North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Richard Moyer <ramoyer@gmail.com>]

mIEKAL,
We are also at 26 at I write, and could drop another degree or two before
sunrise.  Was reading Schlabach's Nursery catalog yesterday, where David
stresses the importance of diversity in home fruit plantings for whatever
nature throws our way.  His answer to your question about "patience and the
big picture".  Our natural ecosystems (forests and edges) also have
answers, if we take the time to wander and notice this year.  When we
introduce/explore fruit without the genetic history of our area, we can
learn which are best adapted.

In our experience (and as noted by others), 'Anna' was the A. arguta kiwi
that regrew and bloomed best after a hard freeze, and still gave a partial
crop.

Gooseberries and currants are perhaps the most cold-hardy of common fruits,
so I'm not worried about those.  Juneberries (Amelanchier) also usually
come through such freezes well.

Will be interesting to see how small green apples, peaches, pears and other
tree fruits fare.  On occasion, upper 20F freezes save me lots of thinning;
the remaining fruit is well spaced and large.

None of our brambles have bloomed yet, nor some other fruits.  And others
such as jujubes, figs and my survivor kakis have yet to break dormancy.

These freezes also a good time to assess affects of microclimate.  Are
there areas on our land that are generally a few degrees warmer, and how do
we manage to create such microclimates?

Plants that lose most or all of their fruit can spend this year in
vegetative growth, which can be a good, though may create extra pruning.

Richard Moyer
SW VA





Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:56:47 -0500
From: mIEKAL aND <qazingulaza@gmail.com>
Subject: [nafex] A night of 26
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
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Has melted all kiwi growth on both arguta and kolomikta.  I'm guessing
around 90% of the growth is already black, and the rest looking
extremely wiled.  Nanking cherries that were set are looking brown.
That's within 15 feet of my back door.  I'm afraid to venture out.

What does this teach about patience and the big picture?

~mIEKAL