|
Ideas for a Fruitful Summer
Ah, the fruits of summer! There's nothing quite like them. But for many people growing fruit in your yard is a challenge or intimidating. It doesn't have to be. To continue our e-news articles dealing with edibles, here's a very quick primer on what fruits work well in our area and a few tips for your success. Many folks don't realize the wide variety that can successfully be grown here. May your basket runneth over at the end of the season!
Most of the fruit trees that we carry at Four Seasons are semi-dwarf which means that they will reach a mature height of 12-15'. No more climbing those tall ladders when harvest season is upon us. We do not carry dwarf trees however, because they don't do well here. This is because the root stock that they are grafted onto is not usually hardy enough to survive our sometimes cold winters.
All fruits, whether tree, bush or plant prefer full sun and plenty of water until they become established. Fertilizer will be the key to your success. Fertilize with a good, balanced blend for fruit in April, June and late July/early August for maximum fruit and growth.
Now on to the fruit...
Apples- Ever since Adam and Eve took the first bite, this fruit has been a perpetual favorite! Whether you took one to your teacher on the first day of school or simply watched as your mom made pie, apples are a staple of our diet.
The best news about apples is that although it was previously thought that apple trees needed a pollinator, new research is showing that many are, in fact, self fertile. Although there are many heirloom varieties which are popular and have done well in our area for many years, don't overlook some of the more recent introductions. Hybrids like Honeycrisp and Honeygold are excellent keepers and some of our favorite eating apples. Other popular favorites include Gala, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Red Delicious and many others. For fun and if you are tight on space, try a Three in One apple tree that will produce three different kinds of apples from one tree!
Coddling moths are the most common problem with apple trees. Use Capt'n Jacks as a treatment for them, but do not apply until after the flowers or off or else you will kill the beneficial bees that pollinate them as well. Repeat your application in about three weeks to keep the trees moth free.
Apricots- Apricots do surprisingly well here, when we have cooperation from Mother Nature in the form of a warm spring. We've been lucky enough to be overwhelmed with our harvest a few years. Some of these are self fertile and some need a pollinator. Check with your salesperson when you are shopping. Common apricots in our area include Moorpark, Chinese, and Sungold.
Cherries- Cherries come in two types- pie and sweet. Pie cherries do well here and are very hardy. The sweet cherries are touchy but possible. If you live much above 6,300 to 6,500 feet, they are fairly difficult to grow successfully. Cherries that can be grown here include, Bing, Stella, Van, Bali, Montmorency, Lapins, Northstar, Black Tartarian, Ranier and others.
Nectarines & Peaches- Generally do well in our area depending on the spring weather. All are self fertile and need no pollinator. Fantasia is the best nectarine for our area. Peaches give you more choice with varieties like Flat Top, Polly, Elberta, Bailey's Hardy, Red Haven and Reliance being popular favorites.
Pears- Pears can also be grown here and several varieties do quite well. Most pears need a pollinator so plan on purchasing more than one tree if you want to try your hand at growing them. Familiar names like Bartlett, Luscious, Parker, Summercrisp, Seckel and others will do well here.
Plums- Plums, another stone fruit, will thrive if the weather cooperates. Varieties like Green Gage, Pipestone, Santa Rosa, Stanley, Satsuma and Superior will produce a bumper crop here.
On to the small fruits...
Blackberries & Raspberries- Blackberries and raspberries do exceptionally well here. Black Satin and Darrow are the most common blackberries. Raspberries are some of my favorites because you can plant varieties that will produce fruit from early summer through the fall. Raspberries come in a wide variety of colors too- ranging from black to red to gold. Bristol Black or Cumberland are great black varieties. If you prefer red, then try Heritage Red. But for a real treat, if you've never tried a gold raspberry, Fall Gold or Anne Yellow are some of the best around!
The thing to remember about raspberries and blackberries to take great care when pruning. The first year canes are simply a shoot. The second year, they should bear fruit. By the third year, theoretically, they can be pruned back, but wait until your bushes break dormancy and leaf out to be sure the cane is dead.
Blueberries- Blueberries are doable in our climate but more difficult. Since they are acid loving, the ground must be amended with something such as peat moss or Back to Earth. Feeding throughout the growing season with copperas or sulfur to keep the soil acidic is necessary for good production. Chippewa, Northblue and Northcountry are popular varieties.
Strawberries-Strawberries are probably my personal favorite for the simple fact that they are so versatile. Use them in a strawberry pot on your porch for an instant snack. Plant them in hanging baskets for a cascading delight on your patio. Put them in containers. Plant them in rows. Use them as a groundcover around other plants. The new everbearing varieties produce wonderful fruit all through the summer into the fall. Quinalt and Fort Laramie are two of the best for this area.
One thing to be aware of if you want to try fruit in your yard. Not only do they look great, are delicious and tempting to you, they will also be yummy to birds, bears, raccoons and other critters. For some reason, they always think that they are "just right" about 3-4 days before we do! There have been many gardeners who go out ready for their first harvest only to find that the birds have beaten them to the crop. This problem is easily solved by using bird netting or row cover when the fruit is close to perfection. But as I tell our gardeners here... sometimes no matter what you try, you just gotta share! | 
