Now is the time of year to order fruit and nut trees
- Randi Pokladnik
- November 6, 2020
- 1076
We have already turned our clocks back for daylight saving time and had a killing frost. That means less light at the end of the day and less time to do anything outside. Most of our veggies will have already succumbed to the colder temperatures, but that doesn’t mean our gardens are done until the spring.
There are many varieties of greens that like the cooler weather of fall, and if you are really into extending the season, row covers can help. Unlike this spring, many companies are still shipping some seeds this fall. One of those is Jung Seeds. I like them because they offer lots of varieties of non-GMO, heirloom and organic seeds.
Now is also the time to order fruit trees, berry bushes and some perennial vegetables. These will ship in the spring. When in doubt, always opt for a native variety as native plants are better suited to the environment and supply habitat and food for native species.
The use of permaculture, or permanent agriculture, is becoming very popular. The definition of permaculture is “an intentional system of agriculture and settlement that aims to reflect the interrelationships and sustainability of natural systems.” It integrates ideas from many other practices such as organic farming and agroforestry. Many universities are now offering courses in permaculture, and some are even creating a degree program like the Sustainable Agriculture Institute’s online master’s degree in permaculture design.
Permaculture aims to mimic nature, using the “patterns and resilient features found in natural ecosystems.” It does not use row planting, but instead the plants are interspersed in the landscape. It also pays close attention to water use and takes advantage of design methods to create an area that provides sustenance for not only people, but also animals.
Some techniques used in permaculture are “edible landscaping and companion planting.” The idea is to incorporate trees, shrubs, vegetables and herbs into the landscaping around homes. This allows people to have some fresh foods even within a small city lot.
One example of this is to plant vegetables among your flowers. Some plants that can be used include bell peppers, kale, hot peppers, tomatoes, Swiss chard and asparagus.
I especially like this technique because even though we have a large wooded lot, we have a small amount of access to full sun. I planted bell peppers with my blueberry bushes this year. Marigolds are always a great companion plant with tomatoes. We had green onions planted with our asparagus. The onions have been pulled long ago, but the asparagus is beautiful right now with red berries covering the lacey branches.
If you have some non-native shrubs you are tired of and want to add some permanent plants that serve to decorate as well as nourish, a great choice is elderberries, which is another fruit common in the permaculture landscape.
According to the Permaculture Research Institute, the bushes are native to North America from Canada to Columbia. Depending on the variety, they can grow up to 15 feet high and produce berries in colors that range from deep indigo to bright red. You can let them grow or prune them to shrub height.
I planted two bushes six years ago along a sloping area adjacent to the woods. In a few short years our bushes were 15 feet tall. The birds love the berries, so if you want any for yourself, you need to be vigilant about picking the clusters of fruit, which ripen during mid-August. This year we purchased small, reusable nylon bags, which we placed around the clusters. This kept the birds and bugs off the clusters we wanted to consume.
The 100 clusters that were bagged netted us a large enough harvest to make six pints of elderberry syrup. If you haven’t tried this before, you don’t know what you are missing. Another perk of the syrup is that is has anti-viral properties and is very popular right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The berries have more vitamin C than oranges, and the flower clusters can be used to make fritters. They are easy to propagate from cuttings and seeds, or the bushes can be purchased from Fedco Trees in Maine.
Another great selection for a permanent landscape plant is grapes. Grapes are very easy to grow and are found on every continent except Antarctica. The vines, which can last up to 30 years, can be trained into permanent structures in a landscape such as trellises and arbors. Grapes can be processed into jams, jellies or juice, as well as wines. There are over 60 species of grapevines and over 8,000 cultivars.
For the home gardener, the best varieties to grow are American (Vitis labrusca), European (V. vinifera) and French American hybrids. In Ohio our growing zone (6-A to 6-B) best suits the American varieties including Catawba, Concord and Niagara. I have all three and find my Concord produce the best.
Ohio has a microclimate close to Lake Erie that stretches from Madison Ohio to Westfield New York (Lake and Ashtabula counties). This unique zone is perfect for grape growing. Geneva is the epicenter of Ohio’s wine country and sees 10,000-12,000 people per week in the summer months.
A recent article in GoErie Magazine pointed out that Kent State now has a two-year program that aims at training students interested in both growing grapes and learning how to make wine.
Sadly, nut trees have disappeared from most residential landscapes. One reason is the time it takes to produce a crop of nuts: often 20 years or more. We are lucky as we had nut trees on our property long before we ever purchased it.
We have several black walnuts and a few hickory trees, and although we haven’t ever used them for ourselves, the squirrels are happy to take the nuts off our hands. If you want a faster growing nut supply, Ohio’s climate can support hazelnuts. It is a shrub rather than a tree and grows to about 15 feet. In a few years you can harvest a crop of these delicious treats.
Converting a lawn space into a permaculture area is a win-win situation. Once established, most of the perennial crops will produce for decades. They will provide you and other species with food, they will increase your home value, and they will create a living space that is edible, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing.