good fruit/vegetable choices for 3-4 year stay?

[Ohioguy]

We are buying a house, and it is likely we will be at the place for around 3 or 4 years before moving. As such, I've been trying to figure out what plants to focus on. Obviously, we shouldn't really plant anything that takes 4+ years to mature.

I seem to recall planting a Hale Haven peach, and getting a decent crop the second year from that. Also, I was thinking of rhubarb, perhaps some strawberries, and maybe asparagus.

Would raspberries get established quickly enough? Can anyone recommend anything else that would be a good choice? I do prefer things that come back the next year, like the things I've mentioned above. However, I would also be open to a few annuals.

[General Schvantzkoph]

Raspberries are essentially a weed, you should get something almost immediately. Blueberries will give you some yield in the first few years but they don't really start to put out for five years or so. Strawberries yield immediately. In the case of all berries it's very important to protect them from birds. I have a netting cage around my blueberries and I put chicken wire hats over my strawberries. Without protection you won't get a single berry.

It's been 20 years since I grew asparagus but as I recall that takes several years before you can harvest anything.

If you are only planning on staying for three years I'd stick to annuals like tomatoes.

[David Hare-Scott]

Strawberries and rhubarb will produce in a few months and go on for several years at least, I wouldn't bother with trees or asparagus.

David

[Pat Kiewicz]

Forget the peach and the asparagus. (Well, maybe a dwarfed peach tree in a planter--take it with you when you move.) By the time they really start producing, you will be leaving them behind.

Strawberries reach full production the next year after planting.

Rhubarb, I don't know. (I am allergic to it!)

Yes, the second year after planting you should get a good crop, especially if you choose a variety that is a fall-bearer. I recommend Polana, which makes a great fall crop (and a good summer crop, too).

[phorbin]

So we're on the same page...

Would that have been a 6 or 7 year old tree?

[The Cook]

Asparagus and rhubarb both have limits on how much you can harvest in the early years. First year, none. Second year maybe a week. And it is about 3 or 4 years before you can harvest very long. I don't have the exact instructions right here now. I started rhubarb from seed last year and was not supposed to harvest at all. These plants need the growth to feed the roots until they are established.

We moved here 6 years ago and started putting in fruit trees. We still are not getting enough fruit to do anything with, maybe a few to eat.

If you feel really generous, plant lots of expensive fruit trees for the next owner. Otherwise, plant tomatoes and peppers.

[David Hare-Scott]

If you plant rhubarb from sets you will be harvesting within a year and quite possibly within months if you have a good growing season and fertile soil. Unlike asparagus where you have to hold off cutting to be sure the plants produce enough top growth to store energy for the next year with rhubarb you can see how it is growing at the time and so it is easier to judge when to stop cutting.

David

[Ohioguy]

Well, it was about 2" across at the base, and it was in a 20 gallon pot. I paid a little over $20 for it. I'd guess it was several years old when I planted it, so it probably got a head start over many of the others. You could tell it was a lot bulkier than all of the other trees there in that section, which is one of the reasons I bought it.