North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Richard Moyer <ramoyer@gmail.com>]

Steven,
I second mulberries.  Very reliable producers during wide variety of spring
conditions.

Juneberries also very reliable, fruited for us many years in mid-late May.
 Can stretch out the season with cultivars.

Many gooseberries and most Euro Black Currants ripen in July.  'Amish Red'
was our earliest gooseberry.  "Daughter of the Moon" (translated from
Russian), was our earliest Euro Black Currant.  Lucille Whitman in Salem,
OR a good source for asking about which Ribes in her collection ripen
first.  Also Mike McConkey (EdibleLandscaping.com) closer to you.

The earliest Red Raspberries fit your dates, esp. when you overwinter canes.

The Prime-Jim and Prime-Jan series of blackberries bear very early on canes
that overwinter.  But John Clark (U-Ark) likely has better material than
these now, so you could ask him.

Breba Figs fit your dates, there are those on this list north of you that
manage for these.

Don't know if you are there yet, but edible mushrooms produce well in
spring, such as oysters, and work well in full-shade locations.

Lucky has a good mind for such, perhaps he will chime in.

Richard Moyer
SW VA

From: Steven Covacci <filtertitle@aol.com>
Subject: [nafex] What are early-ripening temperate fruit crops (minor
       and major) that ripen before July in zones 5-7?
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID: <8CEC0BBB867E559-19B4-56F8C@webmail-d022.sysops.aol.com>
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What are early-ripening temperate/northern fruit crops (minor and major)
that ripen before July in zones 5-7?
The only ones that I am aware of are:

Strawberries (cultivated and wild) - in June
Juneberries (Serviceberries, Saskatoons, etc.) - In June
Blueberries (i.e. cv. 'Earliblue')
[?]Black-raspberries (i.e. cv. 'Jewel' - late June?)



Secondly, what are the July-ripening fruit crops (minor and major)?  Note:
only some varieties of the following ripen in July...

Sweet-cherries
Blueberries
Apricot
Peaches & Nectarines
Blackberries & Black-raspberries
Apple
Figs? (cv.?)

Please add any you are aware of to the above two schedules.


Thanks,
Steve; NJ