On 10 Jun 2003 12:11:42 -0700, (sher) wrote:

The nurseries around here mostly
sell dwarf, late-bloomers. We are interested in planting pears,
peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, and maybe apples.

Try to get larger ones, full size or semi-dwarf. Dwarf trees are
commonly devastated by deer, at least up to 5 feet high. If the dwarf
survives to above 5 ft then it might have a chance, especially with
plastic netting and/or chicken wire layed in a 5ft radius around the
tree.

4) What are the risks of planting fruit trees in the summer? Most of
our nurseries will not be restocking for fall planting and we'd like
to get them in this year. I know we should plant early in the morning
when it's cool.

Main risk is that the trees have been laying around the nursery in a
rootbound pot for 3-4 months. The bonus is they're almost always on
sale.

If you want to risk the purchase then go for it. I just bought a 6ft
royal gala semi-dwarf apple for half price. The leaves started
falling, and it started to die when I planted it, but luckily I pruned
back some growth, limed a little bit, and now 3 weeks later it's got
bright green sprouts all over it. I believe the century-old
record-smashing 7-inch June rainfall caused some of the problems, but
luckily I installed some very good drainage around it.

5) I'd like to also plant some raspberry bushes. Do they do OK along
a fence, or does that inhibit harvesting the backside of the plants?
Also, how wild can they get? I don't want them sending shoots into my
neighbor's yard.

They can get very wild in the pacific northwest. Here in the
mid-atlantic blackberries are aggressive, but containable.

Dan