Very ambitious.  In VA, I’ve now met what doesn't work.  There’s a black knot fungus that took out a couple different sweet cherry trees as well as a European prune (plum) in an orchard I’ve pruned; they'd been in for 20 years.  No treatment or defense.   

Fireblight is a killer of pears, both European and Asian.  It’s said no cultivars are resistant, though some are far less susceptible.  I grow one, a Kieffer Euro Pear; so far, so good. My Asian pear has lost 2 scaffold limbs to fireblight; learning not to fertilize it, this year’s looking good.  

Though a Cedar-apple rust attacks my apple leaves, the trees remain sound and productive (4 years in).  Few people appear to care for their apple trees, and since they withstand both neglect and humidity, they’re more widespread than any other tree fruit.  

Peaches do fairly well … and I can’t figure out why   We’ve a productive tree in the neighborhood that’s totally neglected.  While a late season trip to a neighboring nursery finds their peach trees near leafless in comparison.  Naturally, the owners of the peach tree have no idea what variety it is 

My days of experimentation are over, those having taken place in Oregon.  Over East, I’m looking to what others have found successful. Sadly, and as warned/ suspected, very little does well.  Too cold for figs (Blue Ridge Plateau). And so little fruit grown … they lack the very type of fruit organizations the Home Orchard Society is..

Grapes do well, if you can keep the Japanese Beetles from defoliating them.  Japanese Plums bloom so early they’re blooms are toasted by killer 'frosts.'  I’ve 3 Ozark Premier plumbs on my 4 year in Jap. plum, first ever!  Some mess with Paw Paws, though I’ve not met anyone tending such trees. I had a hybrid persimmon die last year from apparent graft incompatibility.  Native persimmons should do well, I’ve one I grafted from a DC cultivar doing ..OK.

Blueberries do well!  Too cold for ‘commercial blackberries.’  I didn’t move here to grow fruit, and most don’t 

I’m in Floyd County (Floyd Fest!).  In my 5th summer, and 4th consecutive year here.  Our local extension agent’s recommended me as ‘an advice giver’ of sorts, but it’s extremely difficult describing the near impossibilities of establishing anyone’s dream orchard.  Not counting bear or deer 

I also “fine prune” fruit trees, so have gotten even more familiar with what works and what doesn't.  The loss of a clients prune and cherry trees were hard on both of us. Granted, they’d been neglected for years, and were in some serious shade, but black knot happens.  Removed the first twig of it from my Asian plum last week...  

HOS members assumed I was committing fruit-growing suicide heading this direction from the Willamette Valley  As mentioned, I so miss an organization - any fruit growing organization over here. If nothing else, folks to commiserate with    

Met one guy at a Home Depot’s fruit tree section.  A customer, he’s going for everything, too, at 2,000 feet, in Christiansburg, VA.  Hardy & Fuzzy kiwi if I remember right. But, I’m still new - so don’t let me discourage you ~