I'm ready to plant my best spot

[TMIL]

Hi all! This Spring I plan to plant fruit trees in my best spot and I'd like your help narrowing down my choices. I have planted apple and pear trees for the past 3 years, but I deliberately left this spot alone until I learned with practical experience. Now that I'm fairly confident I can get trees to grow, I'm ready to tackle the honey hole. But I still haven't nailed down the specific trees I want to include.

Here's what I want:
disease resistant
low maintenance
precocious growers
reliable producers

and most importantly, drops fruit from late Oct through mid December.

So yeah, I just want the perfect tree. Haha! I have compiled a short list of candidates, but I'm certainly open to other suggestions.

Arkansas Black
Yates
Becton Pear
Ms. Laneene Pear
Gate Pear
Enterprise

The planting will be 6-10 trees. Please let me know your favorite variety! I'm in far Southern IL, climate about the same as Native Hunter I think.

 

[chickenlittle]

For that number of trees, I would do either pears or apples but not both. Mostly to ensure I had enough cross-pollination. Maybe for 10 trees, I'd mix with some attention to what will pollinate what but for 6 I'd do one or the other. You give up some flexibility that one type might get frosted out while the other still produces fruit. For example, my apples did ok in the backyard this year but some wild pears at the end of my street have zero fruit this year.

You can read up on when things bloom to make sure they will pollinate each other. Arkansas Black, for instance, is a triploid (3 sets of chromosomes) which makes its pollen sterile. Enterprise is a normal diploid (2 sets of chromosomes) so it would pollinate the AB. I'm not sure about Yates, probably also a diploid. If all three flower at the same time, there should be no problem. Add a couple crabapples and you would be covered for apple pollination.

I am unfamiliar with the pears you are considering so I cannot give any advice there on suitability or pollination.

Depending on rootstocks, I'd put the pears on the north side in expectation that they would get taller than the apples.

 

[Neahawg]

For 10 trees splitting between apples and pears I would go with:

Dolgo
Black limbertwig
Pricilla
Arkansas Black
Yates

Ayers
Moonglow
Senator Clark
Becton
Ms Laneen

That gives you apples and pears from July/Aug through Nov.

 

[Charman03]

Goldrush
Liberty (everyone loves this tree)
Enterprise
Galarina (see my post below)
All winter hangover crab
Winter wildlife crab
Chestnut crab

 

[TMIL]

Hey guys, thanks so far. Let me clarify a bit. I have 40 acres and 30 apple, pear and crabapple trees growing already. I don't think I'll have a concern with pollination. They are a mix of early, mid and late droppers. For this one specific spot, I want only those prime-time droppers.

I would love to plant Goldrush, but I have SO many cedars.

 

[Neahawg]

Ok then new list would include:

Apples:

Arkansas Black
Sundance
Kerr crab
Yates
Winesap

Pears:

Galloway
Gate
Becton
Gilmer Christmas
Ms. Laneen


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[Neahawg]

You could sub galarina for winesap

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[chickenlittle]

Do any of your current trees meet you goals? Nothing better than planting more of what you already know works for you.

 

[Native Hunter]

You've already been given some good choices. I can think of other possibilities but they are young trees not yet proven for me. As I get experience with them I will share info but that doesn't help any now.

I do know that for me pears are the most trouble free. Japanese beetles don't bother them. That is a big plus in years when they are really bad.

 

[Native Hunter]

I will also mention that the Northern Whitetail Crabs I planted this spring look incredible. The sheep nose apple trees are showing minor to moderate CAR but the others are extremely clean. Of course, we won't know about FB resistance until they start flowering. None of them show any scab.

 

[TMIL]

Thanks guys! Some ramblings:

I do have Arkansas Black and Enterprise already growing, no fruit yet (I've not yet let a flower remain on a tree) but they grow well.
The only late dropping pear I have so far is Doc's Special, so I want to try those Wildlife Group varieties if they come recommended.
I really would like a Kerr, maybe 2. Anyone know where to get them?
I need to research Sundance, Winesap, Galarina, Gilmer Christmas Pear, and Northern Whitetail crabs.

Thanks for the suggestions!