I would like to get rid of some useless trees and replace them with, first, fruit trees (for example, apple trees), and, second, with trees that produce edible nuts.
What kinds of fruit and nut trees can I plant in this climate? (Northern Illinois)
iCheck
Sherw>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
And if there are squirrels in your area, unless you plant so many that even they can't cut them all off, you'll not see many nuts..and it will take quite a few years for them to bear. Find out what Zone you're in, and consult the catalogs, they state the zone hardiness for what they sell. Talk with your local Land Grant University County Agricultural Agents.. master gardeners see if they have any information of what grows well in your area.
I tried to grow a sweet heart apricot, it has an almond like kernel. Squirrels cut every single one .. but one at the very tip of a small branch, from the tree while they were still green! I figured there is no way I could grow nut trees anywhere there are squirrels present. Killing them only brings in more as they are territorial, kill 1, 15 will try to take its territory.
I do go along with the advice above, if you are in an area where there are others growing apples or pears nearby untended, codling moth will be horrible. I can usually grow peaches in my area, zone 6, without too many pests as codling moth prefers apples and pears to peaches, and I don't have plum curculio so I figure I'd likely be able to grow some plums/prunes here, nectarines too, but no apples or pears or cherries. Cherry tree that should be cut down next door that is totally uncared for.
I planted blueberries, didn't think they were bothered by codling moth, but after I'd spent the money to plant them, I found out that is one of the pests on the list along with the cherry maggot fly that infest them. I have a feeling I'm going to have to build a screen house to keep the pests out as well as the birds should they live and produce anything. *sigh* never would have planted them had I known codling moth and cherry maggot would get into them as I'm not spraying.
Janice
that is not quite right. chestnuts, walnuts and filberts require no spray, and (to answer another post) chestnuts are not accessible to squirrels. Cherry, pear, persimmon, serviceberry, mulberry and pawpaw require no spraying. If one is willing to build a trellis, hardy kiwi and grapes require no spray. Of course, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry require no spray. If the OP selects some of the trees above, he can get fruits continuously from late june to november.
I said, nuts are less fussy, meaning no spray. but frankly, the chestnuts are asian and not as palatable. thin walled walnuts dont grow up here, filberts are not really winter hardy to N. Illinois. cherry & pear get fire blight, cherries are gone without complete protection, pears get fungus and other pests. the taste persimmons are not hardy, hardy ones will barely get ripe same for paw paw. yes, grapes of the hardy variety (seeded) type do fine with a single dormant spray and careful culture to keep air moving. mulberry, yes. hardy kiwi YES!!!!! seems our squirrels dont know they are edible. but they do ripen at individual rate and must be picked daily .. otoh, no peeling. raspberries, of course. INgrid
snipped-for-privacy@my-deja.com (simy1) wrote:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
what's an OP? I ask as I've seen it twice and couldn't figure out what it meant in the context used. Clothing brand? Operator? ??
All depends on the area. I read that blueberries are infested by codling moth and cherry fruit maggots. Wasn't thrilled to see that, since I have a neighbor who doesn't spray her apples or cherries. Their cherries are infested with the cherry fly, the ones with stripes that can fold them up over their backs.. in an odd way.
Some of the filberts that grew next door in Oregon had worms. The walnuts my dad had here in Boise had husk worms. Didn't for awhile, then they did.
It all depends on what the neighbors have growing and how it's been tended or not and what's brought into the neighborhood by others, and what the last big wind out or the east.. or west or south has swept in.
Janice
In this context, I believe OP is defined as "Original Poster" (?) but I'm not entirely sure.
Skyhooks hmardis "aht" uiuc "daught" edu
"reply to" address munged -- read line above for correct addy.
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