North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Steven Covacci <filtertitle@gmail.com>]

I just got off the phone with a friend who grows persimmons, paw paws,
apples, plums, peaches, shagbark/shellbark hickories, pecans, black
walnuts, etc. in conditions that now have me EXCEPTIONALLY confused.

I've been to the orchard many times.  The soil is deep, well-drained fine
sandy loam which is extreme acid to very acidic throughout the profile;
contains plenty of glauconite (iron potassium silicate, and is therefore a
great source of potassium).

Dominant Vegetation: Mixed oaks, American perismmon, yellow poplar, sweet
gum, red maple, American beech, and American holly. Understory species:
highbush blueberry, spicebush, viburnum, and greenbriar.

Two things:

1. The water table right now is about 1 foot under the ground level.
During the months of January through April, the seasonal water table is
supposed to be 18" to 40", according to the actual type "Adelphia high
glauconite variant fine sandy loam"; in the case of this specific property,
it's even a bit higher.  His orchard is located in the lowland portion of
the property and, according to the wetland survey, is or was wetland.

2. The soil is acidic; he does not apply lime or any sort of amendments.
One pecan gets yellow leaves, which indicates a Zinc deficiency.  The other
pecans do well.  The hickories do great.  Persimmons are great.  Paw paws
are the awesome.  There is are two apple trees that look very good.  I
don't remember the condition of the peach or plum trees he has -- but I'll
ask about this, and take a look at them this year.


If the loam, sandy soil is described as being "extreme acid" and having a
seasonal water table that is just 18" to 40"  bellow the ground, maybe the
property that I was considering being described as "acidic to very acidic"
(sandy, loamy) and having a seasonal water table that's 24" to 40" would be
acceptable.

Everything about that property, if I didn't see it myself, would tell me:
no apples, no pecans, etc.  The only thing that I could think of is that
these things will grow, but aren't thriving or producing optimal crops.  Or
maybe because the soil is sandy loam, there's plenty of oxygen getting into
the soil, which might make all the difference.

What does every one think about this?

Thank you,
Steve