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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Fwd: Midwestern edible perennials?

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  • From: list@ginda.us
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Fwd: Midwestern edible perennials?
  • Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 22:54:21 -0500

The list below is a good one. Another fruit to consider is seviceberry or Juneberry (amelanchier). It grows as a small tree or large, upright bush. It is an attractive landscape plant, and has berries that look and taste very similar to blueberries. It likes a drier and less acid soil than blueberry, which can make it easier to grow in "average" soil, or the limey soil you often have in the midwest. There was a nice discussion by Rich Kruse on Amelanchiers on Oct 31 - I can forward it if you can't find it in the archives.

I've been happy with the edible landscape plants from St Lawrence Nurseries ( http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us/ ) but they are sort of local to me (they're in upstate NY, and I am in Massachusetts) and I think you do better with a local, or at least same-region supplier.

I don't have enough experience to opine on varieties of the fruits you mention, but from what I've heard from other NAFEXers and what I've seen in my own yard and my uncles, I can say that:

Apples tend to be fussy, especially if you want nice-looking fruit. They are also sort of labor intensive re insects and harvesting. The modern disease resistant cultivars (Liberty et al) are a lot easier than average.

Sour cherries are easier than sweet. It's very hard to harvest either before the birds get to them

Plums are fairly easy, although susceptible to black knot. But my uncle had a dozen plum trees that produced bushels of plums with almost no effort for years, until there was a drought, and the weakened trees succumbed to black knot. (Or maybe they were just getting older.)

I find that kids enjoy eating red currants off the bush, and they are very easy to grow. Gooseberries may have more mildew/disease issues, although I haven't grown them myself. Black currants generally taste better after being cooked, although our currant experts say that a few (Titania, Ben Lomand) are good fresh. Titania has the added virtue of being immune to white pine blister rust. (which is a more serious disease of pines than of currants, but it's poor form to harbor vectors of pine diseases). Crandall Currant (Ribes Odoratum) is a totally different plant than the European black currant, but it is a black currant that's very easy to grow, is nice to nibble on out of hand, and is very attractive in the spring landscape.

I find alpine strawberries easier than the regular ones. (you need to let the berries get very ripe to taste good.)

Raspberries often get infected with viruses in a few years, and get less productive. Everyone likes to eat them, though, and they don't require much maintenance. If it's warm enough the grow the "everbearing" ones, they are easiest to maintain, as you can just mow them to the ground at the end of every season.

I can't grow blackberries due to local fungal disease, but in general, they are easy where they are hardy enough. You are cold enough that you'd want to check the USDA zone recommendations carefully.

Asparagus is easy, and sort of cool the way it grows.

you may be a bit too chilly for pawpaws, but I'm no expert on them.

Good luck,
Ginda Fisher

On Nov 12, 2004, at 1:05 PM, Pat Meadows wrote:

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 11:00:39 -0600, you wrote:


1.What varieties of any of the following do you find most disease
resistant and successful? Apples, Pears, Peaches(!), cherries (sweet
and
sour), pawpaw, apricots, nut trees(!), root vegetables, strawberries,
raspberries, jostaberries, blueberries, asparagus, any other exciting
edible we missed

About fruit:

First: the USDA Zone Map tells you (very approximately) one
thing and one thing only: average minimum winter
temperature for a given area.

The USDA Zone Map lists DesMoines as being in Zone 5. (See:
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-nm1.html .)

I did quite a bit of research on plants that should survive
in Zone 4/5. So the plants I identified as 'Zone 4/5 safe'
should be OK in Des Moines as far as average minimum
temperature goes.

But if you want the plant to bear fruit, you have to
consider:

* not only the minimum temperatures it can withstand,

* but also if it blooms in early spring (leaving the flowers
subject to being killed by frost, and that equals no fruit
that year),

* and how long a frost-free season is required for fruit to
ripen.

I identified the following as 'possible edible landscaping
plants for Zone 4/5' - these are what you could call 'minor
fruits' I suppose: *not* included are apples, pears,
peaches, plums, cherries and apricots (for various reasons
including late frosts, need for spraying, etc.).

rhubarb (leaves are poisonous)
blueberries
gooseberries
blackberries (iffy in Zone 4, should be OK in Zone 5)
raspberries
hardy kiwis
jostaberries
Lonicera (honeyberry)
elderberries
goumi
beach plums
alpine strawberries
lingonberries
red currants
white currants
black currants
hazlenuts
the smaller quince - the bush one, not the tree
sea buckhorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)

There are other fruits that should survive in Zone 4/5 -
this is a partial list, not a complete list. (It's actually
the list of fruits we either have planted already, or hope
to plant.)

I can't help with your other questions, but hopefully others
will.

Pat
--
Coming soon: www.containerseeds.com - vegetable, herb,
and edible flower seeds especially selected for successful
container growing. To be notified when we open, or subscribe
to our monthly newsletter, visit: http://www.containerseeds.com

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