Orchard Tips

Tree Fruits  

      Home grown fruits are one of the highlights of summer. 

What could be better than enjoying a fresh crisp fall apple from your own tree or sweet juicy raspberries from your own garden? 

 It is amazing the varieties of fruits that are hardy for our prairie climate, including apples, pears, hardy apricots and cherries! 

While it is true that we cannot grow oranges and bananas (planted outdoors) take heart. There is an amazing variety of fruits that we can grow, many of which are surprising.

We  have in the tree yard for sale small fruits like raspberries, strawberries,  grapes,  and rhubarb as well as tree fruits, apples,

 apricots , plums and pears.

     Time to start that patch of homegrown fruit you have always dreamed about! 

  The following varieties are zoned for a zone 3 and some for zone 2.  We are in zone 3 and zone 2 is a colder, longer winter and do very well here.

Pears not only produce fruit but make an excellent ornamental tree. These ones are hardy for our climate and produce small fruit that taste like a mini-Bartlett.

Starting a fruit orchard may seem  daunting and expensive. Where to start?   These would be our first picks because of hardiness, fruit quality and ease of growing:

• A hardy favourite apple like a Parkland.

• A Rescue Applecrab. Reliable producer of tasty smaller apples. Very hardy, it thrives despite the most brutal winters. Easy to grow.

• An Evans Cherry. Productive and hardy, this self pollinating shrub blooms beautifully in the spring. Fruit are great for fresh eating, canning, freezing or drying. Easy to grow.

• Definitely get a rhubarb plant going. Oh, those mouth watering rhubarb crisps! Easy to grow.

• You just can't go wrong with a few raspberry canes. Easy to look after and they sucker to create more of  themselves. Very easy to grow.