Hey Scott, I just ordered a bunch of 3 gallon containers. I'm going to purchase a 'Saijo' and one other Asian persimmon. Then, in addition to my 'Meader' American, I'm going to purchase a 'Szukis' and one other American cultivar. I want to experiment, after these threes are established single (well-pruned specimens) in producing an Asian Persimmon duo multi-graft (Saijo and one other) and produce an American persimmon trio (Meader, Szukis, and one other). If they don't work out, it will be ok since I'll have them separately growing (pruned). 1.Since you highly recommend the PVNA Asian types, in addition to the 'Saijo', I want to grow one PVNA (perhaps 'Chocolate'); I live in Zone 6b, and I know that 'Saijo' is said to be cold-hardy down to -10F. What would be a recommended variety of PVNA that would be cold-hardy for zone 6? From what I've read, 'Chocolate' is not an option (whereas other sites contradict this, claiming it would work out in zone 6). 2. What varieties of American persimmon (flavor) are you familiar with? Some have suggested 'Szukis' is the best and that 'Meader' is not necessarily the best tasting variety, comparatively. 3. Do you think that I can, forever, continue to summer prune an American persimmon tree - if I wanted to keep it under 10' feet, or would this eventually stress and kill the tree years down the line? 4. As for the 'Saijo' and PVNA Asian varieties, can I place the tree only 8' from my pavers/walk way - or will the roots destroy the paves? I intend to prune the lowest branches so that the lowest limb is above 6' off the ground so that it can spread without obstructing the walk-way. Thanks, Steve

The prior message was correct that bushes and vines will give you fruit faster than trees will. Figs and kiwi will grow in your area, but you must make sure to get varieties that are cold hardy. These can be found but you need to Google "Cold Hardy figs" and do a bit of reading before you buy plants. The smaller non-fuzzy Hardy Kiwi can be grown even in zones 3 and 4, but not the bigger fuzzy kiwi. A raised bed with everbearing/day neutral strawberries will give you a really good harvest the second summer after you plant them and some the first summer. You can order bare root strawberry plants in early March that will cost a small fraction of the cost of the potted ones for sale in the summer at retail locations. They will look dead when you get them, but if you read ahead and plant properly, bare root strawberries will probably give you more fruit, faster, for less cost and effort than any other fruit. Raspberries and Blackberries are a close second. Blueberries make a great plant for the yard, but keeping the pH of the soil low enough can be difficult for some people. If your soil has a naturally high calcium level and high pH, blueberries may be eaiser to grow in containers where you control all the soil rather than fighting against a soil base that keeps raising the pH for your plant. Someone asked a similar question in the containers forum. I have copied part of my answer to them regarding a wonderful book that could help you as well as a website for information. The book is published by Rodale Press, one of the oldest and best sources of information on organic garden and sustainable agricultural techniques. Whether you go organic or not, the book as great information about starting a backyard orchard. ....I would recommend one of my favorite books on the subject. You can get it used from one of Amazon's used book dealers for under $6 including shipping. If you want to raise a backyard orchard it is well worth the $6. It is a book that is straightforward and full of information. On Amazon's "Look Inside", you can see the table of contents, a few example pages, and the index. One of the best parts of the book is not shown in the preview. It has a 50 page alphabetic encyclopedia section, which gives almost everything you need to know about a variety of fruits from Apricots to Tayberries. All of the fruits are for small backyard gardens, and all but a few are great for containers. I cannot recommend this book high enough for beginners or experience gardeners who are new to growing fruit. In 160 pages, it has more information about a home orchard, than I have ever seen in one book, even ones many times longer. By Rodale Press ISBN-978-0875966380 "Backyard Fruits and Berries: Everything You Need to Know About Planting and Growing Fruits and Berries in Your Own Backyard" One shortcoming of the book is that it was printed in 1995, so when it recommends specific varieties of plants, it will not have the newest varieties listed. This is not to say that the information is not still valuable. I have a fondness for heirloom varieties that are often some of the best tasting. Many of the advancements with new varieties are not for taste, but for better shipping for commercial growers. Some traits that commercial growers want are the opposite of what a home grower would want. Commercial growers want a plant with fruit that ripens all at once, while home growers often prefer an extended fruiting period. Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home is a great resource for gardeners in New York state and surrounding area. "http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/fruit/index.html" Here is a link that might be useful: Rodale Press's Backyard Fruits and Berries: Everything You Need to Know...

Box elder grows in zones 3A to 8B so it is possible that this might grow in your area. Check searches using Acer negrundo. Box elder is listed as susceptible to Verticillium wilt and sensitive to pests/diseases.

URES, Not sure how experienced you are in growing fruit trees. In most places including Indiana, fruit trees will require spraying. Different fruit trees have different issues and may need different treatments. You may want to learn about diseases and insects that could damage your fruit trees of your choice before planting them. It's always good to choose disease resistant varieties if you do not want to spray a lot. However, disease resistant does not always equal taste. Also, if you want to grow organically, it can be done but often requires more work and less effectiveness. You are also right about a sunny area. Almost all fruit trees require full sun. It helps reduce fungal disease, ripening and quality of fruit. Lot of fruit trees do not produce well in partial shade.