[Food] Production - Trees

skyemoor · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 7:16 am Post subject: [Food] Production - Trees

Adding fruit and nut trees is a good idea for fiscal and health reasons, whether PO happens or not. If one wants to make their landscape edible as well as attractive, then a good source for trees is Edible Landscapes, who have a selection based on disease resistance, yield, and ornamentation, in that order.

The approach we are taking looks to promote diversity in types, as well as harvest time. Some of the fruit trees will start producing in June (i.e, juneberries), while the rest are staggered through the growing season until December. Some of the apples and pears are chosen because they are good 'keepers', retaining their vitality well into the winter.

We plan to dry some of the fruit, as some varieties are well suited to that (e.g. Mulberry - Beautiful Day). See related post about a solar window heater that doubles as a food dehydrator.

The nuts, of course, will keep through the winter into the spring, until other food sources begin the cycle again (starting with strawberries in May).

Look for the zone compatibility, and the size (some can be ordered in dwarf, semi-dwarf, and standard). Dwarf varieties fruit much earlier than standard sizes, but then one must think about overall yield and sometimes support (espalier).

We are selecting multiple varieties of some trees, so that we diversify our risk if a particular variety does better than others.

In the US, most states have Agriculture/Horticulture Extension offices which provide detailed selection, growing, harvesting, and storing information. For example, we refer to the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Our initial list (which may be 'pruned') is;

Nuts
- Butternut (removed from consideration due to endemic Butternut canker disease)
- Chestnuts (multiple hybrid), require special harvest and storing
- Filberts (multiple)
- Walnut (multiple), one of the most nutritionally balanced nuts
- Pecans

Fruit
- Apples (multiple)
- Blueberries (multiple)
- Cherry (deferred)
- Figs (multiple) Hardy Chicago works here in zone 6b on south side of building
- Juneberries
- Lingonberry
- Mulberry
- Pears (Asian)(multiple)
- Persimmons (multiple)
- Plums (multiple)

The next step: Where to plant them.

Some need full sunlight, others need protection from winter winds (south wall of house), some need partial shade, etc.

The first year of growth normally requires extra watering in order to establish the root system, so think about your hose lengths (or get extra hose).

I'm planning on planting along borders, so that I leave open area for crop rows.

For insect protection, we plan to use WP Surround, an inert, natural fine clay solution that seems like gravel to insects, but is harmless to people and washes off easily if so desired. To apply, just mix with water and spray on.

We'd already planted some apple, pear, blueberry, raspberry, grape, and pawpaw a few years ago, and are very pleased with the output of each, so we are comfortable about ramping up our fruit production.

Update:
On the topic of native and/or inconspicuous fruit trees, I ran across Tripple Brook Farm nursery recently and found all sorts of interesting edible fruits, such as Black Huckleberry, Mayapple, Wolfberry, Hog peanut, Checkerberry, wild yam, Indian potato, etc. These and many others can be found under "Edible fruit", and "Edibles other than fruit".
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Heineken

Having also planted a fair number of fruit and nut trees of various sorts (some of them from Edible Landscaping, although I've since found Raintree Nursery to be a more reliable and knowledgeable source with a better selection), I can amend skyemoore's good presentation with the caveat: be prepared to fail. Be prepared to carry endless buckets of water---and ever more as each summer averages slightly hotter. Be prepared to lose many of your plants and large portions of your crop to a huge array of diseases and to battle an astonishing phalanx of pests ranging in size from aphids to deer. And brush up on your pruning and other horticultural practices---without them, most fruit sources will produce stunted or no crops.

My mental jury is still out on Surround WP. I discovered it and started using it in late July, too late to get a good feel for its effectiveness. I was disappointed to see Japanese beetles (JBs), our chief nemesis here in Virginia, happily munching away on my Surround-treated apple and plum leaves. The instructions for Surround state that it should be applied before JBs show up, so that they aren't attracted to the plant in the first place and don't leave a pheromone that then attracts more beetles. So next year I'll start applying it right after the trees drop their petals. Unfortunately, most Surround is washed off by a good rain, so by the time you reapply it, JBs will probably already have gained a foothold.

Surround isn't cheap---about $60 for a 25-lb bag, plus delivery (you mix about three cups of the powder per gallon of water and apply with a sprayer; one gallon will handle, oh, about 5 small trees). Shop around, and avoid the gimmicky and overpriced "Gardens Alive" outfit.

What's particularly discouraging about JBs is that even conventional toxic pesticides aren't very effective against them. The ones contacted directly by the pesticide die, but more more beetles keep arriving and will actually eat the poisoned foliage.

If you live in an area with hot summers, consider the jujube (Chinese date). Although it grows very slowly, once established it's virtually immune to pests and drought and eventually produces large crops of a fruit that resembles a small, sweet, not very juicy apple. Jujube fruits dry very well and keep for long periods. Available from both Edible Landscaping and Raintree. The two cultivars to buy are Li and Lang; they cross-pollinate each other and you get better crops.
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WisJim

[quote="Heineken"] And brush up on your pruning and other horticultural practices---without them, most fruit sources will produce stunted or no crops.

My mental jury is still out on Surround WP.
Surround isn't cheap---about $60 for a 25-lb bag, plus delivery (you mix about three cups of the powder per gallon of water and apply with a sprayer; one gallon will handle, oh, about 5 small trees). Shop around, and avoid the gimmicky and overpriced "Gardens Alive" outfit.
quote]

Ah, fruit growing, a subject close to my heart (my stomach is close to my heart, right?)

I got my 50# bag of "Surround" for $20. A friend picked up a bag for each of us last spring at a local supplier--sorry, don't remember who it was--here in western Wisconsin. So prices vary a lot.

Pruning and orchard care--find out if there are any local groups or organizations that have field days. I am going to one tomorrow, and will probably learn more in 6 hours in someone's orchard watching demos than I would in a week of reading and messing around in my orchard. I have also started to learn to graft at a workshop last spring, after years of poor results when trying it on my own, so now I am really getting into propagating more varieties of fruit trees.

Many states have organizations of apple growers, etc., that an individual could join. NAFEX -North American Fruit Explorers-(google for their website) is a mostly USA based group of mostly amateurs with all kinds of knowledge and skill levels, from rankest amateur to skilled experienced professional and university researcher, with interests in more kinds of fruit than you might imagine.

I have apples, pears, plums, apricots, peaches, mulberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, and probably some others that I don't recall. We root cellar apples, freeze, can and dry much of the rest, and have fruit that we grew almost every day of the year.

nocar · Intermediate Crude Joined: Nov 05, 2004 Posts: 665

Most of my veggies, all of them having received plenty tender loving care, have been disappointments this year.

Our five big appletrees which only got some light pruning by DH all have record numbers of apples, although quite small.

I will be spending all weekends through February making apple sauce, apple pies, apple drinks, apple juice, apple cider, apple cake, apple marmelade, apple rings, oven-baked apples, apple puddings. And picking rotten apples to bring to hte compost. And picking nice apples to bring to work and to friends. And inviting people to come any time to get apples, that look very happy when I invite them, but then never show up. And then I will make apple sauce, apple pies, apple drinks, apple juice, apple cider, apple cake, apple marmelade, apple rings, oven-baked apples, apple puddings. And pick rotten apples.
- I have been through it before, although now it is some years ago. Are you really sure you want fruit trees?

frankthetank

WIsJim...what variety of peach do you grow? A friend had some very large peach trees growing in his yard, but were hit pretty hard a few years back (due to cold i assume). I'm taking a guess, but i believe they were Redhaven. By far the fuzziest, best tasting peaches i have ever consumed. They also grew pears (i've never seen branches that heavy with fruit) kiwi, apples, grapes, etc.

I almost bought me a couple Elberta Peach trees this spring, but once i was ready to buy, they were gone.

Another site to look into is gardenweb.

skyemoor

WisJim

[quote="frankthetank"]WIsJim...what variety of peach do you grow? A friend had some very large peach trees growing in his yard, but were hit pretty hard a few years back (due to cold i assume). quote]

In the past we have grown some Reliance peaches, which are the hardiest of the named commercially available varietied. They generally lived long enough to produce one or two crops, then cold and disease killed them.
Now we are trying some white peaches grown from seed from a couple of different friends in Wisconsin. They have grown them long enough that the small trees that I have are from seed from peaches from their trees in Wisconsin. With a few more generations of breeding work, they may come up with something reliable enough to sell as a cold hardy peach. For now, they are the only ones hardy enough, and short season enough, to try where we live in western Wisconsin. I am trying more varieties of apricots and plums and various crosses as perhaps a more reliable way to have peachlike fruit where I live. It will be a few more years before I will be able to sample any of their fruit, though.

Jim

backstop

skyemoor

KiddieKorral

As far as fruit and nuts go, I'm raising pond apples, blackberries, maples (seeds), and beautyberries. I don't have a credit card so I can't order seeds online, and my local nursery's selection of heirlooms is slim to nonexistent, so I've been collecting seeds from the local woods.
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strider3700

I have two apple trees although one of them was seriously damaged in the past and was split in half it's still fighting and has some fruit this year. The other one has craploads of fruit but most of it is pretty small and scabbed looking. I didn't prune the tree at all because I have no idea how and it shows.

can anyone tell me if I'm looking to add more plants, things like grapes, blue berries, gooseberries and maybe a couple of nut trees when should I Plant them? Fall or spring? I saw lots available in stores earlier this year but I had a million other things to do.

The grapes will hopefully be comming from cuttings off of my dads plants. He trims the crap out of them anyways so there should be a couple of good ones in there.
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skyemoor · Last edited by skyemoor on Fri Aug 26, 2005 6:54 am; edited 1 time in total

Ludi

Two sources for fruits I've had very good success with are:

One Green World

Johnson Nursery
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Heineken

Skyemoore: You should have no trouble growing jujubes in your area. I planted three in April and they're doing very well, nicely leafed out. Although growth is slow, as I noted earlier, I've read that they can start bearing in as little as two years after planting. No need to fertilize if your soil is OK, but you might want to add a little lime (they prefer a somewhat alkaline pH). No need to prune except for balance. They need 100% sun.

I've been pleasantly surprised by my heartnut (Japanese walnut) trees. They are absolutely thriving and they've been left totally alone by insects, including the Jap beetle! These trees produce nuts that are larger and much more easily shelled out than American walnuts.

I planted an Illinois everbearing mulberry in March and it's already eight feet high. Next year either I or the birds will start getting berries.

I have five little pawpaw trees, all alive but growing very slowly. Three of these are seedling trees; I have the notion of reintroducing this native species to our woods. POers should be aware that pawpaws need partial shading for the first two years; otherwise the sun kills them. 60% shade cloth is ideal. Also, don't let their roots dry out or they'll probably die.

Dogs are indeed great for driving away deer and squirrels. Our dog goes ape whenever she spots one. She's an indoor dog, though---not available for night duty.
_________________
"Actually, humans died out long ago."
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog

"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---Me and my brother

skyemoor