fruit trees for lower midwest
 

I dont have a yard now but am trying to help daughter. We live in lower
midwest-about 40 miles east of st louis. we have good soil but temperature
drops can be extreme. I remember doing fruit trees myself. Many days in summer
of 90-100 % humidity brought all kinds of diseases to my peach trees. I have
heard that sour cherry trees dont require spraying & did get one to grow about 3
years when it too died. What are the best fruits for this kind of environment
with little or no spraying required?

you have many choices for no spraying fruits, so long as you don't
restrict yourself to trees. First, fight temperature drops by
insulating the trunk - white paint is an option but you can directly
use pipe insulation (to be removed occasionally to prevent insect
buildup).

Second, the type of soil and pH you have will restrict some the type of
fruits you can grow. You will have to forget about the most popular
fruits, like apple or peach, which catch too many diseases in the
midwest but you have plenty of berries to choose from.

I would recommend mulberry (a tree) and blackberry under most
circumstances, but probably raspberry will do well too. I have a
jostaberry (black gooseberry) that has developed into a magnificent ,
heavily bearing shrub which is known to do well in clay, and the best
varieties of elderberry (halfway between a shrub and a tree, though
mine have gotten up to 20 ft, so a small tree probably) are good eating
and trouble-free. Strawberries, if you have the space, will probably do
well, and if you are willing to put in the annual work, melons of all
sorts too.

Grapes will almost certainly do well, several types of nuts (like
walnut or chestnut) will do well. Hardy kiwis (a vine) will do well.
Amongst the small trees, american persimmon will do well, and juneberry
will do well. Of the classic fruits, I would experiment with some of
the strongest plum varieties, and you can also experiment with vines
like akebia and schizandra. My seaberries died, but many say it is one
of the toughest shrubs. Finally, if you want to get into apples, pick a
variety like Liberty, which is not only a great apple but also has
resistance to a number of diseases (I would not do it, though).

The vines, of course, can be arranged as a shade area for the summer,
adding functionality, though they should not be mixed in the same
pergola (kiwi will overpower anything else). Once you have no spray
fruits, your enemies will be birds and squirrels. Here is my advice

1) plan to have fruits from june to november, one or more fruit at a
time.
2) ask fruit nurseries locally, and also check Edible Landscaping on
the web for what sells in your area (call or email them, and ask
specifically about your climate, soil and pH)
3) plan for protection from the birds, by building supports where
netting can be applied easily and thoroughly.

You have to define what you mean by 'little spraying'. You could probably get by with minimal
spraying (say once or twice a month) with an orchard spray that has
both fungicide and pesticide. You could try a disease resistant apple tree like
William's Pride or Liberty, but you still might have a problem with insects. If you are
willing to lose a portion of your crop to insects, you may not have to spray these
trees. Be sure and buy dwarf or semi-dwarf trees, as they are much easier to maintain, and give
plenty of fruit. If you follow the advice about protecting the trunks, plus you cover the base of
the trees with a few inches of mulch, you should
mimize the affect of temperature swings and strong winter sun.

Sherwin D.

cricket wrote:

I dont have a yard now but am trying to help daughter. We live in lower
midwest-about 40 miles east of st louis. we have good soil but temperature
drops can be extreme. I remember doing fruit trees myself. Many days in summer
of 90-100 % humidity brought all kinds of diseases to my peach trees. I have
heard that sour cherry trees dont require spraying & did get one to grow about 3
years when it too died. What are the best fruits for this kind of environment
with little or no spraying required?

A cold hardy pear tree comes to mind. In my limited experience with them, I
have only seen a couple of pears with holes in them made by insects, and I
have never seen them damaged by peach tree borers. I spray all my fruit
trees in the early spring with a dormant spray, and get some lures for the
flying insects. Get some that are resistant to cedar blight, cedar rust,
etc. and buy from a reputable source (I use Raintree in WA -
www.raintreenursery.com).
Dwayne



"cricket" wrote in message
...
I dont have a yard now but am trying to help daughter. We live in lower
midwest-about 40 miles east of st louis. we have good soil but
temperature
drops can be extreme. I remember doing fruit trees myself. Many days in
summer
of 90-100 % humidity brought all kinds of diseases to my peach trees. I
have
heard that sour cherry trees dont require spraying & did get one to grow
about 3
years when it too died. What are the best fruits for this kind of
environment
with little or no spraying required?

cricket wrote:
I dont have a yard now but am trying to help daughter. We live in lower
midwest-about 40 miles east of st louis. we have good soil but temperature
drops can be extreme. I remember doing fruit trees myself. Many days in summer
of 90-100 % humidity brought all kinds of diseases to my peach trees. I have
heard that sour cherry trees dont require spraying & did get one to grow about 3
years when it too died. What are the best fruits for this kind of environment
with little or no spraying required?

If your daughter is willing to think outside the box a little, you might
consider a few paw-paws, which are native to your region. (You need at
least two trees to ensure polination). They may be a little tricky to
find, commercially--here's one list of growers:
http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/pawpaw/nurslst.htm

It's got few insect pests; your main worry is getting the fruit before
the possums and raccoons do. The Kentucky State site above has a good
recipe list.