Tree Talk: Let's visit the orchard

While apples are the favorite backyard fruit grown in North Dakota, a surprisingly wide variety of fruits can grow and produce abundant harvests in the northern plains. Since 2006, the Northern Hardy Fruit Evaluation project at the NDSU-Carrington Research Extension Center has evaluated both common and unusual fruit crops to determine selections that are desirable, hardy and productive in North Dakota.

Hardy cultivars of apricots, cherries, plums and pears are now common North Dakota orchard fruits. Fruit-bearing shrubs including Aronia (also known as black chokeberry) and currants are gaining popularity for their high nutritive value. While blueberries cannot thrive in North Dakota's alkaline soils, honeyberries (Lonicera sp.) have proven to be a sweet and tasty replacement. Local growers and consumers enjoy fruit fresh and a handful of commercial wineries across the state have learned to make use of the fruit, too.

Even a small backyard can successfully harbor a productive, small-statured fruit tree. Keys to success include selecting the right site and selecting the right plants. Fruit trees and shrubs need at least 8 hours of full sun to flourish, an area that has good drainage (plants that sit in water for extended periods will suffer from root rot) and "good" soil. Avoid soils with a pH above 7.5, since nutrients are chemically bound in alkaline soils, making them unavailable to plants. Salty soils are a challenge because the salt will dessicate roots. Aronia, cherry plum, juneberry and seaberry are among the toughest plants that can tolerate salty soils. What can you do about poor soils? Soil amendments like compost or peat moss can improve soil structure and moisture-holding capacity. Organic mulch placed around plants will prevent evaporation of soil moisture and subsequent accumulation of salt.

Know your plant hardiness zone! The lower two-thirds of North Dakota is generally USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 4a, and there is a decent selection of northern-hardy trees and shrubs that can survive and indeed, thrive, in this area. Cultivars matter, so do your homework before investing in the purchase of a tree or shrub. Some of the newer and most popular apple trees include Honeycrisp and Zestar, developed in Minnesota. The standard for cooking apples in the Midwest is Haralson, released 100 years ago – longevity is proof of this cultivar's excellence. An excellent resource to guide you in selecting, planting and caring for fruiting plants is NDSU Extension publication H1558, "Starting a Community Orchard in North Dakota" – available on line and in print. Don't let the title intimidate you – there is plenty of information for the backyard grower, too.

To get a closer look at fruits and learning more about growing them in North Dakota, attend the 2022 annual field day at Carrington's NDSU Research Extension Center on Tuesday, July 19. The program begins with coffee and a welcome at 9 a.m. The fruit project tour departs at 9:30 a.m. and returns to the main area at noon, where you are invited to take part in a lunch. The event is free and no pre-registration is needed. What could be sweeter than that? Well, maybe some fresh-picked fruit from your own backyard.