will produce better with a second variety. I have lapin’s and Kristin cherries and they both took -30F without trouble. No fruit this year because I pruned them pretty hard this spring to reshape them.
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This winter was a shit-show. Confirmed all persimmons in-field died, i think most potted ones wintered in garage did too…consoling myself with wine by the newly-built ponds (mostly finished)
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Sorry to hear about your persimmons not making it. What rootstocks and varieties were they?
I’d take your pond over any persimmon any day. Nice work.
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Very nice blueberry. Ma, american on american, but we had some extended -30-ish z4a weather last winter 
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Yes…it is the only sweet i have right now. I’d try it. I would say the toughest thing i’ve dealt with is brown rot and of course birds.
Mine are starting to show some color change (from green to yellow) after this stretch of heat.
Not sure which one of the hardy kiwis this is but even after this cold winter it bloomed. I have 3 …annawhatever natasha and some other name i can’t remember right now.
Beautiful blooms. This is from this evening.
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One more in the body count - my new Butterflies magnolia, planted last fall. Leaves have been dying, and today I found a big split in the trunk with the wood dead beneath.
It’s putting out sprouts from the bottom, dunno if I’ll let them try to grow, they look healthy
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