Hey folks… any members from the East Coast of the US..? I’m in Virginia, the Roanoke area (up into the Applications) and looking things over, close. In my 2 weeks here I’ve seen a total of 8 apple trees, one cherry tree, and no other distinguishable fruit trees… And, I’m havin a hard time getting any answers beyond the response of one woman, “I get my fruit from the grocery store.” Yikes!
I’ve searched for U-Pick ..anything and have found nothing… I’ve searched for local fruit groups, like ‘ours,’ more nothing… And, as mentioned, asking folks has led to nothing as well.
Yes, it’s been humid (though nowhere near the heat and drought you’re likely experiencing), and yes, it’s 3 hours ahead 
... but is there any reason any ‘of you’ can give as to why there appear to be so few fruit trees in SW VA..? Mildew, scab, and various water-spread fungus and viruses would no doubt thrive, and it’s rained several times - hard! But their grass is green and the cicadas or locus are doing their thing!
Any thoughts..?
Viron,
Maybe it's one of those situations where you just need to get out of the urban areas into the countryside. I recently got a copy of Tom Burford's "Apples of North America" (2013) and apparently when he's not out consulting on other folks' apple orchard restorations he goes back home to his family's apple orchard and (former?) nursery of 4 generations somewhere there in the Blue Mountains. Several "apple hunters" in the SE have been able to rediscover old varieties that were thought to have gone extinct. If you manage to get out into the countryside, keep you eye open for limbertwig apples (often with somewhat pliant, drooping branches). I get the impression that a number of those mountain valleys have their own endemic varieties that go way back.
Enjoy the humidity!
Tim.
Hi Viron,
I am on another forum and several members live on the East Coast and they talk about how insanely difficult it is to grow fruit on the East Coast. I guess they have legion bugs, humidity, summer rain and other problems. When I talk about growing organically permaculture style, some of them get angry at me and insult me. I guess it's quite difficult back there.
John S
PDX OR
Thanks guys. I’ve been roaming, as in driving hundreds of miles checking out suggested towns and locations. I spotted one more apple tree - 9 total now! ...and that includes some North Carolina turf, too!
Found a (Virginia) produce stand and swung back around to talk with (and purchase some tasty fruit and vegetables) the woman running it. Her family has owned the farm it grew on for over 200 years.. She said they’re a ‘minimum spray operation’ and their biggest battle is with “Bugs.” She rattled off several, including the Japanese Beetle. She also named a multitude of both regional and ‘familiar’ (to me) varieties of peaches and apples they grow. So it can be done
I’m now thinking it’s just enough of a challenge to grow tree fruit ‘back here’ that most homeowners don’t bother. Towns are actually ‘rated’ by the quality, quantity and frequency of their local ‘Farmer’s Markets.’ Maybe it takes a hard-core home orchardist to make an attempt, which I suspect I would/ will if deciding to relocate.
I had a great conversation with the woman at the roadside market and she was excited to be talking with someone familiar with growing. I grabbed a great ‘Gardening Directory of the Franklin County Area’ from her with links to surrounding orchards and sponsors. Interesting, I asked where their figs were ..and told her ‘back home’ I’d be buried in them. She lit up - “I could sell them out instantly here!” ...got me thinking Virginia Fig Farm! ...too bad life’s not about 3 times as long…
I’d also found this link http://ediblelandscaping.com/ ...I’m gonna figure this out
And yes, John, do tell who these ..jealous Easterners are ...so I might look some up ... and cry on their shoulders at what I’ve left back home.. then join their club
Dave,
Here's my opinion on that idea. Some Asian persimmons may freeze out back there because it is so cold. The ones that survived could certainly ripen more reliably there than here. It would cease to be an issue.
It is very likely that late-ripening American persimmon cultivars would ripen there, even if they wouldn't ripen here. They would all survive there, as they're very hardy.
John S
PDX OR
Thanks Dave… Yes, Persnickities
I’d actually saw them listed as a successful ‘Virginia fruit.’ But John’s point about the cold hardiness of Asians would concern me ... and as I didn’t have much luck with my extremely brittle American, doubt I'd try another...
I have been looking at some 'record cold temps' into the minuses, especially around the Blacksburg (2000’ ele.) or V-Tech area, NW of Roanoke. Nearer Roanoke (in Salem, 1000’ ele.), Asian’s may be doable…
...So, the same concern with Figs..? I’d witnessed it down to 5, then 6 degrees where I was near Gaston, OR. My fig ‘clumps’ were young, but survived... And, figs were also listed as another ‘successful fruit for Virginia’...
Tomorrow I’m headed toward Staunton (Stan-ton) VA… Shenandoah Valley, I believe.. Not sure about it’s altitude … then on to DC, if down and out of the Appalachian Range. I’ve got a friend in DC, otherwise, that humid ‘delta region’ (as I’ve heard it described) is not my first choice for relocation..
I’ll try to pop into a ‘local nursery,’ soon … though I’d learned a hard lesson decades ago ..be weary of Nursery advice.. they sell trees, whether they survive or not is your problem
And Jafar, thanks for the orchard links ~ perfect
I visited Mt. Vernon this week, and ate several of the fruit once eaten by George Washington (don’t tell)! They’ve some of the best espaliered fruit trees I’ve seen; cherry, apricot, plum, peach and of course apple and pear. I couldn’t find anyone in charge of their care, or that of ‘the greenhouse,’ with hanging citrus…
But the lower, or main orchard needs some serious pruning and training. I’d love to dive into that! The apples and pears I found on the ground could not have been sold (nearly unrecognizable as fruit), but were tasty. Nothing was labeled? No sign of disease, such as aerial crown gall or anthracnose. But on the edge of the Potomac, they’ve got deer… Only caught one other person roaming the main orchard, with her camera. From Mississippi, we were both lost as to what we were looking at...
Hit another ‘farmer’s market’ here in DC yesterday. More like an outdoor Safeway, to me. Peaches, $4 a pound! Couldn’t help but mention to one ‘farmer’ how I’d have been pitching 5 gallon buckets of (organic) apples and pears to the horse and donkeys at the end of the road a year ago … or grinding & pressing 20 gallons of juice from more of the same. For now, my press is stashed at an uncle’s place, with thoughts of gifting it to our Society when I return..
I miss the Big Valley ~
...and Persimmons! They appear to be native, and I've been plucking what I assume are American persimmons off neighborhood DC trees! I saved the 8 seeds from one today, and would like to get some scions off another, with slightly smaller fruit but few if any seeds... Don't know if they're 'seedlings' or grafted, but both appear to be unused or appreciated ... as I've a small stash of the astringent nuggets ripening inside.
Himalayan Blackberries appear to be nonexistent(!). I miss their fruit ..if not their bite. They've an anemic 'wild blackberry' sprouting from various unattended areas, but not near as gnarly or successfully aggressive as the Himalayan's devouring Oregon.
Was told I'd missed their 'wild raspberries,' though the sprigs pointed out to me didn't resemble either the spring or fall bearing varieties I'm familiar with...
It is humid, but the metro area I'm currently in doesn't appear to have time for fruit trees... I'll keep my eyes open
http://growingfruit.org/t/virg.....-tour/2572
Viron, check out this post on growingfruit.org about Virginia apple orchard tours.
quokka said
Hey Viron:If in VA, maybe check out the Edible Landscaping nursery. They'd probably have useful info.
Also where you are you should be able to grow more persimmons, which I know you like, than you could back here.
Dave
Hey Viron:
This coming Saturday (Oct 31) they are having their annual Persimmon festival and have a bunch of stuff on sale. If you are in the area, it could be some fun.
Dave
Thanks, everyone! Dave, I missed the Oct. 31st event… and Jim, thanks for the Albemarle Ciderworks link, sounds like a great resource … once they get their online sales site up and running. I also noticed how much they’re charging for the following workshops.. https://www.albemarleciderwork...../workshops The HOS remains quite a bargen in compairson!
And Robin, the Little Hungary Winery sounds amazing, but I’m looking to locate in SW Virginia, and it’s pretty far up into WV… But there's a burgeoning Appalachian wine industry, up & out of the mildew zone of ‘the delta,’ or tobacco country. It’s so rich out here..
At the moment, I’m preparing an offer on a home with one acre near Floyd, Virginia. The seat of Floyd County, it’s at 2,700 feet. I’ve toured several area farms and am paying very close attention to what kind of fruit is growing well with little care.
The one acre place I'm focusing on is level, with excellent sun exposure ...and is prettymuch a blank canvas! The home is finished, so I won’t have to deal with anything indoors
- so I’m trying to stay focused on the purchase process and not it’s fruit production potential ... not easy. But I'd be starting over ...so to speak, with all the thrills & spills that entails
There are deer, who bed down under a mature eatable chestnut, so more steel posts and chicken wire… And the woods are close, a hardwood forest, with black walnut and hickory. Floyd is amazing, small, but very alive. ‘Hippies’ discovered it in the 60’s, then Artisans moved in during the 70’s, 'New Agers' now find special powers in it's agate rich soil ... so it’s become a blend of those factions, their children, and the local folks going back generations.
I’m currently staying in Christiansburg, VA, and the woman I’m renting from (a cute ‘studio garden apartment’) grows banana trees, and figs, at 2,000 feet. In fact, I’ve one of each potted inside ‘my kitchen!’ No banana fruit though … just their amazing tropical foliage. Helped her transplant some blueberries and build a raised garden bed ..cuz that’s what I do... Anyway, I’m still checking the Forum, and appreciate your links and suggestions. There’s apparently a lot more fruit production around here than I’d originally thought, a good thing
There is also a persimmon festival in a small town in North Carolina, as well as one in Indiana.
The leader of the growing fruit site lives in Maryland. His name is Scott. They are very anti-organic.
There is a guy named McKenzie who has a hardy citrus nursery in SC.
John S
PDX OR
Just checked out the “Colfax Persimmon Festival” John, thanks. ...and not that far away.. I’m very interested in planting an American Persimmon tree, similar to those I found in Washington DC.. Not sure if I should trek up to DC to collect scion wood while trying to locate some persimmon rootstock; or, ordering a grafted American from some nursery… It would be nice to get something in the ground this coming spring.
At the moment, I’m back in Oregon … and also considering collecting some scions from a couple of mulberry trees in McMinnville. I’d then need some mulberry rootstock, too… I’ve enjoyed these mulberry trees for years, and they’re not ‘Americans,’ if likely Persian. And I’ve never saw an apparent owner outside the house, but they’re luscious
Otherwise, it’ll be back to Virginia ~
Hey Viron,
You may try to grow the American mulberry-red. They are used to those hot humid wet summers you get over there. I know the nurseries said that you can't grow our favorite varieites like Noir de Spain black mulberry back east and the native reds might be happy out there. I think Illinois Everlasting is at least part red.
John S
PDX OR
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Viron
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