North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jojo and Helgi on Pender" <rocksandplants@gulfislands.com>]

Hi Nafex!

I've been enjoying membership to Nafex for just over a year now and the
e-mail list for 2 days. I'm very impressed. There are a few other e-mail
lists I belong to (ibs, aroid plants) but this one is far more worth reading
from start to finish.

That's about what I need here - something long and interesting to read. I
live on Pender Island in Coastal British Columbia, Canada. There might be
some list members from Saltspring Island, just across the water. If so, a
wave hello. I have several relatives over there (Lisa Maxx, the
Sigurgeirsons) and would love to visit your apple farms etc. My climate is
very similar to over there -- in short...

Zone 8b, lots of precipitation in fall, winter and spring, 2 months of
summer drought but not that hot.

My  main fruit interest in in Pears, Apples, Figs, Persimmons but especially
Blueberries. Blueberries grow excellently for me here. I live in the bottom
of a narrow valley and seem to have gotten everyone elses soil. Gulf Islands
soil has a reputation for being poor to non-existant, but if you sample soil
in the valleys and low zones, you'll find excellent soils, made up of forest
loam and silt washed down from the hills above. This has ironically made it
difficult for me to find a spot to plant my figs, so I have arranged several
raised beds with shale and poor clay.

One major problem with growing in a low point are the fog banks that roll in
off the sea. These seem to cause alot of black spot on roses and lilacs but
haven't bothered my pear trees yet.

If you have a question you'd like posed to the other forums I belong to,
please send a private message to jojo@suite101.com . (Interational Bulb
Society and Aroid Plants)

I look forward to continued discussions and will add my first question right
after I finish off here

Jojo Sigurgeirson, Zone 8 or so, Pender Island BC Canada


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