Raising and Growing Our Organic and Not- So-Organic Foods

[Leahs Mom]

@Arielle2 and anyone else...

I want to plant dwarf varieties of each:

-peach or nectarine (prefer nectarine if it will grow here)
-pear (good for eating - not bitter)
-plumb

Anyone have any great recommendations for variety? I wish they ALL had bush varieties!

 

[Arielle2]

This is when you need to do your research.
Only you can decide what fruits appeal to you.
Go vender to vender to see their offerings.

To start and get familiar, start with Stark. The tell you if standard, semidwarf or semi-standard, dwarf. NOTE the actual height and width of the tree.

For example, a standard peach is not much bigger than Starks semi-standard apples.
Also Stark asks you to put in your zip code to help you be sure to buy varieties suitable to your zone.

Generally, dwarfing is simply a matter of the rootstock.

NOt sure what you mean by a bitter pear. You mean UNRIPE? Or likely grocery store flavors.... fresh home ripened pears are , well, more ripe and more flavorful for the most part.

ALSO, you might need two trees.
Nectarines are self pollinating, but double check. As are peaches.
Pears need two.Moonglow, bartlet, bosc.
plums--select from the japanese types for eating; European plums are typically dried or cooked. pick 2 japanese to cross pollinate or 1 european plums which are self-pollinating. Honestly I see the European plums in the grocery as fresh eating.

Do you know what diseases are in your area?? A google search might reveal such info. THen select varieites that resist these diseases.

Also for stone fruit, there is cling, free stone and semi-free. It refers to how easily the pit pulls out of the flesh. Personally, I hate cling-- but the flavor of the fruit might trump that inconvenience.

 

[Arielle2]

Thanks, those are all very good points! We are sort of set back in the woods because there a condos/townhomes around us and one street with real houses right behind us so pretty protected I think but we do still get some wind and noreasters and such.

We also have a hill on one side of the driveway (and the house is on another hill) and a big bowl on the other side.

Use care about the bowl. A low lying area that holds the cold air just like a bowl of soup. Avoid that for fruit trees.

Ahhh yes, Im in Mass too. Most of our weather comes from the west, sometimes the south and sometimes the northeast.
I live on 15 aacres, and the neighbors are too close. lol Lights all around now since so many houses have gone in.

Do try to keep some of those big trees.....
Oak has thick rough bark, very rough. Little tiny leaves look like squirrel ears.
maples ......

It only takes a bit of practice to start sorting out families of trees. The bark, the way the branches grow, the leaves.Then within the family are the individual members. Both have LOTS of members.

I grew up walking in the woods and learned to ID some of the trees. Then DH has helped me ID far more.

Look at the bushes too. You might have witchhazel or filbert/hazel. I have butternuts too--just a rare few. And american chestnusts that grow to 15 feet and then die due a disease.

 

[Arielle2]

This might help with planning the right spot. Also note the mature size of the fruit trees. (The size is also determined by pruning method.)

http://bighorsecreekfarm.com/planting-guide/

 

[Arielle2]

An unusual recipe from Georgia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tkemali

 

[Arielle2]

https://www.eburgess.com/6123-5-n-1-dwarf-apple

When I grafted I had enough scion to add two peices to one rootstock. A 2 n 1 . Not all the grafts take but might be fun to have 4 n1 or 3 n 1 .

I have not ordered from Burgess so I dont know their quality.

 

[Arielle2]

wonderful descriptions of trees etc

https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?itemID=809

 

[ShrekDawg]

Use care about the bowl. A low lying area that holds the cold air just like a bowl of soup. Avoid that for fruit trees.

Ahhh yes, Im in Mass too. Most of our weather comes from the west, sometimes the south and sometimes the northeast.
I live on 15 aacres, and the neighbors are too close. lol Lights all around now since so many houses have gone in.

Do try to keep some of those big trees.....
Oak has thick rough bark, very rough. Little tiny leaves look like squirrel ears.
maples ......

It only takes a bit of practice to start sorting out families of trees. The bark, the way the branches grow, the leaves.Then within the family are the individual members. Both have LOTS of members.

I grew up walking in the woods and learned to ID some of the trees. Then DH has helped me ID far more.

Look at the bushes too. You might have witchhazel or filbert/hazel. I have butternuts too--just a rare few. And american chestnusts that grow to 15 feet and then die due a disease.

Thanks, thats a good point.

And I'll have to go try to identify the trees ha

 

[Arielle2]

Spire apple trees are a pole with very short branches, not much fruit but rather pretty in the right place.

https://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/apple-trees/stark-scarlet-spire-apple

 

[Arielle2]

WHile this is for Massachusetts, knowing your native soils is vital to the survival of plants and trees.
https://ag.umass.edu/crops-dairy-livestock-equine/fact-sheets/soil-acidity-liming