Has there been any data collected on what grows best and what does the worst by city/town or zip codes? If not, we can all contribute to such a database. What do folks feel about it? If one lives in a small town, they should probably use a nearby zip code or town for privacy as the information would still be more or less accurate. Many people look for such info so it could be useful. I think this forum has the most informed membership wrt fruit trees and associated topics. Something like the following format would be good but suggestions are welcome.
{ "zip": "27602", "city": "Raleigh", "state": "NC", "grows-best": “pears, blackberry, raspberry, figs, persimmon, muscadines, grapes”, “grows-worst”:”plums, apples, nectarines”}
Perhaps, we can add a “so-so” category? I know it’s tedious but this info will help people all over the country for a long time.
Please ignore this if such a database already exists.
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I think that there is too many variables to definitively say that X fruit will grow well in this area.
I can plant a fig tree against the sunny side of my house and it will do exceptionally well. I can plant the same exact fig tree in the middle of my yard - unprotected - and it will ripen very late, produce a mediocre crop and die back to the ground every few years.
Its really hard to trust others experience with fruit / varieties in a controlled way because of these variables:
- So many super local factors like disease/pest pressure, sunlight availability, soil fertility, soil moisture, etc. etc. can easily tip the scales of a fruit being good or bad. Your neighbors tree might not grow as well because their yard has poor drainage or is heavily shaded
- The impact of these factors above vary year to year so you need to have sample data across multiple years to give it any kind of meaning
- Taste is subjective, some people prefer sweeter fruit others more balanced, some prefer soft others more crunchy
- Age of the tree/bush matters, a younger tree will produce fruit that has not hit its full potential yet.
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Here in Cincinnasti Ohio The best
dandelions, ragweed, poison ivy, Lesser celinine, Callery ,pear,Creeping Carly, Garlic mustard honeysuckle, crab grass, Ailanthis Altisama
Th difficult to grow
Beans, collard, kale, lettuce, potatoes, watermelon, corn peas any kind, grapes, chard, peppers, egg plant, squash, fruit trees.
This is just the Cincinnasti area All other areas of the planet may be different.
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For me the most difficult thing is dead plants and rocks. (But sometimes I think the rocks multiply in the dark!)
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I find strawberries give a lot but need weeding of many of the weed pest I listed above. Pears seem to do OK in the City but not next to wild fields. Peppers do basically OK. What i originally posted is very accurate for me. I am finding it is cheaper to buy most food than to grow.
