where to start ?

[fumanchu]

Looking for advice on the easier fruits to grow ? We live high and open with cold winters and frequent wind. Got a reasonable sized garden and looking to start growing our own food. Nothing strenuous as we are both crumblies !

[Minnesota]

I will list what I grow, because that is what I like.

I grow apple trees, lots of things can be done with apples. eat fresh, some varieties keep for months, store by canning or freezing for pies and other types of desserts, drying, and my personal favorite is Cider (fermented or fresh/sweet). I also sell some when I have a bumper crop.

I have a few types of Berry plants. I really like the wild Black Rasberry, they are seedy, but make great Jam or added to Rhubarb Wine. I grow Gooseberries too, they can be harvested ripe and sweet or unripe and tart if you like. (again, I sell excess gooseberries to fellow homebrewers/meademakers - I get $2.50 a lb)

I have a cherry tree. these are tart and really only good for pies or adding to Belgiun style beer...I have had success selling these, a local food coop gets $9.00 per lb (I get about half of that)

I also have a Butternut tree, Butternuts are similar to walnuts but have a mellower flavor and higher fat content. But they are very difficult to crack open, I sell these by the 5 gallon bucket for $5.00). These trees are also very hearty which everything I mention is, because of where I live in Minnesota USA.

I have tried to grow (but have failed) apricots, plums, pears, strawberries, and others I can't remember right now.

I hope that helps.

[fruitcake]

I've also been trying to establish a garden in a windy, exposed area - re fruit and nuts, success so far is rhubarb, rasps, blueberries, redcurrants, strawbs, blackcurrants and brambles (the cranberry hasn't produced anything so far but it's still here which is the main thing - we have a majorly serious rabbit issue! )

I've planted apples, plum, cherry and mulberry - only last year or 2 - so far had a few cherries, couple of apples and couple of plums - yippee. I've also planted a mixed hedge which has blackthorn (for sloes), and hawthorn and seperately planted hazel, elderflower (doing much better since I moved it!) and rowan - all too small for production yet. Also planted a couple of walnut trees but not expecting much - slow growers and these 2 are tiny - but - they have survived so far . I have lost quite a few blackthorn though - more on the way to fill in the gaps

I'm a seriously lazy gardener - my idea of gardening is to stuff it so full of plants i dont really need to weed etc All of the above have had no special treatment - bought / scrounged / given and shoved in the ground - perhaps moved if they seriously sulk or surrounded by chicken wire cage / spirals if rabbits persist in trying to demolish them and I get to them in time.

Good luck, have fun and enjoy

ps - let us know how you get on

[fumanchu]

thanks so much for this... I tried strawberries this year for the first time and they did ok, but were in two long window boxes on the ground & I could do better if I had a proper planter. .
The neighbour has bramble bushes, I could entice them over a wee bit into my garden, dont think he would mind. But they are pretty wild and I dont know how to improve the yield or if its possible ??
I did read about berries that grow in pots, like blueberries - would they grow here? I'm 900ft up in the border hills & we get very cold easterly winds.No rabbits thank god but very sneaky sheep and coos Tell me more about plums ?

[phil55494]

If your soil is an acid soil then blueberries and cranberries should work. We have both in our garden (which is on peat on the edge of the peak district) and is very acid soil and lots of rain.
The blueberry does great as long as we net it to make sure the birds don't get there before us. The cranberry hasn't done as well but is still alive and we have had some fruit from it. I wonder if the cranberry doesn't get enough light as it usually gets covered by a big rhubarb leaf when that gets going.

[fumanchu]

Ok thanks for that, I will try some of these pot blueberry plants.