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treehugger101

Easiest Fruit Trees for Zone6

treehugger101
10 years ago

Is there a best 3 to start with do you think and if so, what would you recommend? and then which varieties?

Comments (9)

  • glib
    10 years ago

    Mulberries (any dark morus alba), persimmon (american Medlar variety or Ukrainian hybrids, Nikita's gift), raspberries (your pick). These are all no spray, and mulberry is no prune. Other fine choices include red currants, asian or hybrid chestnut, hardy kiwi or shipova (if you have the patience), sea buckthorn (if you enjoy bleeding), pawpaw, other brambles. All strictly no spray. Sorry for adding vines and shrubs.
    Note that sizes vary from tiny tree (pawpaw), small (persimmon), medium large (mulberry), large (chestnut). They are also all predator magnets.

  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the suggestions. I mainly do fruit in containers except the blackberries and raspberries which I do in raised beds. Blueberries I do in pots because the rabbits eat the in ground bushes to nothing. I thought paw paw was large like 20'. I will check it out again. Red currants are sold out this year but I will put them on my list. Likewise the persimmons. What do you mean by predator magnets?

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    Red currants are rather tart, and best for processing. Having said that, I love them! If you blend them with super sweet fruit they are awesome Red currant-coconut smoothies are to die for!
    I recently added 6 elderberry bushes. My first impression was what beautiful plants. I added Black Beauty, Black Lace
    Wyldwood, Bob Gordon, Sambucus nigra 'Pulverulenta' and Sambucus nigra 'Albovariegata' The latter being somewhat variegated forms. So not only can you get edible berries, but again like currants need to be processed. Jam, syrup. which you can use as syrup, or make into drinks, or as a flavoring for ice cream. You also get ornamental value. Depends what you're after. I grow just about everything I can. Fruits, vegetables, spices, etc.

  • alan haigh
    10 years ago

    Of low spray fruit really enjoyable for most to eat out of hand- aside from native persimmons and paw paws (Both require quite a wait for fruit) are blueberries and other small fruit like raspberries (only bother with fall bearers there-later bearing the better).

    I too enjoy growing ribes, but much prefer black currants over red. There are some varieties that are actually sweet enough to be quite delicious off the plant- but not quite the same experience as a fully ripe peach. But black currant preserves as a spread is the finest I've tasted.

    Of common fruit, pears tend to be easiest if they don't get fire blight or psyla- you should stick to resistant varieties. You can ask Adams Country Nursery how well Harrow Sweet is performing down there because it is extremely productive very young with high quality fruit here. Also resistant to before mentioned issues.

    I know Magness is a great tasting pear grown down south a lot
    but it is virtually pollen sterile and needs pollen from another pear in an unrequited sexual relationship (other pear may also need separate pollinator although many are self fruitful). It is very slow to come into bearing, however.

    Asian pears can also be easy if stink bugs don't find them. I like Korean Giant best of any I've tasted.

  • mrsg47
    10 years ago

    I agree with H-man re: black currants. My currant crop this year is going to be huge. I have all colors. IMHO, I think apples are the easiest and fastest to grow as far as trees go. You can have apples in your second year, depending upon the precocity of the tree. Mrs. G

  • franktank232
    10 years ago

    Easiest fruit tree? Does that exist? I go with pears. With no spray, i can still get good pears...PC just can't survive inside a pear and most beetles stay away (the fruit is just too hard when it immature)... To be honest, peaches aren't that bad here..if you can keep the squirrels away...and control PLC. Sweet cherries are easy, if you net them...i got a huge crop last year with maybe one spray or so of Surround and a lot of netting. PC left most of them alone. Plums are tough here... the PC just go wild nuts for them...Apricots are in the middle...they set so many fruit, but you have to make sure they stay sprayed...birds will also attack them.

  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the wisdom. I am totally stupid to ask but what is PC?

  • alan haigh
    10 years ago

    Political correctness- fruit trees can't stand it.

    No, you aren't the least bit stupid, at least not on this basis- the bugs aren't well enough known to pass spell check but he's talking about plum curculio, the bane of fruit growers east of the Mis river. Snout nosed weevil that feeds and lays eggs in many varieties of fruit.

  • treehugger101
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the clarification. Bugs are gross. I will do my best to defend my fruits.