Fruit Trees for the Landscape Without Chemical Sprays? It Can Be Done.

[elleng]

The Home Orchard

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/08/AR2009060803380.html?hpid=artslot

[bvar22]

1. Good article.

I'm determined to grow Pesticide Free Peaches.
Neighbors laugh. Peaches are a problem here, though many try.
This year's crop already failed.
This is only our second season trying for the Peaches, so I can withstand the challenge for a few more years. Next year, we will try bagging the young fruit.
Anyway, the Spring Peach Blossoms are beautiful, and make the trees worthwhile even if only in an ornamental way.

Good stuff about Berries too.
My wife and I came to the same conclusions last year. and put in lots of Berries over the Winter.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. Thanks!

My apples, plums, grapes and berries thank you too!

[japple]

3. Thanks for posting the article. Our small orchard is

mostly gone, fallen victim to 3 years of drought and a late-spring freezes. The two apple trees, cherry, plum, and peach are mostly feed for the deer. We get a few inferior apples and I did make some applesauce with them last year, but they aren't very tasty.

[druidity33]

4. i'd add to the list

Hardy kiwi and Pawpaw trees. Gooseberries are pretty much carefree as well.

My geese were planted a couple of years ago and i think this year i'll have enough to make a pie!

My black currants, pink currants and elderberries are doing well too.

The Pawpaws and Hardy Kiwi i just planted this week, so it'll take a few years for them to get into the groove.

Blueberry soil needs to be wicked Acidic... 4.5-4.8 or so. Adjust with sulfur or pine/oak mulch.


Other good "non-fruit" perennials are asparagus, sunchoke, onion, rhubarb, horseradish, Good King Henry, miners lettuce, ramps, ground nut, etc.

Here in Western Mass (zone 5b), i'm limited to cold hardy fruits. I have a few cherry and plum trees but i don't expect too much out of them (two cherries this year!). The mulberries will have better luck around here.

I'm new to the gardening forum. Think i'll like it here.


Cheers!