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Fruits and Nuts: The beginning of my little backyard orchard, 0 by DrDoolotz

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Subject: The beginning of my little backyard orchard

Forum: Fruits and Nuts

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Photo of The beginning of my little backyard orchard
DrDoolotz wrote:
I am experiencing a certain degree of zone denial, and setting up a small backyard orchard. I have 5.5 acres and wanted to set aside an area for fruit trees. So far, I have 5 plums, 2 apples, 1 nectarine, 1 peach and 2 cherries. I also have an ornamental pear that is going to be my pollinator for the pear I pick up this weekend.

Plums: Santa Rosa, Methley & Burbank (all dwarf)
Peach: Bonanza dwarf
Nectarine: Sweet Pearl
Cherries: Montmorency and de Stella
Pear: Bartlett (to be picked up this weekend, pollinated by Cleveland select)
Apples: Cortland and Liberty

I had an Elberta dwarf peach at my last home and it flowered for the first time this year and has about 150 peaches on it (green golf balls). I sold the home and it closed last weekend so I am really sad not to be able to get any of the peaches. This made me go out on a limb (Ha ha!) and start a little orchard. So it only flowered 1 year out of 4, but it grew a lot and was very healthy otherwise. I think the other years the buds just froze off.

So what are my chances on the above selections? What am I missing? I'd like a few more apples and pears, an apricot or 2, perhaps a "Reliance" peach, and maybe some others. Ideas and thoughts welcome! Any other fruit trees that I should try?

Claire