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Post by gb98 on Nov 23, 2021 7:34:54 GMT -5
gardendmpls, interesting. And I always thought the bogs in MA and NJ supplied all of our cranberries!
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Post by raphanus on Dec 5, 2021 9:40:55 GMT -5
Where I live, peach trees are by far the largest commercial fruit industry, but we have had a rough few years because our winters are rarely cold enough to encourage good fruit production on peaches anymore. Additionally, most of the industry is early varieties, and we had a crazy unprecedented April freeze this year that ruined 3/4 of the peach crop. My mini orchard is mostly citrus. I have 5 Meyer lemon bushes from a nursery, two grapefruit trees from a nursery, and I have ten wild citrus that I started from seeds that I don’t know what kind of fruit they will produce. I have three peach trees, two dwarf watermelon figs, 4 loquats, two muscadine grape vines, and a bunch of strawberries. I have a handful of sad looking apple trees and blueberry bushes that are in deep shade because the scorching summers keep roasting them. It’s not really cold enough here for peaches anymore and it’s occasionally still too cold for citrus. The loquats and figs, tangerines and strawberries are very reliable producers, everything else is kinda a gamble. Blackberries are weeds around here. I want to try paw paws but our summers are too hot for them.
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Post by gb98 on Dec 5, 2021 9:50:05 GMT -5
raphanus, that's sad to hear the state with probably the largest production of peaches is now suffering not enough chill hours for their trees. I always thought peach varieties grown in warmer states didn't have minimum chill requirements. I didn't think GA was ever cool enough for apples, was it? Wild blackberries can indeed get weedy and those rarely produce much. I had a whole bunch of those growing wild here when I moved to this house. I gave them one season to produce or get yanked. They got yanked and I have since planted Nachez, a cultivated thornless variety of blackberry that was quite productive last year.
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Post by gianna on Dec 5, 2021 12:08:29 GMT -5
I also live in a low chill area. I think we are even considered 'minus'. Not even a light frost here in the past 20 years. I have 2 surviving peach trees, each selected because they were low chill. I've had others die because, even though they were considered low chill, it simply was not cool enough (forget 'cold enough') in the winter for them to leaf out in the spring. The 2 survivors... survive. Some years they have trouble leafing out, other years, they are OK. Same with plums and apricots. Cherries? forget those. Peach production is also down. Both of them have not yet lost their leaves! It's December 5! I also grow blueberries (35 or so container plants) - low or no chill, 8 or so varieties, generally evergreens. They currently are in full bloom. Unfortunately at this time of year there are fewer pollinators (and no bumble bees seen) so any berries that set will be smaller. There are usually some varieties that will bloom this time of year, but not all of them as now. There will probably be another bloom in a few months, if the plants don't exhaust themselves. They grow low-chill blueberries commercially here, but in slightly cooler locations than this property. In general however, the blueberries have done well here in most years. I've had more than enough fruit to be satisfied. It's almost a relief to have light producing years so I don;'t have to spend hours picking... My plants are getting older, and in pots, they just won't live as long. Keeping them ship-shape through the various droughts has been a constant pressure. They are quite yummy under full cream.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Jan 17, 2022 18:36:46 GMT -5
Goji berries...had some seeds of red goji sprouted last year, but they didn't pull through for whatever reason. So I'm try, trying again this year with both red and black varieties, doubling down on yet another hare-brained garden scheme. Anyone have experience with them?
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Post by thriftystitcher on Jan 26, 2022 10:02:10 GMT -5
I am hoping to plant some dwarf fruit trees this year and elderberries. I would like to have 2 cherry, 2 peach, 2 apple and a asian pear.
I seen elderberry seeds for sale, but then read that they are really hard to get going from seed. Has anyone ever tried that?
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Post by Mumsey on Jan 27, 2022 6:01:35 GMT -5
You will want 2 of those, they are not self pollinating. My Dad has some, 4 remaining. They tend to not last long here but they sure are delicious!
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Post by Mumsey on Jan 27, 2022 6:03:12 GMT -5
Why is there always a shortage of cranberries Because they now make dark chocolate covered cranberries and I buy them all from Farm & Fleet!
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Post by Wheelgarden on Jan 27, 2022 12:12:42 GMT -5
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Post by ecsoehng on Jan 27, 2022 12:30:30 GMT -5
I just planted a Fuyu persimmon tree this fall. No one seems to grow them but a friend nearby had a bumper crop this fall and I was impressed with the fact that they started in late October. Well after my pears were done. Of course by the time this little thing bears anything I may never see it, LOL. But I am trying.
Worried about the boysenberries since the temperatures are in the single digit now and they are little things.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jan 27, 2022 22:27:59 GMT -5
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Post by gb98 on Jan 28, 2022 15:55:40 GMT -5
thriftystitcher, Hi and welcome!! Good that you are planting 2 of each tree as even "self pollinating" types of fruit trees produce better with a different variety for better pollination and better fruit set. But be sure you get varieties that bloom at the same time - most good nurseries will tell you which varieties are the best pollinators for a certain variety. Do you have any varieties in mind yet? Where are you going to buy? As far as elderberry, not sure where you can buy those. If you have a native plant nursery near you, they may have one there. I have them growing wild in the woods behind me, but unfortunately that doesn't do you any good as I'm in MA, LOL!
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Post by thriftystitcher on Jan 28, 2022 17:42:27 GMT -5
I will probably order from Burgess, I have had good luck with them before for bushes and plants. They are based in IN so usually quick shipping and good prices.
The varieties I am thinking about are Elberta Peach, Red Johnathan Apple and Stella Cherry. I am still deciding if I want the Elberta or a nectarine. Fuzz or no fuzz LOL LOL.
I am still on the fence about the Asian Pears, I would like to plant it at the country property, but I am sure the deer would destroy it before it had a chance. They have Adams and Johns elderberries and sell them in pairs for pollination.
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Post by emmsmommy on Jan 29, 2022 17:34:04 GMT -5
I seen elderberry seeds for sale, but then read that they are really hard to get going from seed. Has anyone ever tried that? I've never tried planting the seed, but the birds do a good job of it as they pop up everywhere. We have native elderberries here and I took 5 or 6 cuttings last year, stuck them in a pot of soil and every one of them rooted. I did keep the pot in a shady area but only watered when I thought of it (which wasn't very often).
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Post by Wheelgarden on Jul 27, 2022 16:35:49 GMT -5
Today's summer snack was Celeste figs, which are ripening. Fresh off the tree at the pinky-blushy stage, they taste like banana and strawberry to me, just how I like them. I had to be called away before I ate too many.
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