growing fruit
in the mid-atlantic
   ben kessler
selection tree for the proper place
 choose the right

How much space?

How much direct sunlight per day, and what
time of day?

How cold are winters?

What kind of soil?

How much time can I devote to care &
maintenance?

Where are my habitual paths? Other
animals'?

What do my family, my neighbors, and I like
to eat?

Do I want to eat toxic chemicals? (No.)
asian persimmon
Height: 10' – 15' Spread: 12' – 15'

Fruits in Autumn

Very Productive

Fast Growing Tree

Frost-Tolerant

Few Pests, Fewer Diseases

Self Fertile

Cultivars: Jiro, Wase Fuyu, Hachiya,
Gwang Yang, Tam Kam, Saijo
fig
Height: 6' – 15'
Spread: 10' – 15'

Fruits in Summer

Very Productive

Fast Growing Shrub

Succeptible to Frost
(Site against South-facing
wall)

Self-Fertile

Cultivars: Hardy Chicago,
Celeste, English Brown
Turkey
pomegranate
Height: 5' – 10' Spread: 6' – 12'

Fruits in Autumn

Very Productive

Fast Growing Shrub

Self Fertile

Cultivars: Salavatsky, “Russian”, Austin,
Nana Dwarf Black
Height: 10' – 15'
      Spread: 10' – 13'

      Fruits in Autumn

 Native to Eastern US

   Fast Growing Shrub

            Thicketing

       Shade-Tolerant

        Not Self Fertile

Cultivars: Wild, Select,
Mango, Susquehanna,
        Rappahannock


                           pawpaw
elderberry




Height: 6' – 10' Spread: 10' – 12'                                Shade-Tolerant

Blooms in Spring, Fruits in Summer                              Not Self Fertile:
                                                                Sambucus nigra
Medicinal Fruits & Flowers                                  Sambucus canadensis

Fast Growing Shrub                   Cultivars: Johns, Adams, Black Lace, Cut-Leaf
Height: 6' – 40' Spread: 10' – 30'

Fruits in Early Summer

Very Productive

Fast Growing Tree

Few Pests, Fewer Diseases

Self Fertile

Cultivars: Pakistan, Girardi, Collier,
Shangri-La

                             mulberry
apple
Height: 10' – 20' Spread: 10' – 15'

Fruits in Autumn

Needs Full Sun

Long-Lived Tree

(Many) Not Self Fertile

Good Cultivars: AR Black, Liberty, Enterprise,
Goldrush

Bad Cultivars: Fuji, Delicious, Pink Lady,
(anything you would find in a supermarket)
siting
 pick the proper place for the right tree

SE sun preferable to SW

Protection from Frost Wind (usually NW)

Enough room to walk around mature
canopy

Plant 'trap crops' like bush cherries outside
orchard to draw away birds

Plant multiple trees in a Circular or
Hexagonal pattern instead of Rows

Keep clear paths to trunk for harvesting and
pruning
planting                        Plant around First or Last Frost
 roots before fruits
                                  Dig hole as deep as root ball,
                                        but 2 – 3 times as wide

                       Keep the Root Crown above the soil line

                             Add no amendments to the hole,
                                           only native soil

                             Top dress with 1” compost out to
                                           mature canopy line

                                                Always mulch!
                            3”- 5” deep, to mature canopy line

                           Keep mulch least a hand's breadth
                                               from the trunk

                                   Water well for first 2 weeks
companion plants
   don't plant a tree, plant a garden
Beneficial Insect Attractors
Bee Balm
Queen Ann's Lace
Anise Hyssop
Cilantro
Umbels & Composites

Mineral & Nutrient Accumulators
Comfrey
Chicory
Dandelion
Legumes

Living Mulches
Nasturtium
Vetch
Clover
Yarrow
Chamomile
blueberry   Height: 3' – 6' Spread: 4' – 6'

            Fruits in Summer

            Very Productive

            Fast Growing Bush

            Southern Highbush “Rabbit-eye”

            Some Self Fertile

            Requires high organic material
            and low pH:
            Amend soil with rotted pine
            mulch

            Cultivars: Sunshine, Yadkin,
            Tifblue, Lenoir, O'Neal, Star
goumi
Height: 5' – 8' Spread: 6' – 8'

Fruits in Summer

Very Productive
                                  Height: 3' – 6' Spread: 6' – 8'
Fast Growing Shrub
                                               Fruits in Summer
Nitrogen-fixing
                                                Very Productive
Self Fertile
                                                   Vining Shrub
Not the same as Autumn Olive
(Eleagnus umbellata)
                                          Partial Shade Tolerant

                                                      Self Fertile

                                           Prefers Alkaline Soils

                                                        goji
Height: 3' – 6' Spread: 4' – 5'                     aronia
Fruits in Spring

Fast Growing Bush

Not Self Fertile:
Lonicera kamtschatica
Lonicera caerulea
                                   Height: 4' – 6' Spread: 5' – 6'
Very hardy
                                                Fruits in Summer
Cultivars: Berry Blue, Bluebird,
Blue Moon, Blue Velvet                           Vivid Fall Foliage

                                          Very Disease Resistant

                                              Fast Growing Bush

                                                       Self Fertile


honeyberry                                 Cultivars: Viking, Nero
pruning
 the kindest cut




 Prune during dormant season

 Bloom Early, Prune Late

 Take Out:
 Dead, Damaged & Decayed
 Crossing & Weak Limbs

 Clean Your Tools Between Cuts

 Take no more than 1/3 of limbs

 Remove all pruned material
forest gardening
                 putting it all together




Permaculture

No plant grows alone in the wild

We are living in uncertain times

Biodiversity = Flexibility & Resilience

Multi-species plantings are much more
productive than monocultures

Healthy Ecosystems are Beautiful

We are planting the old-growth forests
of the future, today
forest gardens
steal these books
            Gaia's Garden – Toby Hemenway
Attracting Native Pollinators – Xerces Society
              Botany in a Day – Thomas Elpel
         The Apple Grower – Michael Phillips
        Edible Forest Gardens – Dave Jacke &
                              Eric Tonesmeier
eat your lawn, feed your soul
             cvillefoodscapes.com
Sarah Frazer, Ben Kessler, Cake Namdol & Lauren Samay

Growing Fruit in the Mid-Atlantic

  • 1.
    growing fruit in themid-atlantic ben kessler
  • 2.
    selection tree forthe proper place choose the right How much space? How much direct sunlight per day, and what time of day? How cold are winters? What kind of soil? How much time can I devote to care & maintenance? Where are my habitual paths? Other animals'? What do my family, my neighbors, and I like to eat? Do I want to eat toxic chemicals? (No.)
  • 3.
    asian persimmon Height: 10'– 15' Spread: 12' – 15' Fruits in Autumn Very Productive Fast Growing Tree Frost-Tolerant Few Pests, Fewer Diseases Self Fertile Cultivars: Jiro, Wase Fuyu, Hachiya, Gwang Yang, Tam Kam, Saijo
  • 4.
    fig Height: 6' –15' Spread: 10' – 15' Fruits in Summer Very Productive Fast Growing Shrub Succeptible to Frost (Site against South-facing wall) Self-Fertile Cultivars: Hardy Chicago, Celeste, English Brown Turkey
  • 5.
    pomegranate Height: 5' –10' Spread: 6' – 12' Fruits in Autumn Very Productive Fast Growing Shrub Self Fertile Cultivars: Salavatsky, “Russian”, Austin, Nana Dwarf Black
  • 6.
    Height: 10' –15' Spread: 10' – 13' Fruits in Autumn Native to Eastern US Fast Growing Shrub Thicketing Shade-Tolerant Not Self Fertile Cultivars: Wild, Select, Mango, Susquehanna, Rappahannock pawpaw
  • 7.
    elderberry Height: 6' –10' Spread: 10' – 12' Shade-Tolerant Blooms in Spring, Fruits in Summer Not Self Fertile: Sambucus nigra Medicinal Fruits & Flowers Sambucus canadensis Fast Growing Shrub Cultivars: Johns, Adams, Black Lace, Cut-Leaf
  • 8.
    Height: 6' –40' Spread: 10' – 30' Fruits in Early Summer Very Productive Fast Growing Tree Few Pests, Fewer Diseases Self Fertile Cultivars: Pakistan, Girardi, Collier, Shangri-La mulberry
  • 9.
    apple Height: 10' –20' Spread: 10' – 15' Fruits in Autumn Needs Full Sun Long-Lived Tree (Many) Not Self Fertile Good Cultivars: AR Black, Liberty, Enterprise, Goldrush Bad Cultivars: Fuji, Delicious, Pink Lady, (anything you would find in a supermarket)
  • 10.
    siting pick theproper place for the right tree SE sun preferable to SW Protection from Frost Wind (usually NW) Enough room to walk around mature canopy Plant 'trap crops' like bush cherries outside orchard to draw away birds Plant multiple trees in a Circular or Hexagonal pattern instead of Rows Keep clear paths to trunk for harvesting and pruning
  • 11.
    planting Plant around First or Last Frost roots before fruits Dig hole as deep as root ball, but 2 – 3 times as wide Keep the Root Crown above the soil line Add no amendments to the hole, only native soil Top dress with 1” compost out to mature canopy line Always mulch! 3”- 5” deep, to mature canopy line Keep mulch least a hand's breadth from the trunk Water well for first 2 weeks
  • 12.
    companion plants don't plant a tree, plant a garden Beneficial Insect Attractors Bee Balm Queen Ann's Lace Anise Hyssop Cilantro Umbels & Composites Mineral & Nutrient Accumulators Comfrey Chicory Dandelion Legumes Living Mulches Nasturtium Vetch Clover Yarrow Chamomile
  • 13.
    blueberry Height: 3' – 6' Spread: 4' – 6' Fruits in Summer Very Productive Fast Growing Bush Southern Highbush “Rabbit-eye” Some Self Fertile Requires high organic material and low pH: Amend soil with rotted pine mulch Cultivars: Sunshine, Yadkin, Tifblue, Lenoir, O'Neal, Star
  • 14.
    goumi Height: 5' –8' Spread: 6' – 8' Fruits in Summer Very Productive Height: 3' – 6' Spread: 6' – 8' Fast Growing Shrub Fruits in Summer Nitrogen-fixing Very Productive Self Fertile Vining Shrub Not the same as Autumn Olive (Eleagnus umbellata) Partial Shade Tolerant Self Fertile Prefers Alkaline Soils goji
  • 15.
    Height: 3' –6' Spread: 4' – 5' aronia Fruits in Spring Fast Growing Bush Not Self Fertile: Lonicera kamtschatica Lonicera caerulea Height: 4' – 6' Spread: 5' – 6' Very hardy Fruits in Summer Cultivars: Berry Blue, Bluebird, Blue Moon, Blue Velvet Vivid Fall Foliage Very Disease Resistant Fast Growing Bush Self Fertile honeyberry Cultivars: Viking, Nero
  • 16.
    pruning the kindestcut Prune during dormant season Bloom Early, Prune Late Take Out: Dead, Damaged & Decayed Crossing & Weak Limbs Clean Your Tools Between Cuts Take no more than 1/3 of limbs Remove all pruned material
  • 17.
    forest gardening putting it all together Permaculture No plant grows alone in the wild We are living in uncertain times Biodiversity = Flexibility & Resilience Multi-species plantings are much more productive than monocultures Healthy Ecosystems are Beautiful We are planting the old-growth forests of the future, today
  • 18.
  • 19.
    steal these books Gaia's Garden – Toby Hemenway Attracting Native Pollinators – Xerces Society Botany in a Day – Thomas Elpel The Apple Grower – Michael Phillips Edible Forest Gardens – Dave Jacke & Eric Tonesmeier
  • 20.
    eat your lawn,feed your soul cvillefoodscapes.com Sarah Frazer, Ben Kessler, Cake Namdol & Lauren Samay