Looking for zone 5 hardy fruit trees

We're landscaping our yard and I'm looking for suggestions on hardy fruit trees since are in zone 5. I would like to have 2-4 types of fruits. So, I'm looking to find 2-4 trees, preferably sweet edible and ornamental type trees.

edited to remove completely brain dead response.

Tam

This message was edited Jul 23, 2007 9:17 PM

lol.... It can't be that bad...

I don't have any cultivars, you certainly would want to research those to help avoid disease and other problems with selection of course.
Apples and pears do well. I haven't seen any peaches do consistently well. Cherries maybe and plums maybe better than the ones I've seen.

Contact your local agricultural extension agent for specific types of apples, plums and pears. There are many, many hardy varieties. Sweet cherries would probably not be a good choice.

Just found this link. Worth reading!

http://www.moscowfood.coop/archive/fruit_trees.html

This message was edited Jul 23, 2007 11:12 PM

I was thinking one apple, one pear and two more.. Maybe one plum but not sure what else.. Any suggestions to what varieties?

If the info on the moscowfood link is accurate, and I am confidant it is, then you will need two pears for good pollination. There are some hardy apricots and sour cherries. The varieties they suggested were available from a NY nursery. Difficult for me tell if this would be mail order for you or driveable.

You really need to do some research specific to your planting conditions. Space is going to be related to the rootstock of your choices, particularly in choosing an apple. Apple rootstocks are M27, M9, M26, MM106 and MM111. Each gives you a progressively larger tree. (Approximately 5 ft to 15 ft in height and spread.)


St. Lawrence Nurseries in Potsdam, New York (312-265-6739).

I checked the link. It seems to advise based on hardiness.. I want something hardy and sweet.. I was going to get the 2-n-1 pear trees so it can pollenate each other. I've only seen it in Stark & Bro.

If I had to choose only one apple, I would choose Honeycrisp. It is hardy to Zone 4 (a local orchard grows them). The apple is crisp, juicy, and tastes of honey.

I got a absolutely gorgeous grafted asian pear from Raintree this spring with 3 grafts! It should be good to 5. One of the grafts even bloomed - but since it takes cross pollination - no fruit.

I absolutely love my Montmorency cherry. It's self pollinating, and is a sour cherry for pies etc. But it's yummy to eat out of hand. Gorgeous in bloom, and a nice looking tree all around.

Are sour cherries sour?? Cuz I don't like sour stuff.. I wanted to get regular bing or rainier cherry but no cookie on that either..

They are more sour than sweet cherries, but still good to eat fresh. I actually like them better.

Why not grow a sweet one then? Kristin, Van and Lapins all would be hardy for you.

I'm on the West Coast, but not west coast of WA. I live in the eastern desert area, zone 5-6. I have two cherry trees, a Lapins and a Rainier. I like the Rainier the best. At my other place i had a large Montmorency, but never got enough cherries to even make a pie, birds ate them all. I don't grow pears or apples as it is very easy to get them from friends. I bought a 4-way grafted Pluot, from Raintree, planted this past spring, it also bloomed and set 5 fruits, which I am watching closely. Pluots are my favorite tree fruit.

Donna

Birds do love that Montmorency. I've always wanted to try a Pluot.

I'm actually in solid zone 5b with howling cold winds in the winter too. (sometime I think I live in a wind tunnel..) So while I really really really want a sweet cherry tree, I'm not convinced it'd survive here. I haven't seen it anywhere over here, nurseries or otherwise. I do see apples and sour cherries a lot though.. Think I'm going to try asian pears and see how they fair. I've seen an occasional pear tree here and there. So I think I can try that...

Asian Pears are not as cold hardy as the sweet cherries I listed above.

Polly, I need to check into that then. I like both... Hum...