North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Jerry Lehman <jwlehmantree@gmail.com>]

On 3/29/2017 12:13 AM, Jim Fruth wrote:
> Can't be too crazy of an idea.  I heard of a zone 3 fellow who grows a 
> peach in an underground silo.  He removes the cover during the growing 
> season and puts it back on for the dormant season. 
That is a novel idea but I don't believe entirely new. Some years back 
and I recall on a NAFEX annual meeting while visiting Canada we saw long 
cinder block buildings with walls about 10 foot high and movable clear 
plastic tops. They were growing Actinidia deliciosa, kiwi fruit you see 
in grocery stores. In the enclosure they would break dormancy and bloom. 
As I recall they had bees internally for pollination. Then as the 
outdoor temperatures raised which were acceptable to the kiwi the tops 
were slid back. This was research to see if it could be done 
economically to compete with California kiwi industry.

Near Altamont, Illinois there was a member of the Illinois nut growers 
(deceased maybe 15 years) who had a long lean to greenhouse along the 
south side of his barn. This greenhouse was maybe 100 foot long 20 foot 
wide and 15 foot high. In this he planted kaki persimmons in the ground 
which afforded him ample winter protection and successfully fruited kakis.

Jerry