Low Maintenance/Hardy Fruit Bushes for Zone 6a
Matt S
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (23)
Gred
6 years agoparty_music50
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Blackberry winter survival in zone 6a/5b 2014
Comments (11)Update on blackberry winter survival (three weeks later)… Uncovered Plants - Black Satin (no winter damage). These were low to ground so maybe some snow protection. - Triple crown (some winter damage) - approx. 20% die back). Seem to have handled the winter fine but some dieback, primarily on the thinner canes). - Ouachita (some winter damage) - approx. 10% die back). Almost no dieback…surprising because I thought they would be less hardy than other erect varieties. - Kiowa (significant winter damage - approx. 75% die back). At first I thought these had overwintered well, but two of the four plants didn’t leaf out and the other two were significantly damaged. This variety has had some health problems over the last two years with (2 of 6 previously dying). Since this year’s crop was a loss and I have had problems with this variety in the past, I decided to replace them with a newer, thornless variety: Von Blackberry. - Prime Ark 45 (significant winter damage - approx. 50% die back). Honestly, some of the dieback may be from the primocane fruiting sections from last fall, but what is left seems to be growing well now. I think I’ll make these a primocane only crop after this season. - Wild Treasure Trailing. In ground planting - left uncovered and plant died back to ground. Potted planting (covered) lost most of its cane length. Given space and effort, not sure this variety is worth keeping. - All raspberries were uncovered and nearly all had no noticeable winter damage. I even had a blackhawk black raspberry and two double gold raspberry plants in pots just sitting in the open and both plants are growing really well and blooming. - I did have two canes on the Cascade Delight raspberry that died during the winter but I believe that was partly due to exposed roots from some soil erosion in their raised bed. Covered Plants. - Black Diamond. I decided to give it a reprieve and let it grow again this year but spray it for cane borers. I had to remove all of last year’s growth due to cane borers but this year it has three times as much growth (e.g. canes) and looks healthy. There’s already a 8” of growth this season and that’s a lot for this variety in my climate. - Siskiyou. No winter damage. Both plants look good and have been putting on amazing growth (well, at least amazing compared to my previous attempts). These second year plants each have 5 or more canes and the cane diameter has doubled since last year. The primocanes are already about ½ inch thick (e.g. diameter) and about 12” in length so far. Yeah! Last year’s growth is getting ready to bloom. - Kotata. No winter damage and the plants are growing new canes. I have 2-3 new canes per each plant and there’s about 6-8” of growth so far. Less vigorous growth from these plantings. - Thorny Boysenberry. The non-potted plants suffered the trifecta of cold weather, cane borers, and voles, so I have maybe 10% of the canes from last year but they are getting ready to bloom. I have had problems with leaf spot on these but I gave them a good lime-sulfur spray treatment this spring, so hopefully this will help. New growth has been outstanding with the cane diameter doubling, much like the Siskiyou blackberries, and there are 8-10 canes per planting with 12-18” of growth already. I’m going to do a better job of protecting these in the winter this year. - Marionberry. I lost about 50% of the cane length from the overwintering period but have learned more about what not to do while preparing them for winter. Plants seem fine but not as vigorous as Siskiyou or Boysen but more vigorous than Kotata. - Loganberry. I lost about 75% of the canes on these from cane borers and the cold. These may be the least cold hardy of the trailing berries that I own. The primocanes are growing vigorously though....See MoreUc Davis cutting cold hardiness in 6a Persimmion/pomogrante/grape
Comments (14)ekierk, you're right that 'Angel Red' is not known to be especially cold hardy, but then neither is 'Wonderful', and it does well in zone 7 and in some cases survives in zone 6. I am confident that proper protection will be the key to success in my case. But I'm really more concerned about early ripening, since my growing season typically ends in October, when many varieties (including many of the Russian ones) are not yet fully ripe. Some of the Russian varieties may be a few degrees more cold hardy than 'standard' varieties, but they are NOT necessarily early ripening. Also, in order to get fruit, I believe I will need to protect the plants during the April/May period when late frosts could zap the new growth as the plants come out of dormancy. So why not protect all winter and just focus on early ripening varieties? That's the route I'm going to take, and the other varieties I have my eye on are: 'Eversweet' 'Sweet' 'White' 'Granada' 'Sverkhranniy' (A Russian early ripening, though not necessarily cold hardy variety)...See More6 foot evergreen (zone 6a cdn)
Comments (11)Wasabi, I have something of a Magnolia obsession (for both the evergreen and deciduous varieties). As you say, even it a M.g. were hardy, they are BIG trees. The ones I see sold around me (NJ/Zone 7) are considered among the best for cold but also SNOW LOADS (which is also a big time consideration..., especially in areas prone to HEAVY wet snow). The ones I see sold include Edith Bogue, Victorias, and Bracken Browns. But again, if they did survive they wanna dominate the site big time (horizontally too). Not a tree for winter interest but Magnolia virginiana is a terrific species. It has a very airy, open structure and the flowers are extremely aromatic (more so than the evergreen variety..., but much smaller). Good luck!...See MoreNeed help choosing unique fruits/berries for zone 6A
Comments (38)I was always curious about medlar. Does it really taste like apple sauce when properly ripened? I will use my fruits fresh and juices, jams, and jellies mostly. All the plants are small now, but I hope i'll get good yields in the coming years. Rose hip makes delicious jam. I bought some rose hip jam from Croatia in the ethnic food section of my grocery store and it's amazing. I love rose hip jam on a english muffin with butter. MMM :) I have a big freezer so that helps. I like driving up to Michigan to pick grapes. Sometimes I get 10 5 gallon buckets full of delcious Niagara and Concord grapes for juice, fresh eating, and jelly. This year I might make wine as I've been researching it a lot lately....See Moregardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years agonmfruit
6 years agoMatt S
6 years agoztom
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoparty_music50
6 years agoMatt S
6 years agoraee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
6 years agoMatt S
6 years agoAmanda Tyner
6 years agoMatt S
6 years agomazerolm_3a
6 years agoparty_music50
6 years agoGred
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoLeslie Tarly Z 5a
6 years agoAmanda Tyner
6 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years agoAmanda Tyner
6 years agoLeslie Tarly Z 5a
6 years agoKevin Reilly
6 years agojason long (Z8a/7b)
6 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDES6 Plants That Beat Butterfly Bush for the Wildlife Draw
It's invasive, a nonnative and a poor insect magnet. Check out these better alternatives to butterfly bush in the garden
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESLow-Maintenance Ground Covers to Go With Your Pavers
These 8 plants will fill the spots between steppingstones, gaps in flagstone patios and other garden nooks and crannies
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGN7 Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives
Turf isn't the only ground cover in town. Get a lush no-grass lawn with clover, moss and other easy-care plants
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Rosa Banksiae a Low-Maintenance Beauty
This thornless, disease- and insect-resistant rose brings showers of white or yellow flowers to the spring garden
Full StoryBACKYARD IDEAS10 Low-Maintenance Backyard Ideas
These outdoor spaces minimize yard work and keep the focus on fun
Full StoryFALL GARDENINGGreat Design Plant: Low-Maintenance Allium Cernuum
Nodding onion is a Mid-Atlantic native bulb with beautiful midsummer blooms
Full StoryKITCHEN COUNTERTOPS7 Low-Maintenance Countertops for Your Dream Kitchen
Fingerprints, stains, resealing requirements ... who needs ’em? These countertop materials look great with little effort
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNThe Best Low-Maintenance Kitchen Finishes
Cut down on cleaning time and repair costs by choosing these finishes for flooring, cabinets, countertops and more
Full StoryCURB APPEALEntry Recipe: Low-Maintenance Meets Contemporary Curb Appeal in Canada
A neighborhood-appropriate mix of textures and colors invites visitors to linger as they approach
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNHow to Design a Low-Maintenance Yard
See 12 ways to set up your garden so you spend less time working on it and more time enjoying it
Full Story
party_music50