Good apple and pear varieties?

Long term plans (possibly as early as next fall or Spring 2003) include creating a small fruit orchard. I'd like to have these four fruit trees:

peach
nectarine
pear
apple

My neighbor has a pear tree, and we have crabapples and other apple trees on the property, so I think I've got cross-pollination covered.

What are your favorite pear and apple varieties, and why? (Remember I'm in the South if you have recommendations particularly suited for my climate here in Zone 6b)

Also, what are your thoughts on semi-dwarf vs. standard sizes? I'd like to stagger the trees, and have them approximately 15-20' apart.

Hi Terry (Happy Birthday, too!)
We've grown and sold apples here in Michigan
for approximately 25 years.
I can tell you our "Customer favorites"
include the following varieties:
Liberty, Cortland, Wealthy, Ida Reds, Wolf River,
Northern Spy and Connell Reds.
As far as nectarines go, Pollok Nectarine
(patented by our cider-pressing partner) is wonderful too.
I'm not certain how these would do in your zone, though.
Maybe check with your local orchards or county agents?
We've had orchards with both standard trees and semi-dwarf.
While you get "way-more" apples on a standard tree, semi-dwarfs are much easier to maintain and pick.
Best of luck with your orchard!
Melissa :-)
P.S. I forgot to mention that semi-dwarf trees produce fruit sooner than most standard varieties do.

This message was edited Sunday, Feb 3rd 6:04 PM

Hi Terry, I'd like to put in a good word for Seckle pears - very small, very sweet fruits. My grandmother had one when I was a kid. It was out in the middle of a meadow known as the peartree piece. She liked to pickle them, but so few ever got ripe that it was a battle to see if we ate them all green off the tree or if she really did get some for her canning. I bought some at a fruit stand 4 or5 years ago, expecting that they wouldn't be anywhere near as sweet as I remembered, but they were! The tree went down in a heavy fog the year I was a senior in highschool - we still miss that tree. I planted a dwarf tree last fall, and if the heifer that nibbled off the leaves didn't fatally damage it, I hope to have pears in 2003.

Also, if you are thinking of Spy apples, I'd go with a Red Spy. they mature faster, are almost as good as the Northern Spy and I believe they are supposed to be better in the south. A great pie maker.

Your county extension agent has the following that might prove useful - Extension PB 746, Tree Fruit, Tree Nut and Small Fruit Cultivar Recommendations for Tennessee. It's always best to start off with a variety that has had field trials in your area. The only problem I have with Extension agency recommendations is that I find it very hard to find a lot of the varieties that are recommended by the Extension agency.

I am real excited about the Asian pears and have ordered several different varieties this year. I am also trying out some pluots (cross between plum and apricot that is supposed to be very sweet). So far, it is growing very well but has not fruited yet (after 3 years).

Semi-dwarf is all I have planted - just a whole lot easier to take care of.

Just a personal thought on the seckels...they are actually too sweet for my taste. I do remember a tree we had in the Willamette valley, OR, that bore heavily. the fruit carpeted the ground, and there were swarms of wasps all over them.