What I am growing in Zone 4b NH and when they flower/ripen

General Fruit Growing
1

Hello,

I wanted to leave a report of what I have growing on my property. I live north of the White Mountains in NH by a river which provides a slightly more stable microclimate. USDA rated 4b.

Blackberries:

Sadly these have been a flop up here. Beautiful canes during the growing season, all dead even in a non-severe winter. Might have to give up on thornless varieties.

Black Satin - Mostly an ornamental. Crowns survive, but severe winter kill on the canes. May get a handful of fruit if a cane survives near the soil line. Ripens in late August.

Loch Ness - Late ripening, nearly October. Similar issue with winter damage. May be pulling these as it gets to be nearly frosty before they ripen.

Chester - Possible dud of a plant. Poor flowering.

Triple Crown - Similar issues as Chester. TSC rescue that is having trouble growing.

Raspberries:

Unknown red short caned summer bearing

Unknown red long caned everbearing - primocane never able to push out flowers before winter. Floricane sets out massive July crop. Superb picking. Set up a trellis system last fall to help speed up picking. 500 Sq ft of poorly organized canes gives probably 8 gallons.

Jewel Black - No issues. Good production, flavor, survivability.

Cherries:

Romance series Romeo and Juliet - Should flower for first time this year.

Saskatoon:

Parkville - Tried a few fruits last year. Leaf issues if spring is too rainy.

Lee 8 - Tried a few fruits last year. Leaf issues if spring is too rainy.

Mulberry:

Collier - Survived first winter. Excited to see what it does.

Elderberry:

Nova - Unimpressed, removing this year.

Goodbarn - Unimpressed with size of berries and berry clusters. Will try something with flowers this year. Has been getting caterpillars. Tempted to remove and grow something that is not poisonous.

Plum:

Underwood - Thriving. Flowering past couple of years. Somehow got two fruits last year with no other plum around.

Waneta - died first year.

American seedling - Should flower this year first time which will aid the Underwood. Strong growth.

Aronia:

Viking - No complaints or issues. Strong fruit set. No disease. Fresh berries great with dark chocolate to get rid of astringentcy. Juice is refreshing if watered down. Toss a few into jams for color, pectin, and health benefits.

Strawberry:

Wild

Quinault + Wild hybrid - found some large blueberry-sized strawberries growing where I tossed rejected Quinault berries. Shape is like the pocked wild berries. Hopefully able to confirm this year as I moved some of the runners to a definite spot.

Apple:

Blue Pearmane on Antonovka - Hopeful for flowers this year. 6 years in ground.

Calville Blanc d’Hiver on semi-dwarf - Hopeful for more flowers this year. Last year it had some flowers but pollination failed.

Trailman on dwarf - 2nd year in ground.

Pear:

Cabot Vermont - fedco variety. Surviving, bad first year. 6ft tall with some branches, 3rd year.

Nova - failed first year. Refused to leaf.

Red Rogue - failed first year. Refused to leaf.

Jackpot - should be receiving this in a week. Bluehill Nursery variety.

Marble Hill - should be receiving this in a week. Bluehill Nursery variety.

Peach:

Contender - going into the ground this year. Risky trial.

Nannyberry:

Seedlings - going into the ground this year.

Honeyberry:

Polar Star - good pollinator, small tart berries. Flower first week of May, fruit by Father’s Day.

Aurora - voles or something got the roots first year. Babied it and it survived. Will see if it can make a comeback.

Borealis - Fine so far. Fruit ready by Father’s day.

Indigo Gem - 2nd year in ground.

Boreal Beauty, Blizzard, Beast - 2nd year in ground.

Blueberries:

All are slow growers around here. Starting to get decent harvests off of some.

Patriot

Duke

Elizabeth

Bluecrop

Blueray

St Cloud

Talisman

Northland

Jersey

Bluegill

Meader

Chandler (possible mislabeled. Berries do not get big)

Wild

Rhubarb:

Green stemmed variety, unknown - neighbor shared with me. Giant plant.

Persimmon:

Pushing zone limits on this one.

Yates on rootstock from Stark Bro’s (take 1) - yates graft died after first winter. Rootstock took over, growing strong.

Yates on rootstock from Stark Bro’s (take 2) - hopefully made it through the winter. Replacement from first attempt.

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2

Good selection! Will be watching for how things go.

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Early honeyberries started flowering last week of April. Mid season started a few days later. Late season started a few days after the mid season.

Juliet cherry flowered May 15, Romeo started May 20.

Underwood plum started flowering May 13. American plum started May 17.

Saskatoons flowered May 15.

Pears and apples starting to leaf out May 19. Cabot pear and Trailman crab have leaves out.

Aronia starting to make flower buds May 19. Leaves are small. Plants were girdled so no confidence in their survival.

Early blueberries starting to make flower buds May 19.

Good eating on the rhubarb mid May.

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As of July 13, I have good reason to be excited.

Romance series of cherries : fruit set on both bushes. Small amount.

Pear : new trees transplanted successfully.

Black raspberry : flowering. Cloud of little bees.

Raspberry : flowering.

Plum : fruit set on both Underwood and American seedling.

Apples : no flowers this year.

Blueberry : patriot, elizabeth, and bluecrop flowering and setting fruit. Lowbush flowering. Other varieties did not flower this year.

Blackberry : little to no chance of fruit this year. Some canes had a small chance of making new fruiting laterals, but the freezes took them out. Strangely the triple Crown made it through the winter and may give something.

Persimmon : not looking good for yates or the rootstock. No sign of bud growth.

Honeyberry : early varieties are blue, insides still green. Beast/Blizzard starting to turn blue. Beauty no blue at all.

Aronia : Viking fruit set is decent for having been girdled.

Saskatoon: fruit set on both varieties.

Elderberry : Found some elderberry borers on the bush today. Pretty insect but makes me want to remove the plant even more.

Mulberry : fruit setting. I am not sure how big the fruits are supposed to be yet, but there are a good amount. Second year in ground.

Nannyberry : bushes took, growing well.

Peach : Contender transplanted successfully.

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I have some reason to be disappointed this year. Status as of July 11 is as follows.

Plums : All fruitlets but one dropped. Some critter took the last remaining plum.

Honeyberry : Successful test of all new varieties planted last year.

Mulberry : Collier berries are small, but tree is still young. So far so good.

Raspberries : Reds and blacks starting to ripen. Some of the jewel blacks are over 3g so far.

Blueberries : Some patriot berries starting to pink up.

Saskatoon : Almost fully ripe. Had to net the shrub as the robins are fierce this year.

Romance cherries : Birds took some before they were red. Others dropped. I have two bagged hoping to save them.

Blackberries : 4 fruiting laterals total on 30 plants. Giving up on these thornless varieties.

Strawberries : Ripened with the honeyberries.

Elderberries : Flowering mostly complete on my Goodbarn. Nova is attempting to regrow.

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@AndrewWhiteMountains

Reliance might be a good peach to trial there but I think you are a bit cold in the winter for peaches.

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It is a calculated risk. My options were limited to four choices. Contender, Madison, Siberian C, and Reliance are the only ones I could easily find that may have strong enough wood to handle the cold along with a late bloom time. Even then, most of the literature states that you shouldn’t grow attached to the tree as it is the limit of what peaches should be able to handle.

I am not planning to spray anything, either. If pest or disease pressure is too high I will just forego and switch to more plums. It is possible I have enough of a microclimate to make it work.

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