Best Month-to-month fruit/mast_Aug to Feb?

[CAS_HNTR]

I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on their "go to" fruit/mast for each of the months from August to February. I have been adding trees of all varieties to try and fill my "voids" and wanted to other thoughts.

I have a bunch of chestnut and oaks planted which will fill a pretty good about of the gaps in Sept and Oct, but I am always looking for other things to help out!

 

[buckvelvet]

Apples can take you from July (even June for some more southern climates) and keep giving your deer a reason to come back into march.

 

[CAS_HNTR]

I guess I was looking for the "go to" varieties for each timeframe......clearly a lot of verities exist, but what are the best for each part of the year? Best in terms of reliability, disease resistance, etc.

 

[Native Hunter]

Persimmons are generally very DR and ripening dates start in late summer. All of my native persimmons are very late ones and a few can still be dropping some in Jan and Feb. Four years ago I planted Miller persimmon for an October drop and another one for mostly in November. This spring I added some of the Chestnut Hills persimmons that should drop in September. So, persimmons can cover a wide time frame.

But they won't cover as wide of a time frame as apples and pears. You are further north than me, so I would rather someone in your zone give recommendations on them. But I will say I have some pears that should fruit next year that are much later than most pears. They are supposed to hold into December. I will let everyone know later how those work out. So far they are putting on vegetative growth rather than trying to fruit, and that is just fine with me. When they do start fruiting, they will be big enough to handle it well.

 

[Lot2Learn]

It seems to me that we haven't quite gotten to the answer you're looking for. Let me take a stab.

Check out this maturity chart: https://www.acnursery.com/doc/8/ACN-maturity-chart.pdf

Note that (a) the chart is for 'maturity' not drop time, (b) it contains many 'popular' varieties, but certainly doesn't have all the varieties that guys on this forum have planted, and (c) it's calibrated for southern PA, likely zone 6 -- you'll have to adjust for your zone.

Let us know how many fruit trees you plan to plant and people can/will chime in with suggested varieties, but you'd be well served if at least your core plantings were selected from the disease resistant varieties shown on the chart.

As you can see from the chart, planting Liberty, Galarina, Florina/Querina, Enterprise and Goldrush gives you a pretty solid base planting. Those are all disease resistant, except that Goldrush is quite prone to cedar apple rust, which is a pain but most guys find that planting it is 'worth it' for the late drop.

After that 'core planting', I'd plant some crabapples, many of which are generally disease resistant. There are tons of varieties, but consider Dolgo, Kerr, and Chestnut first, then plant as many others as suits your fancy.

Got more room? Want to try more varieties? Want to try some pears? Welcome to the addiction!

 

[yoderjac]

I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on their "go to" fruit/mast for each of the months from August to February. I have been adding trees of all varieties to try and fill my "voids" and wanted to other thoughts.

I have a bunch of chestnut and oaks planted which will fill a pretty good about of the gaps in Sept and Oct, but I am always looking for other things to help out!

I've got native persimmons growing on my place. I've been converting make trees to female by grafting scions from a wide variety of trees both named and unnamed varieties. My objective is to have persimmons dropping across that entire time period.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[CAS_HNTR]

Well, Ive got a pretty good start......Enterprise, Arkansas Black, Galarina, Liberty, Chestnut Crab, Hewes Crab, Redfree, Yellow Transparent

Plus I have Keiffer, Moonglo pears.......will be adding some Asian varieties as well.

Still want to grab a dolgo, goldrush, kerr, a freedom, and maybe some other things

Working on my persimmons as well.....have another year till they are ready to graft, but we will be there soon enough!

 

[Lot2Learn]

Well, Ive got a pretty good start......Enterprise, Arkansas Black, Galarina, Liberty, Chestnut Crab, Hewes Crab, Redfree, Yellow Transparent

Plus I have Keiffer, Moonglo pears.......will be adding some Asian varieties as well.

Still want to grab a dolgo, goldrush, kerr, a freedom, and maybe some other things

Working on my persimmons as well.....have another year till they are ready to graft, but we will be there soon enough!

You already have a great list!

In addition to the varieties you mentioned adding, if you'd like to add a few more, consider Priscilla, Yates, Zestar, Pristine, Sundance (my best tree) and Williams Pride.

Others are better at the crab apples and I am, but consider All-Winter-Hangover, Winter Wildlife, and then there are a ton of others.

Another pear that gets high praise for DR: Ayers

For asian pears, based on the recommendation of others here I planted Olympic (Korean Giant), Yoinashi, and Shinko. While not yet bearing, they've been great growers, DR, and the bugs seem to leave them alone.

 

[Native Hunter]

You already have a great list!

In addition to the varieties you mentioned adding, if you'd like to add a few more, consider Priscilla, Yates, Zestar, Pristine, Sundance (my best tree) and Williams Pride.

Others are better at the crab apples and I am, but consider All-Winter-Hangover, Winter Wildlife, and then there are a ton of others.

Another pear that gets high praise for DR: Ayers

For asian pears, based on the recommendation of others here I planted Olympic (Korean Giant), Yoinashi, and Shinko. While not yet bearing, they've been great growers, DR, and the bugs seem to leave them alone.

What can you tell us about Sundance? That's one I've read about and very interested in. When does it drop in your area?

 

[Lot2Learn]

What can you tell us about Sundance? That's one I've read about and very interested in. When does it drop in your area?

My tree was planted in the Spring of 2013, so I don't yet have much to pass along, but:

• Mine is on m.111, but it is growing better than the majority of my trees on b.118 (I have clay soils, so that's part of it)
• It's been very easy to train
• We do some spraying, but not much, and the leaves look great
• I actually haven't seen it bloom, but I think it's a late bloomer
• No fruit yet, but I'm starting to see the virtue of trees that don't fruit until the limbs are stronger and more established
• Going solely on the description I find on the web (e.g., https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/pri/sundance.pdf), the fruit should be great for human consumption and the drop time should be good for deer
• The only negative that I see so far is that it's covered by a patent
• I got mine from Cummins and I see that for the Spring of 2017 they have it on both m.111 and b.118

- Hugh

 

[Davewp70]

 

[Davewp70]

When planting / Choosing, tried to keep in mind that i want to be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor throughout the summer and fall. So, have included varieties that I can pick fresh and enjoy just as well.

 

[NY_Terrence]

Here's a recent picture of my Sundance. This one was planted in 2014 from Wafler Nursery in NY. It was 2 or 3 years old and on m-111 rootstock. I echo Lot2Learn on every point about Sundance.

 

[Spur]

View attachment 10536

I don't know what a "Fugi" Apple is, but I do have Fuji and Fuji Sun apples. the Fuji Sun ripens the second week of September and the Fuji ripens the third week or fourth week of September. My Honeycrisp ripen the first or second week in October.

My Dunstan chestnuts drop the second or third week of October, depending on temperature I think, never in September.

 

[wiscwhip]

Anyone here growing Kiku? It is a "sport" of Fuji from what I understand, and by far my favorite apple for fresh eating since I first tried them last fall. We just got this years batch in the produce section about 2 weeks ago.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Heard of Kiku, but not planting any. We will, however, be planting more Sundance this coming spring !! ( more are already ordered ). My camp has one in the ground now - too early for fruit.

 

[Dan Wombles]

For late droppers, my vote is for yates. Great annual crop, absent very late frost, ripens late October/early November, drops slowly, and I love grabbing several to eat before getting in my stand

 

[Davewp70]

why i like the asian pears, shinko and olympic...