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Fruit from a home garden is a delightful treat that many folks like to enjoy fresh or be able to make into preserves. Choosing a species and cultivar within that species that is well suited to our climate can make all the difference in success or failure. There are some nontraditional species that are well adapted to Virginia that are worth considering.
Apples, peaches, pears and cherries are among the most popular tree fruit species but success with these tree fruits demands careful management and attention. Correct pruning to allow air flow; thinning newly set fruit to promote fruits size and diminish disease transmission; and some types of protective spray are all usually required to realize a viable crop with these species. Even with careful management, some species (like cherries) and varieties (apple varieties susceptible to cedar apple rust) are doomed to failure most years in our region.
Two publications from Virginia Cooperative Extension offer an excellent overview of fruit species adapted to Virginia and provide guidance necessary for success. “Edible Shrubs and Vines for Virginia” and “Fruit Trees for Home Gardeners and Landscapes” are two up-to-date resources available online or as printed copies from the Rockbridge Extension Office.
At the tree fruit seminar held in Rockbridge in February, Roanoke’s agriculture Extension agent for horticulture, Shawn Jadrnicek, highlighted the Japanese persimmon and Jujuba (joo-joo-buh) Chinese date as trees that are attractive in the landscape, noninvasive, and require minimal management. Serviceberry and blueberry are native species well suited to our climate.
Both of these publications can be accessed online by typing the title along with “.edu” in your search engine. Printed copies are available for pick-up at the Rockbridge Extension Office located on the second floor of the Rockbridge County Administration Building, 150 S. Main St. in Lexington.
