Cold Hardy Kiwi- Hey all, thought I'd see if we could start a topic on -what works where- as far as fruit bushes/trees/vines.
We have apple trees, huskup bushes, raspberry, strawberry, saskatoon berries but my newest addition is the cold hardy kiwi. We live mid west Alberta and they are growing at incredible rates. They are a smooth skinned sweet and slightly smaller version of the regular kiwi. You will need a good solid trellis for the vine to grow on as they get pretty hefty. They are said to produce 50-80lbs of fruit per female plant. You will need one male plant to every 4/5 females.
Had never heard of the hardy kiwi, but will surely consider them when we move back to AB! They seem low maintenance and the yield looks decent, good source of vitamin C and unlike their bigger cousins, you can eat them without peeling them. I've read that they don't keep well, so what do you plan to do with your harvest (jams, jellies??)
I am in Eastern Ontario and have saskatoon bushes, green pepper plants, thai bird pepper plants, strawberries and herbs (cilantro, basil, chives, dill and rosemary) Most except the peppers and basil are almost done for the season.
HopeImReady
"The thing about smart mother f*ckers, is that they sometimes sound like crazy mother f*ckers to dumb mother f*ckers." -Abraham .”
Helicopilot-I purchased them in July and the plants have grown more than three feet in that time. Plant them as soon as your back as fruit production takes a few years. Their delicious by the way.
I have strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sour cherry, saskatoons, and three kinds of apples.
I've tried unsuccessfully to grow pear and nectarines.
Black and red currants, raspberries, Haskap berries...and rhubarb...a few strawberry plant we set in the garden that were bought as hanging baskets last year.
I only use rhubarb as a "fruit" so I'm counting it 😉
I'm the lady you're stuck behind in the grocery store with the over loaded cart filled with cases of tuna, peanut butter, huge bags of rice and the weary looking husband
Apples, cherries, plums, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, red currants, jostaberries, elderberries, grapes, crabapples and Saskatoon's.
Apples, cherries, plums, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, red currants, jostaberries, elderberries, grapes, crabapples and Saskatoon's.
What kind of grapes are you growing, Learner? Do you have to do anything to winter them? I've sampled Valiant grapes grown in southern Saskatchewan (just planted near a dark, south-facing wall), they were excellent - plump, sweet, and juicy. But I thought that was the only variant that would grow well in Canada.
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hmmm, fruit, apple, pear, peach, cherries (four kinds) plums, elderberry, chokecherry, Chokeberry, High Bush Cranberry, Clove current, Red, Black and White Currents, three kinds of gooseberry, blackberry, rasberries, )four types) Strawberries, (four types) Rhubarb, Grapes, (three kinds) Hardy Kiwi, Blueberry, josta berries, huskup berries, and a odd comeback again yearly gooseberry, mulberries I think that is it at the moment..
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
Damn girl. That's friggin amazing.
this year we will add, one new kind strawberry, 1 more raspberry, a new blackberry, and three kinds of high bush blueberry, along with the huge rhubarb planned growout.. and then I should be set to just tweek things.. I will have early, mid and late setting type of all main producers, therefor hedging our bets that despite the year, something will produce.. o and I knew I forgot something.. black rasberries
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
I can't remember the name of them, but they are a concord type grape.
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, gooseberries, figs, pears, Mayer lemons and limes. We naturally have thimbleberry and salmon berry growing around the property. Oh and rhubarb!
Will needs to look at my fruit trees and maybe start from scratch. They're three years in the ground and really struggling. I had a cherry, plum, nectarine, two pears and two apples. Neighbours have a cherry and a fig tree too so we "trade".
The established pear and peach tree are looking very ropey too.
We also planted hazelnut last year but it looks like one didn't make it.
The kiwi are doing wonderfully(and yes, we use them for jam and jellies). We grow lemon, orange, Apple, crab, plum, juniper, Strawberries, raspberries, black currant, goji, rhubarb, melons, haskup(which are now four feet tall), Saskatoon, and about 40 different medicinal herbs plants that frame the garden. Thanks to the bee's everything is doing very well!!!
I grabbed a handful of "Beta" grapes while I was visiting the old folks in Southern Saskatchewan, recently. They were very sweet, tasty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_(grape)
IIRC, they also grow a "Valiant" cultivar as well, without any special treatment.
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