[NAFEX] developing hardy trees
Douglas Woodard
dwoodard at becon.org
Fri Oct 23 13:55:09 EDT 2009
A lot depends on the species and on how highly selected the cultivars in
use are already. Breeding a superior apple takes a lot of seedlings; a
competitive apricot not so many.
Also, breeding for cold hardiness you don't have to grow the seedlings
to fruiting. A year or two using very little space per seedling will
accomplish a lot of selection, especially if you are satisfied to select
for a slightly warmer climate than your own which does not require
waiting for a test winter at your place.
If you are content to develop a hardy cultivar which is merely useful
for home growers in a cold location, rather than fully competitive with
cultivars from warmer climates for commercial growers, you can relax
your standards. That might be the case if you were trying to develop a
Zone 5 or 4 peach for example.
Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Larry D. Cook wrote:
>
> Clifford E. and Jerry L.,et al
> I'm under the impression that trying to develop a plant that is
> at least cold hardy to one more zone,in a backyard venture is like
> hitting the Lotto. I have read that it takes a planting of several
> hundred seedlings and then you may not get fruit quality (or something
> else not desired)
> Larry D. Cook
> Indiana
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