Thanks for the second installment, Joel. I agree that Canadice is an excellent tasting and rewarding grape to grow. We've had great luck with them here off of Synder Hill. The vines actually produced a few clusters the first year.
We planted Bristol and Allen, which are both supposed to be virus-free varieties of black rasp, last year. The canes grew well and we're hoping for some fruit this year. How many years did it take for the kiwis to produce? -- Katie Q-J Joel and Sarah Gagnon wrote: > Here is more of what I've learned in 30 years of trying to grow fruit under > suboptimal conditions in Tompkins County: > > Blackberries > > I have not done well with these, despite having no trouble growing them in > southern Maine earlier in my life. The problem here has been cane > hardiness. Blackberries fruit on the previous year's canes (although there > are a couple of new primocane-fruiting varieties that I am trying out). > Unless these survive the winter, no fruit. This is especially a problem > with the thornless varieties, which are marginally hardy in this area. You > should have no problem growing them in Ithaca and in protected locations > elsewhere. Otherwise easy to grow, the only problem I have had is > inadequate rainfall during fruiting. > > Black Raspberries > > These are dependably hardy and the cultivated varieties are as good or > better than most wild ones, while being considerably larger. Black > raspberries are susceptible to wilt and a number of virus diseases. If you > get wilt, you generally lose the plant, but not the planting. Plant in > well-drained soil. Avoid mulching right up against the base of the plant, > and plan on replacing the planting with a new one every few years (10 years > seems to be about the max). The virus is apparent in the foliage, which > looks mottled. Rogue plants showing signs of virus infection. Infected > plants go into a decline that limits their productivity. I compensate for > wilt and virus by overplanting. I plant in a staggered row with plants > about 2 feet apart. Blacks should be tipped (have the ends of the canes cut > off) when they are 2-3 feet tall to make them branch. Prune the branches > back in the spring to a foot or so in length and thin to the strongest > canes. Mold is a problem for us in a wet year. Not much we can do about that. > > Wineberries > > Non-native, these easy-to-grow fruits sport vicious thorns on attractive > red canes. Similar in culture to black raspberries, they also resemble them > in fruit shape, being a cap berry. The berries are hidden in a protective > cover until nearly ripe. Best eaten fresh, the jewel-like red fruits are a > bit tart but delicious. Only problem with these is that they are marginally > hardy here. No problem in the city, but in other areas they need a > protected spot. Will tolerate shade, unlike most fruit, so I grow them on > the north side of my garage (in a protected inside corner). > > > Grapes > > I only grow table grapes, since neither of us drinks wine. I don't spray my > grape vines at all, so only the most disease-resistant varieties will do -- > especially since, with a valley location, air drainage is suboptimal. If > you have a better site (on a side hill, preferably above the lake), you > will be able to grow many more varieties with little or no spraying. > The easiest white is Ontario. Seeded, but very pleasant. Only good as a > fresh-eating grape. Mildew is the only problem, and it is not bad most years. > The easiest red is Canadice. Seedless too. Freezes well. Swensen is a > seeded red with non slipskin. Complex flavor hints of cherry. My favorite > variety. Freezes well also. Reliance is also good, but not quite as > dependable as Canadice. Seedless; freezes well. > Among the blues, Concord is easiest in my planting. Steuben is also pretty > easy, but there will be some rot in a bad year. Same for Concord. We got > some rot in the Concords last year, but this is relatively rare. Both these > varieties are best for jam and juice, although ok as eating grapes. Concord > is unsurpassed for jam and other cooked uses. Not much good frozen. > Any grape will stand on the vines after ripening for some considerable time > -- many days. Once picked, they will also store in the fridge in open > containers for weeks, enabling leisurely consumption or processing. > > Kiwis > > There are 2 types of kiwis that grow here -- Actinidia arguta and Actinidia > kolomikta. The argutas are very vigorous vines that need sturdy supports > and considerable pruning to restrain them. The kolomiktas are much less > vigorous and easily managed, with the males sporting attractive variegated > foliage. Both kinds have delicious fruits, which look just like the > tropical kiwi on the inside, but in miniature. Fruits are a couple of cm > long, smooth skinned. The skins are edible, so the fruit is eaten just like > a grape. Not much bothers these vines, so they can be grown with no > spraying whatsoever. > So, what problems are there? They leaf out way too early and have no frost > resistance. They often get zapped by frost here in the valley. They > revegetate, but the fruit is lost for the year. I got a nice crop of > kolomiktas last year only because I covered them (3 times!) to protect them > from frost. These would be easy in the city or on a side slope where frost > would not be a problem. I highly recommend the kolomiktas to city dwellers > with a little room for a trellis or even a little wall space. > Much easier than grapes to grow -- but you do need to make space for at > least 2 vines since male and female are on separate vines (i.e., they are > dioecious). > > More on bigger trees next time. > > Joel > > > > _______________________________________________ > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org > > > -- _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
