Advice on growing fruit trees in the backyard - Washington DC
jacob_mm
17 years ago
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slubberdegulion
17 years agoRelated Discussions
trees for backyard
Comments (21)Thanks BP. The only apple tree that I will risk trying out will be the espalliered one which will be small versus having to deal with a 30 ft tree that will require a visit from an arborist. I guess you can say when it comes to trees I'm more keen on the shape of the tree and it's foliage because I don't expect the tree to be in bloom all season long. I've been shaping trees since I started dabbling with bonsai at the age of 14 and so it's more of the shape as a whole that excites me. I currently do topiaries and have made a few indoor topiaries. I may choose the crabapples for a table top bonsai when my backyard is finally complete. Oh you should try an ebony fence. It's like a shadowy backdrop and when you contrast the greens against it, the fence 'disappears' making your yard larger than it is. Without greencovers, it just looks very chic.... I tried looking at cornus kousa but this can get very large too.... the search continues. I'll have to relearn to post photos. I did it before and so should be no problem. Ianna....See MoreTree growing in Washington DC; interesting fruit or seed pod
Comments (9)I have a second photo, attached, along with an enlarged crop of the seed pods. Unfortunately in both photos the fruit (or I think, seed pod) is in the foreground and out of focus. The seed pod is green and fuzzy now, and it looks somewhat like a thick version of a tamarind seed pod/fruit. I should try to get some more photos. The tree has a nice low branching habit that would make it great for kids to climb. Billy...See MoreNeed Help with Fruit Tree Plan in Back Yard
Comments (4)Planting fruit trees west of the Cascades requires some research. Our climate is mild enough (both summer and winter) that many types are not very successful here. Any of the better independent nurseries/retail garden centers here will carry the varieties that are most suited to the Puget Sound area. I am not aware of any self-pollinating pears other than those that have two or more varieties grafted on the same tree. Like apples, they need a pollination partner ;-)) And I would also urge you to reconsider nectarines (also apricots, pluots, apriums and other similar hybrids) as we just do not generate sufficient summer heat for these to fruit well. And if you decide on a peach, I'd stick with the 'Frost' variety - it was developed in this area, is a good fruit producer (and very tasty!!) and is very resistant to leaf curl. Fruit trees tend to be most often offered bare root in late winter (February/March). If you can find any now - usually sold out at this time of year - they are just the remaining bare root stock that has been potted up, so not well established or very mature. Finally, I will leave you with a couple of online resources: the first is the WSU Fruit Trials, a compilation of fruit growing data specific to the Puget Sound area produced by the WSU Research Center in Mt Vernon over several decades. It will also link you to the best publication regarding growing fruit in western WA (upper right hand corner). The second is a link to Raintree Nursery, one of the largest mail order fruit sources and one of the best, also located here in western WA. They grow and sell most varieties best suited to this area but be sure they are clearly labeled as such, as they sell across the country as well. Avoid purchasing out of the area unless you have done all your research on specific Puget Sound suited varieties first!! And stay away from the box stores - while they sell a lot of fruit trees in early spring (and inexpensively as well), they seldom sell those varieties that are recommended for this area....See MoreNeed Backyard Landscaping Advice - Newbie - Zone 8B
Comments (34)"I don't know what to mix in this case - any thoughts?" Sorry, but I can't suggest appropriate plants as I've spent little time in your part of the world, and none in northern LA. I've spent several weeks based in NOLA for work, that's it. I just wanted you to be aware that you won't get an even dense hedge of one species with the variability of light levels. I have a more casual style (I live on an old farm) than what appeals to you, so instead of hedges of one species, for the most part I have mixed shrubs, with multiples of each species, mixed along the length of the shrub border. Only in one spot do I have a row of all the same species, and that is in full sun from all sides so that the plants grow at a fairly similar rate. My usual suggestion in this type of situation is that you visit neighborhoods where the gardening appeals to you to get ideas, or if there are garden centers or nurseries with demonstration gardens or if there is an arboretum or public park or botanic garden where you can look at the various types of plantings that they have. To get an ID on a particular plant (if it's not in a situation where it is labeled) take photos of leaves, blooms or fruit, branches and the whole plant, and post on the Name that Plant forum. Or visit the public library and look for books that have landscaping photos for your general area or look at photos here on Houzz that are from your part of the US and see what inspires you. You want to keep in mind that you don't want a huge amount of pruning (so check growth rates once you know names) and that you don't want excessive amounts of shedding of blooms, leaves, seeds, and branches, so something that blooms all summer might be messier than you want to groom. Here's a photo from Derviss Design/Michelle Derviss - she sometimes participates in these forums. Though her area is different (CA coast) it shows a similarly shaped yard with varying light levels around the perimeter and so a mix of plants. She hasn't tried to totally cover up the fence, but there is a mix of different textures and foliage color and varied plant heights. If you look at the closer photos of the pots (go to link below) they also rely largely on foliage rather than flowers. I am not suggesting that you try to emulate this, just that this is one way to approach your problem. http://www.houzz.com/projects/312471/napa-valley-outdoor-living...See Moreoscarthecat
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