Other Fruits

[williams111]

I've been experimenting with Jujube, specifically tigertooth which is a self-fertile variety. It is not a fast fruit producer. I'd liken it to American persimmon in terms of time to produce fruit. If you search the forum you will find threads with my experience for them. Now that my trees are producing, they produce heavily and consistently. They drop during the season. I've watched turkey fly up to knock them down and then fight over them. They are very sweet. Some call them Chinese dates because you can dry them and they have high sugar content. The fruit is red when ripe and about the size of my little finger.

I chose it for deer because it is very low maintenance and I've had no disease issues. It does not need pruned to produce well. This makes it a great wildlife tree. The fruit is very tasty. These trees have done pretty well in my area.

I have many of the fruit trees others have mentioned, but you don't find too many guys using Jujube for deer.

Thanks,

Jack

Jack,
I do recall reading a thread or 2 where you mention them. I will read up on them again. I think they weren’t able to survive zone 5 if I remember correctly.

 

[Catscratch]

I like my Jujube abd Che.

 

[Telemark]

Honeyberry/haskap - easy to grow and excellent fruit

Plums - grow like crazy where I live, and some varieties are phenomenal. Cannot even be compared to store-bought

Rubus(raspberry/dewberry/blackberry varieties and their crosses) - easy to grow, low maintenance, excellent fruit, but most varieties can spread if left unchecked

Ribes(jostaberry/gooseberry/currants) - Jostaberry and gooseberry are easy to grow and excellent fresh, currants grow well but are best for cooking, though fresh white currants suit my palate

Cherries - grow well, produce like crazy, but often get stolen by birds

Amelanchier - very good fruit and easy to grow

Fig - incredible fresh eating fruit, you should be able to find a variety for your region

Medlars, peaches, nectarines, apricots, dogwood - have not been worth the effort for me in my climate, they produce very little and inconsistently, though they can be very nice ornamentals in the mean time

 

[H20fwler]

What varieties of peaches are you growing? I have read this as well, that they are short lived.

The variety that has done best for us is Elberta, we have also tried Redhaven but they only lived a few years.

Over the years we have had friends and neighbors locally that have grown peach trees in their yards and in small orchards and at ten to twelve years they die too. Some have had crazy heavy fruit loads, not sure of varieties they planted.

I have friends that live down south in MS and AL and they have peach trees there that live over twenty years for them and do great.

I’m not sure why some seem to thrive here then at a certain age just croak? Must be on the edge of their growing zone. We like peaches and have the room so it’s worth it to keep putting a replacement or two out even though we know it’s about a ten year tree.
Elberta’s have been almost maintenance free for us and have been pretty DR here too. Have only seen a little leaf fungus twice on ours where a few leaves get kind of swollen and pinkish orange in spring but they grow right out of it. Have never sprayed ours just light pruning first few years and a little fert.

 

[Trinktrink]

For the guys growing cold hardy cherry trees, what’s some good varieties to grow? Any that you can pick and eat or are they more for baking/jam?

 

[Catscratch]

For the guys growing cold hardy cherry trees, what’s some good varieties to grow? Any that you can pick and eat or are they more for baking/jam?

I've done a lot of research on cherries in KS. Generally tart are recommended over sweet cherries for their disease resistance.

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[Mortenson]

I've done a lot of research on cherries in KS. Generally tart are recommended over sweet cherries for their disease resistance.

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Same with IL and I assume IA also.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

2 I grow alot of in the home orchard not mentioned.

Aronia- black chokeberry
Gooseberry

 

[Telemark]

For the guys growing cold hardy cherry trees, what’s some good varieties to grow? Any that you can pick and eat or are they more for baking/jam?

Tart cherries like Montnorency are easiest. Some Canadian varieties like Athos seem very promising. Lapins, Stella, Van, Sunburst, and Merton Glory are all good off the tree.

 

[williams111]

2 I grow alot of in the home orchard not mentioned.

Aronia- black chokeberry
Gooseberry

I have a few Aronia bushes as well, how do you utilize the fruit? These were planted more as landscape plants, but they do produce quite a few berries. I do have some native gooseberries at the farm as well, I have yet to catch up with one when it is ripe.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

I pick when ripe and freeze, add a 1/3 cup to my morning smoothies. They also make a top notch wine.

I planted hinnonmoki red gooseberries, produce a ton early and taste great fresh if u like tart fruit. Which I prefer to sweet.

 

[williams111]

I ordered 3 Myrobalan RS and a stick of Damson Plum Scion wood from Cummins and a Goji Berry, Indian Blood and Reliance Peach tree from Willis Orchard. Anyone growing Indian Blood Peach? Or Goji Berry?

 

[Telemark]

I have tried to like Aronia, but I just never was able to enjoy it. I gave away my bushes. I still have access to several pounds of it each year, but every time I've tried it I remember why I don't like it. I've heard it makes a decent wine, but I haven't tried yet. I will definitely try that next fall.

 

[Telemark]

Forgot to mention I also grow Physalis/ground cherry/lantern berry/cape gooseberry/whatever you want to call it. It's an annual in my climate, but worth the effort. Fruit falls to the ground when ripe, but has a protective packaging around it.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

For those who have Aronia - black chokeberry - what kind of soil do you grow them in?? How do they grow in YOUR soil??

 

[chummer]

I love my blueberry and the deer don’t browse them.

 

[williams111]

I love my blueberry and the deer don’t browse them.

What Varieties are you growing? How old are they?

 

[Telemark]

For those who have Aronia - black chokeberry - what kind of soil do you grow them in?? How do they grow in YOUR soil??

Peaty with a little clay and sand. I lime and fertilize frequently.

 

[Telemark]

I love my blueberry and the deer don’t browse them.

I like my blueberries too, but they need special fertilizer every year in order to thrive.

 

[chummer]

I like my blueberries too, but they need special fertilizer every year in order to thrive.

I have never fertilized them. They like my acidic soils.