North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["David Consolvo" <fruitopia@firstva.com>]

Good topic, Evan.  Traditionally my hollow was apples.  As a fellow born in 
the 
1910's said, "In the hollow was apples, and that's what we sold, and on the 
slopes 
was corn, and that's what we ate".  Of course his sloped land is very eroded 
and 
poor now.

In this area of Central Virginia it does seem like apples are ripening in 
warmer 
weather, making them mushy and full of rots.  I am trying a variety of 
species to 
hedge my bets.  I've had a bit of success with pecan varieties usually grown 
far 
south of here.  Fig survival has been great, but production poor.  If it does 
get 
warmer and drier both, I'm hoping figs will be very happy.  The pecans I 
plant low 
near creeks, as they like a lot of water in late summer.

My biggest success has been fuzzy kiwifruit.  I don't normally sell fruit, 
but with 
over ten bushels from two vines, this year I sold the first local fuzzy 
kiwifruit ever 
offered in Charlottesville.  Even in my frost-resistant site, though, I've 
needed the 
short season varieties Elmwood and Saanichton to get them to ripen.

David Consolvo
Hungrytown, Virginia
elevation 1,250 ft.

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Evan <kodama@riseup.net>
Reply-To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date:  Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:16:37 -0500

>I am very interested in hearing folks' strategies for adding resilience to 
>their 
orchards or adapting to possible future climate scenarios. Planting out of 
zone 
expecting a change? Keeping drought tolerant (or maybe wet tolerant) 
varieties in 
particular microclimates just in case normal rainfall patterns shift (are 
shifting)? 
Building swales for water retention? What are you doing? These sorts of 
things 
could make a fertile topic to explore...
>
>But I have no interest in hearing yet another climate change debate, 
>particularly 
on this list.
>
>cheers,
>Evan
>Southern Appalachia, Zone 6b
>just short of 3000'
>
 




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