There is a wide array of food crops that can be grown in the spaces around a house. This is a good time of year to consider planting fruiting trees and vines. The cool fall and winter months are perfect for planting.
The short list of possibilities includes muscadine grapes, strawberries, figs, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, apple, pears, peaches, pawpaw, quince and plums. If planted correctly and maintained for several years, these crops can be quite successful. They have a good benefit to cost ratio. That means that you can grow them without having to totally change your life philosophy, give up all your other hobbies and invest a small fortune into tools, gadgets and potions.
Even so, they definitely require more care and maintenance than most gardeners are accustomed to giving. You will need an attention span that looks at decades of care, not just the next six weeks or six months. Many, many homes have an old apple or plum tree that great grandma planted, and the new age foodie plans on feeding himself or herself on this delightful relic. It ain't that easy. Most of these old trees are heavily diseased and have not been pruned in 10 years or more.
Many locals delight in growing more exotic creatures such as kiwi, banana, Asian pears, persimmon, pomegranates, chestnuts, mulberries, crabapples, gooseberries, loganberries, jujubes and cherries. I do not routinely discuss these crops. In fact I may even slip and say that they cannot be grown here. What I really mean to say is that, sure, you can grow them, but they have significant limitations in terms of hardiness, disease susceptibility or poor yield. And yes, sometimes this comment stems from my own lack of familiarity.
Where To Start
Plan, Plan Plan: Most homeowners will have space limitations. Many full-size trees should be spaced 10 to 15 feet between plants. This eats up the landscape in a hurry. I suggest a plot plan just like you were doing an ornamental redesign. Measure the existing space then create a plan on paper before buying the plants.
Determine your favorite crops to grow and how much fruit you really need. This exercise is much like deciding how much squash to plant. A few plants will quickly fill up the freezer. Once a mature tree begins producing you will have at least a bushel of fruit per tree. A good year will produce twice or three times as much. Of course the late frost may reduce your crop to zero.
Site Considerations
All of these crops except pawpaw require full sunshine. This has been the most common issue for the inexperienced grower. Full sun means sun all day long. Not a few hours a day. Reduced sunlight will result in low yields of small fruit.
Soil Testing
One of the most overlooked problems in the garden or farm is a nutrient imbalance in the soil. Quite often with fruit trees, a nutrient deficiency is misdiagnosed as a disease or virus. The purchase of a fruit tree is a long-term investment that will flourish with a balanced soil community with abundant organic and inorganic components.
Many times, there will be a sufficient amount of nutrients, but it's tied up in the soil. To understand how to release these nutrients and make them available to your trees or vegetables it's important to have your soil analyzed. The soil test includes the pH, percentage of organic matter, essential elements, and cation exchange capacity.
Soil fertility analysis is free in North Carolina. Stop by the Cooperative Extension office for instructions on collecting and submitting soil samples and for the necessary forms and sample boxes. Test results will be returned to you electronically with recommendations for fertilization and liming. Once the test results have been received, the soil should be amended with the recommended materials, which should be worked into the soil BEFORE trees are planted.
Variety Selection
After selecting the fruit and the planting site, you must choose the variety of fruit to plant. Novice growers often try to plant the same varieties that they see at their local grocery stores. Many times, however, these fruits are produced in areas with different climatic conditions from those in North Carolina. The result, at best, is fruit that looks much different than expected. At worst, the variety will fail to produce a crop. For plant varieties that are known to grow well in your region, take a look at the link for various crops provided at the web site below.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/homehort/homefruit.html
Call the Master Gardener here in Orange County for information about gardening at (919) 245-2061. They are in the office at 306 Revere Road, Hillsborough, from 10 to 12 Monday through Friday. Call or stop in.
Carl A. Matyac is a N.C. Cooperative Extension agent of horticulture at the Orange County Center on Revere Road in Hillsborough. Call (919) 245-2062 or e-mail carl_matyac@ncsu.edu
