Oh my poor orchard !!!

[3riverschick]

I am so sad. This last record breaking winter in western PA has killed almost all my fruit tress. The 60 yr. old Snow and Cider apple trees were on their last leg but I was hoping for another year or two. They are gone. My two lovely cherry trees. I just don't understand what happened to them. They are both 17 years old. Lovely trees. Until 2 years ago when a wide rough scar started to climb up the trunk and the base of the trunk started to engorge around the entire trunk with a thick rough bark. Very unlike cherry bark. This year the scar has climbed up the entire trunk and the Queen Anne is dead. My lovely tree. The Bing is on it's last legs and will die over next winter. It has a very spare smattering of blossoms and the rest of the tree is dead and dry like the Queen Anne. The pears died because I planted them too close to the pine tree. My mistake. All I have left that is healthy is the Fiji Apple. Even it's lovely apples are misshapen when they are ripe. They sure taste good tho. It's in another part of the yard from the rest of the now defunct orchard. I am thinking , tho I am in zone 5b, I need to replace my trees with zone 4 trees in case we get another polar vortex next winter. The forecasters are saying that the trend last winter could last another 10 years.
Sadly,
Karen in PA 15658

 

[SIMZ]

That sure stinks! I'm so sorry. You lost some great trees - hard to replace those!

Fortunately, my little fruit trees made it. I was very concerned that they wouldn't make it after this winter we've had since it was their first winter.

 

[Arielle]

Karen-- So sad to lose the wonderful old fruit trees that have given us so much fruit over the years and never failed . . . until now. Like losing an old friend. I think we are in for rollercoaster weahter. Perhaps look for varities that are hardy. I have often how much root stock contributes to hardiness. I know little about fruit treee, but as we are pl anning to plant trees again, I'm hopeful for some suggestions here.

I've been lookig at more native plants like mulberry and chokecherry . . .

 

[chickadoodles]

Karen, I am so sorry you lost so many of your trees. This was a horrible winter for everyone.
Your Figi Apple tree sounds like it needs some fertilizer.

I lost a few young fruit trees this last winter as well. It makes me sick!

I will plant a couple more I guess.

I have a couple apple, a couple pear, peach and a plum tree.
Then I have Hickory and Pecan trees. I may plant an Almond tree as they don't take that long to mature.

I have been buying semi dwarf fruit trees so I will get fruit sooner. I will be caning pears this year.
Still have to wait till next year for apple and plum trees to start producing.

 

[3riverschick]

Karen, I am so sorry you lost so many of your trees. This was a horrible winter for everyone.
Your Figi Apple tree sounds like it needs some fertilizer.

I lost a few young fruit trees this last winter as well. It makes me sick!

I will plant a couple more I guess.

I have a couple apple, a couple pear, peach and a plum tree.
Then I have Hickory and Pecan trees. I may plant an Almond tree as they don't take that long to mature.

I have been buying semi dwarf fruit trees so I will get fruit sooner. I will be caning pears this year.
Still have to wait till next year for apple and plum trees to start producing.

Thank you all for the warm words about my trees. I agree, I don't think this adversarial winter weather is leaving soon.
They said the polar vortexes were a 20 yr. event and then we had 2 in Jan. One scholar opined he thought winter would
be hard for the next 10 yr. . One day and then no more coverage of him. Think so too. Not climate change, just a natural
shift in the weather pattern. I finally chose my replacement orchard. Believing I will lose the last cherry tree next year, so opted
for the Hansen's Bush Cherry. Takes up about the same space as a 4-6 ft. Forshythia shrub. I actually have a space for
that on our 6/10's an acre. Produces in 1-2 yrs. instead of 4-5 like the trees. For trees, I went with dwarf, hardy to Zones 3-4
( to deal with the vortexes). A eating apple named KinderKrisp and a Red Rome baking apple. Rome is best pollinator for
KinderKrisp. We are technically 5b but I don't trust the weather fluctuations any more. Polar vortexes dropped us from
5b to 4 overnight. Plus I want some trees that will either blossom hardy ( Snow Apple) or blossom later because we have
been having late Spring freezes which kills the fruit in the blossoms. Not sure I can grow peaches and pears here.
Can't find any hardy to Zone 4. Maybe if I can find some older pear or peach trees in a local nursery which are 4-5 yrs.
old I will try them.
Best,
Karen

 

[chickadoodles]

Thank you all for the warm words about my trees. I agree, I don't think this adversarial winter weather is leaving soon.
They said the polar vortexes were a 20 yr. event and then we had 2 in Jan. One scholar opined he thought winter would
be hard for the next 10 yr. . One day and then no more coverage of him. Think so too. Not climate change, just a natural
shift in the weather pattern. I finally chose my replacement orchard. Believing I will lose the last cherry tree next year, so opted
for the Hansen's Bush Cherry. Takes up about the same space as a 4-6 ft. Forshythia shrub. I actually have a space for
that on our 6/10's an acre. Produces in 1-2 yrs. instead of 4-5 like the trees. For trees, I went with dwarf, hardy to Zones 3-4
( to deal with the vortexes). A eating apple named KinderKrisp and a Red Rome baking apple. Rome is best pollinator for
KinderKrisp. We are technically 5b but I don't trust the weather fluctuations any more. Polar vortexes dropped us from
5b to 4 overnight. Plus I want some trees that will either blossom hardy ( Snow Apple) or blossom later because we have
been having late Spring freezes which kills the fruit in the blossoms. Not sure I can grow peaches and pears here.
Can't find any hardy to Zone 4. Maybe if I can find some older pear or peach trees in a local nursery which are 4-5 yrs.
old I will try them.
Best,
Karen

Most weather patterns do repeat themselves, that has been discussed in great length over time on the news. I believe we will be getting more of them for several years to come. But we also had a shift of our axis and I said when that happened it was going to through off our weather patterns. I am not a specialist but it made since to me.
That's great that you found some trees that will produce so quickly. I try to get what I can through local nursery's but I also order online.
My fruit trees lost their blooms the last 3 years from late freezes. I hate that! I tried wrapping the trees in sheets to no avail.
We lost 2 of our 15 fruit and nut trees. I will probably get some more this fall. I want a pomegranate, apricot and a cherry.

 

[Arielle]

Karen-- have you also considered other types of berries like th honey berries-- from siberia; and the native pawpaw?? Pawpaw might be too big of a tree for your lot. I have been moving toward the more durable types, too. THe Hansen cherry has been on my to buy list-- just seems like a good choice for the chickens to collect for themselves.

I looked at gooseberries but this state is restricted ; yet I know a farm stand that grows them. A very native type of fruit-- very tangy and not very sweet by modern standards. About the size of a small grape. A bush from what little I understand.

When do your appple trees arrive??

 

[3riverschick]

Ok, found the Honeyberries .They look like Blueberries.
What do they taste like? Can you use them just like Blueberries ?
Ok, what may seem like a silly question but important in this
neighborhood where many homes got new roofs from a
hailstorm 2 years ago. Do birds eat berries and then drop
colored poop on roofs?
Thanks,
Karen

 

[Arielle]

Ok, found the Honeyberries .They look like Blueberries.
What do they taste like? Can you use them just like Blueberries ?
Ok, what may seem like a silly question but important in this
neighborhood where many homes got new roofs from a
hailstorm 2 years ago. Do birds eat berries and then drop
colored poop on roofs?
Thanks,
Karen

We have different views of our own individual neighborhoods!! We have lived here for years-- a town that favored farming, and more recently the large supersize houses with 2 car garages now dot the roadside. I expect a good rain would wash down a roof-- I"m assuming the roofs are galvie?? Here we have dark shingles that hide dark poo, but white splotches are evident.

Curious . . . are you worried about the wild birds stealing?? You can cover with nets to e sure YOU get the bounties.

 

[3riverschick]

Most weather patterns do repeat themselves, that has been discussed in great length over time on the news. I believe we will be getting more of them for several years to come. But we also had a shift of our axis and I said when that happened it was going to through off our weather patterns. I am not a specialist but it made since to me.
That's great that you found some trees that will produce so quickly. I try to get what I can through local nursery's but I also order online.
My fruit trees lost their blooms the last 3 years from late freezes. I hate that! I tried wrapping the trees in sheets to no avail.
We lost 2 of our 15 fruit and nut trees. I will probably get some more this fall. I want a pomegranate, apricot and a cherry.

Hi chickadoodles.
Well we decided today to cut down our remaining cherry tree. The one is dead from what we believe is crown rot. The other also seems to have this affliction, however, that's not the whole story. These Bing and Royal Ann cherries bloom early and every year we lose the cherries in the bloom and bud. I just need something more hardy all around. So I am just going to have to forego some of the fruits I wanted. Just 2 apple trees, Hansen's Bush Cherries and maybe a pear tree. The rest will just have to buy at the market. Maybe some Honey Berries? We have 6 trees to cut down this year. a dead pine, mostly dead Black Walnut, 2 cherry trees ( Royal Ann and Bing) and 2 old apple trees ( Snow and Cider) .
Trees:
KinderKrisp Apple zones 3-7 Supreme Dwarf
Starkspur

Red Rome Beauty. zones 4-8 supreme dwarf
Our best baking apple. Is best pollinator for KinderKrisp .
Row of Hansen's Bush Cherries
Maybe some Honeyberries.
Sure would like a Pear tree if I could find a hardy one.
Maybe I can find a Southworth Pear tree in a dwarf.
(zone 4-7 ) that would be cool.
Best,
Karen