FRUIT TREES AND BERRIES. The season is upon us. Here are some of the hand chosen fruits and berries we will be stocking subject to availability along with great advice on how to plant and care for them.
APPLES
Anna Apple: EZ Pick variety. Large fruit with light greenish-yellow skin and slight red blush. Creamy white flesh that is crisp and sweet with a wee hint of tartness. A remarkable selection with minimal winter chill requirement that ripens in late June. 200-300 chill hours. Rootstock: EMLA-111. Vigorous, deep-rooted, tolerates wet soil, dry soil and poor soil. Resists woolly apple aphids and collar rot. Self-fruitful.
Braeburn Apple: EZ Pick variety. Very popular eating and cooking variety with medium to large fruit. Skin is green overlaid with stripe of dark crimson. Flesh is firm, crisp and very juicy. Mildly sweet tart flavor. Heavy producer that stores well. 500 chill hours. Rootstock: EMLA -111 (semi-dwarf rootswtock that is very adaptable to wetter/poorly drained soils; well anchored and tolerant of drought). Vigorous, deep-rooted, tolerates wet soil, dry soil and poor soil. Resists woolly apple aphids and collar rot. Self-fruitful.
Ein Shemer Apple: EZ Pick variety. Golden delicious type with large fruit. This selection from Israel has a minimal winter chill requirement while the fruit is crisp, tart and excellent quality. Early bearing and very productive. Ripens mid June to early July. 350 chill hours. Rootstock: EMLA -111. Vigorous, deep-rooted, tolerates wet soil, dry soil and poor soil. Resists woolly apple aphids and collar rot. Self-fruitful.
Fuji Apple: EZ Pick variety. Favorite eating apple. Medium sized fruit. Reddish green skin with firm, crisp, sweet juicy, white flesh with excellent flavor. Stores well. Ripens early to mid September. 350-400 chill hours. Rootstock: EMLA -111. Vigorous, deep-rooted, tolerates wet soil, dry soil and poor soil. Resists woolly apple aphids and collar rot. Self-fruitful.
Gala Apple (Kidd's D-8): EZ Pick variety. Medium round fruit with reddish orange blush on golden yellow skin. Considered by some to be the most flavorful eating apple as the flesh is firm, sweet and juicy. It takes summer heat and stores well. Ripens late August to early September, earlier in warmer climates. 500 chill hours. Rootstock: EMLA -111. Vigorous, deep-rooted, tolerates wet soil, dry soil and poor soil. Resists woolly apple aphids and collar rot. Self-fruitful.
Granny Smith Apple: EZ Pick variety. Large sized fruit. Flesh is firm, sweet and tart. Good for eating, cooking & sauce. Does well in hot climates & also in cold climates with adequate length of season. Ripens August to September. 400-600 chill hours. Rootstock: EMLA-111. Vigorous, deep-rooted, tolerates wet soil, dry soil, and poor soil. Resists woolly apple aphids and collar rot. Self-fruitful.
Honeycrisp Apple: EZ Pick variety: Excellent round apple variety, with 60-90% scarlet red over yellow background. Well-balanced sweet/tart flavor. Texture similar to a crisp watermelon or Asian pear. Said to be "explosively crisp, fun apple to eat" and very juicy. Excellent keeping quality. Consistent production. Fruit size is very large. Ripens late September. 800 chill hours. Rootstock: EMLA-111. Vigorous, deep-rooted, tolerates wet soil, dry soil and poor soil. Resists woolly apple aphids and collar rot. Self-fruitful but does better with pollinizer.
Pettingill Apple: EZ Pick variety. Large round fruit with deep red skin w/ yellow stripes. A good crisp juicy apple for table or sauce/pie. Excellent for low chill areas. Ripens August into September. 300 chill hours. Rootstock: EMLA -111. Vigorous, deep-rooted, tolerates wet soil, dry soil and poor soil. Resists woolly apple aphids and collar rot. Self-fruitful.
Pink Lady Apple (P.P. #7880): EZ Pick variety. Hot climate apple from Western Australia. Blushing pink skin over green tones. Tart, crisp and sweet flavor on medium sized fruit. Stores well. White flesh resists browning. Harvest late October. 400-500 chill hours. Rootstock: EMLA-111. Vigorous, deep-rooted, tolerates wet soil, dry soil and poor soil. Resists woolly apple aphids and collar rot. Self-fruitful.
Pink Pearl Apple: Semi Dwarf variety. Pretty pink blush over yellow-green skin. Medium to small sized fruit with tender, juicy and tart flesh that is light pink in color. Makes an attractive, tasty pink applesauce! Needs pollinizer such as Liberty, Granny Smith, Yellow Delicious or Honeycrisp. Ripens in early October. Less than 800 chill hours. Rootstock: EMLA-111. Vigorous, deep-rooted, tolerates wet soil, dry soil and poor soil. Resists woolly apple aphids and collar rot.
BLUEBERRIES
Bluecrop Blueberry: The leading commercial variety, considered the best all around for consistent yields. Large bright blue berries, good dessert quality. The bush grows upright 4-6 feet with good green color in summer and fiery red leaves in fall. Ripens mid-season (Memorial Day). 850-1000 chill hours but does well in lower chill areas. Northern Highbush. Self-fruitful.
Misty Blueberry: Bright blue-green foliage that contrasts with hot pink spring flowers & sky-blue summer fruit. Excellent berries are medium to large size. Yields best when planted with other blueberries. Ripens early season. 150-300 chill hours. Southern Highbush. Semi self-fruitful.
Sharpblue Blueberry: Best variety for areas of minimal winter chill. Medium-large sized fruit. Medium blue color, average firmness, good flavor. 4 - 6 ft tall. Attractive red fall foliage. Ripens early to mid season (Memorial Day). 150 chill hours. Southern Highbush. Semi self-fruitful.
Southmoon Blueberry: Fruit is very large, sky blue, firm with outstanding flavor. These berries are some of the prettiest blueberries we have ever seen, and the eating quality supports their appearance. Florida origin. Ripens mid season (Memorial Day). 400-500 chill hours. Southern Highbush. Semi self-fruitful.
BLACKBERRIES
Navaho (P.P. 6679): The first fully erect, self supporting thornless blackberry! It has superior fruit quality with a flavor that is less tart than other thornless varieties. Moderately resistant to anthracnose (fungal disease) and ripens from June to July.
Triple Crown: This one is named for three crowning attributes: flavor, productivity and vigor with large firm tasty berries. High yields begin with the first harvest from mid-July to mid-August.
Olallie (Hybrid): With large shiny black firm berries, Olallie is planted for California markets. It ripens in late May to early July.
MULBERRIES
Mulberry 'Black Beauty Fruiting' Bush (P.P. #4913): The tasty blackberry-like fruit is large, dark and juicy. This Persian Mulberry is semi-dwarf to 15' tall. Drought tolerant once established. Many great uses including eating fresh, cooking, freezing, juice, jams and ice cream. It grows quickly and attracts birds. Less than 200 chill hours required. Rootstock: Siberian Mulberry.
PEARS
Asian Pear Hosui: Taste test winner. Juicy, sweet, flavorful, fine textured flesh, brown skin. Crisp and refreshing like an apple. Good keeper. Ripens early through late August. Will store until March. 450 chill hours. Rootstock: Betulifolia Root. Tolerant of wet, dry and alkaline soils. Resists pear decline. Widely adapted and disease resistant. Self-fruitful.
Asian Pear Late Korean (A. K. A. Okusankichi): NEW THIS SEASON. Large round fruit with green to tan russeted thick skin. White, firm and juicy flesh is slightly tart and coarse in texture. Keeps well after picking and flavor improves with storage. Ripens late Aug to early October. 600 chill hours. Rootstock: Betulifolia Root. Tolerant of wet, dry and alkaline soils. Resists pear decline. Widely adapted and disease resistant. Self-fruitful.
Asian Pear Shinseiki: Medium round fruit has thick yellow skin. White, sweet, firm, slightly coarse, crisp & juicy flesh. Good quality. Bears at an early age. Ripens late July through mid August. Will store until March. Self-fruitful. 350-450 chill hours. Rootstock: Old Home x Farmingdale 333. Widely adapted and disease resistant.
Comice Pear: EZ Pick variety. Large roundish fruit. Green-yellow skin with red blush. Rich, sweet creamy flesh. Ripens in August. 500 chill hours. Rootstock: Domestic pear root. Vigorous, tolerant of wet soil, resistant to Oak Root fungus. Self-fruitful but better production with pollinizer.
Monterrey Pear: EZ Pick variety. Large, apple-shaped fruit with yellow-green skin. Smooth texture, crisp, and good sweet flavored flesh. Vigorous upright tree from Monterrey, Mexico. Good for mild winter areas. Ripens late August into September. 300 chill hours. Rootstock: Domestic Pear root. Vigorous, tolerant of wet soil and resistant to Oak Root fungus. Widely adapted and disease resistant. Self-fruitful.
Seckel Pear: EZ pick variety. Medium to small sized fruit is round to bell shaped. Smooth skin is colored yellow-brown with red russeting. Very sweet and creamy textured white flesh. Good for mild winter areas. Ripens mid to late August. 200-300 chill hours. Rootstock: Domestic Pear root. Vigorous, tolerant of wet soil and resistant to Oak Root fungus. Widely adapted and disease resistant. Self-fruitful.
PERSIMMONS
Fuyu Persimmon (A.K.A. Jiro): Most popular fresh eating Japanese variety with reddish orange skin. Large, round and flattened on bottom. Great to eat when firm ripe on tree. Excellent for cooking, drying or even making ice cream. Non-astringent. Heavy producer. Ripens in November. Less than 200 chill hours. Rootstock: Lotus Persimmon.
Hachiya Persimmon: Oriental variety with very large oblong fruit and short point. Skin bright orange-red covered with dark blotches. Astringent. Largest and best cooking quality but can also be eaten fresh when fruit is 'pudding soft'. Tree shape is upright and shapely with beautiful fall color. Ripens in Novemeber. Less than 200 chill hours required. Rootstock: Lotus Persimmon.
PLUMS & PRUNES
Beauty Plum: EZ Pick variety. Large. Bright red skin. Amber flesh tinged with red. Good pollinizer for other plum varieties. Strong, vigorous tree. One of the better early varieties and more productive at coast than Santa Rosa plum. Ripens early June. 250 chill hours. Rootstock: Mariana 26-24. Resists Oak Root fungus and Root-knot nematodes, tolerant of wet soils. Dwarfing to 2/3 of standard sizes (15'-25'). Self-fruitful.
French Improved Prune: EZ Pick variety. Large fruit with dark blue skin. Tender, fine textured, rich sweet flesh. California's leading prune. Ripens in August. 800 chill hours. Rootstock: Myrobalan Plum. Shallow but vigorous root system. Tolerates wet soils and is immune to Root-knot nematodes. Somewhat resistant to Oak Root fungus. Self-fruitful.
Weeping Santa Rosa Plum: Large oval fruit. Purplish-red skin. Firm yellow flesh. Rich, pleasing tart flavor. 400 chill hours. Rootstock: Mariana 26-24. Resists Oak Root fungus and Root-knot nematodes, tolerant of wet soils. Semi dwarf tree to 8-10' with graceful shape. Good as an espalier. Self-fruitful.
POMEGRANATES
Austin Pomegranate: Very large fruit, often 1 pound or better. Pink skin with a red blush and sweet juice with a bare hint of tartness. High juice content, about 1.5 times as much as Wonderful variety. Brought to Austin Texas via Syrian immigrant. Ripens early October. Less than 200 chill hours. Own Root. Self-fruitful. Cold hardy to USDA zones 7b/8a.
QUINCE
Do you like being around plants, know a little or a lot about plants and like conversing with people. Or maybe you just want to put your horticultural knowledge on the fast track. Well if so consider a part time, seasonal job with us this spring, summer and fall.