North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Don Yellman <dyellman@earthlink.net>]

Dear Lostman:
1.  I am afraid that if all that stuff you have in your landscaping plan
grows up to maturity you will really be lost --- in the thicket of all
the twigs and branches.  I think if you reduced plantings by about 50%
it might be about right, although there could still be a little
crowding.  Almost all fruit crops appreciate full sun, and there is a
minimum number of hours required to ripen fruits and ensure sturdy,
healty growth.  Plantings that are stuffed together look awful and
perform worse.  Orientation to the sun is important.  On a small lot,
larger plantings should go toward the North and West sides, and planting
even small fruit trees close to foundations is not productive if the sun
will be cut off at least half the day.  Unless you are going to use a
system like espalier, trees like to be pruned and shaped for maximum
beauty and productivity.  The most common error of beginners is to plant
things too close together, and to discount the importance of light.
2.  I can't argue your choices of a lot of unusual edibles, but bear in
mind that the word edible covers a lot of ground.  As a Nafexer, I
support the theories of experimentation, especially when there is lots
of room to try new things.  But if you have limited space and want
something really good to eat fresh, or to put in the freezer, it is
pretty hard to beat the more traditional fruits like blueberries,
peaches, and cherries, and brambles like blackberries and raspberries.
I know you can make jams and jellies from things like quince, medlar,
highbush cranberry, goosberries, currants and all the rest, but why
would you if you have raspberries, or a good Concord grapevine? Besides,
there is a limit to the amount of jams and jellies you can eat, or even
give away, and I think we have found it here.  That in spite of the fact
that we make low-sugar preserves using Pomona's pectin, and they are
really fruity.  In your location I would probably focus heavily on
rabbiteye blueberries.  Wish I could grow them here.  Ah, the pies that
can be made from blueberries.  Having eaten fresh fruits in many
different parts of the world, I would have to say that the peach is
still in first place.  Mangoes would probably come in second.
3.  I second and third the motions about keeping large plantings away
from property lines.  Planting along the fenceline, with branches
hanging over adjoining property, is inconsiderate and borders on
arrogance.  Debby's neighbor has been considerate in using only a
chainsaw on her mulberry.  I probably would have applied a sprayerload
of glyphosate some time ago, since it is really her responsibility to
prune the branches that hang over his property.  He might want to grow
something along the fence too.  When we moved here, there were quite a
few wild mulberries around, and the birds carried the seeds everywhere.
I spent many hours grubbing up their evil yellow roots before I finally
got them eradicated.  Keeping trees away from power lines is just common
sense, and the power companies "butcher" them so that we don't get
electrocuted.  The best solution is buried power lines, but then you
have to be careful where and how deep you dig.
4.  Finally, with respect to Lon R.'s new Coho red raspberry, and Tom
O.'s concern about flavor, I must say I have never met a red raspberry I
didn't like, although I will grant that there are subtle differences in
flavor.  Last year I planted a new red called Baba on the recommendation
of PNW Nafexers.  It produced heavily the first year and it is superb.
Don't care much for the blacks though.

Rgds, Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA


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