North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Brungardt, Sam" <Sam.Brungardt@state.mn.us>]

In most of the Great Plains, the red cedar (J. virginiana) is the only
native juniper.  It is planted throughout Nebraska and in states to the
north and south, as seedlings in farm shelterbelts and windbreaks and as
cultivars in home landscapes.  I believe that generally the
recommendation is to eliminate red cedars for 1/4 mile around a pome
planting to ensure that rust will not be a problem. -- Sam Brungardt,
St. Paul, Minn.

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Donna &/or Kieran
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 9:47 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Northline Serviceberry (Chex)


Bill,
    I think you'd do well with serviceberries.  Your climate is drier
and 
you probably have far fewer cedars than we do.  The cedars are the
problem 
here, they carry a specialized line of rust for just about everything 
related to apples.  I picked a handful of the berries once years ago in
town 
(where there are fewer cedars).  They are nice enough raw, but boiled
with a 
little sugar, they were fantastic.  The cooking brings out the almond
flavor 
of the seeds.  They really taste nice besides that aspect, a spritely 
flavor, not very much like a blueberry but very refreshing.
    Like Doc's, my service berries that weren't attacked by rust this
year, 
due to the droughty weather I'm sure.  My plants have been stunted by
the 
boron deficiency I think, like the apple trees, and are finally starting
to 
grow now that I've spread boron the last 2 winters.  We just got 4
berries 
from one bush big enough to bloom, but they tasted good.  If the 22 year

drought cycle holds, we are in for 3 more dry years so maybe we'll get a

decent crop eventually.    Donna

P.S.  I have Jennybelle, and two plants of an alnifolia cross that Lucky

sent me, it obviously stays low and spreads via root sprouts.  He also
sent 
me one called "Smoky" that I thought was dead till this spring, when it 
reappeared.  Hidden Springs sells 'Regent' and seems like another one
that I 
ordered.  The bamboo patch started taking over and when I dug it to move
it, 
I cut the taproot, apparently it was a tree type.  You see there are
many 
selections and species to choose from.  I've been cutting trees around
the 
wild specimans I find, but most just sit there, probably waiting for
some 
boron....  There is a tree sized one in the woods, a good 4-6" diameter
and 
20 ft tall.  Too tall to see if there is fruit in it.  The one smallish
tree 
I know of on our property produced horrible lumps of orange spores the
one 
year I thought to check on it. 

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