Cold Climate Fruit Trees

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

A question if I may......?

What sorts of fruit trees are grown in colder climates than mine?  I have friends living about 200m higher than Canberra (i.e around 850m or so) who is struggling with their garden.  They are thinking that they have to aim for fruit trees that would grow in a Tasmanian climate, or I would imagine similar to many parts of the UK?  Temps to low 30s (^oC) in summer (unlike ours up to 40), with strong winds that decimate a lot of stuff particularly during winter.  They have been struggling even to grow modern roses, tending to have them wither and die the first year regardless of what they do regarding soil amendments.  I am thinking on the rose side they will have to go for heritage types, which tend to be much more forgiving than the moderns, but I am trying to find out for them what varieties of Apples, Apricots, Peaches, Nectarines or other fruit are grown by those in colder climates?  From memory, apples such as 'Cox's Orange Pippin' is a good one for this sort of location, but are there any other know varieties that particularly like things a little on the cooler side?  I know also that "Granny Smith' for example will take warmer areas further north in New South Wales, but I don't know whether that means that they don't like it cooler than here and would suffer without the summer heat?

So.... I'm opening the floor (or this topic at least) to any suggestions of fruit tree cultivars that might be suitable.

Thanks in advance.

[majallison]

There are many apple varieties that originate in Scotland, so I'd've thought that they would be fine in high-altitude Australia.  Most are culinary varieties, but a well-known dessert (or dual purpose) variety is James Grieve, and then there are quite a number of Irish varieties, such as 'Sam Young' and 'Ard Cairn Russet', but these seem to be adapted to high levels of rainfall.  I wouldn't really recommend 'Cox's Orange Pippin', as it's quite capricious even in UK, but one New Zealand-bred derivative of Cox which I have grown, & can recommend highly is 'Kidd's Orange Red', it's a very heavy cropper every year,  & the fruit quality is excellent.

There are also quite a number of Scottish pears, one pleasant dessert variety I know being 'Crawfurd'; an early cropper that is recommended for challenging locations in UK is 'Jargonelle', which has delicious fruits & crops reliably each year.

As for plums, damsons are particularly tough & grow right into northern Britain, formerly as a commercial crop ~ there's a variety called 'Westmorland'.

Morello cherries, again are reckoned to be tougher than the sweet varieties, but very prone (in UK) to bacterial canker.

I'm not really qualified to speak about apricots or peaches, never having frown any.

Malcolm

[Paul T]

Thanks Malcolm.  Never heard of most of those varieties I must admit, but it gives me somewhere to start looking.  Hopefully others can also add their tuppence worth.    Any Tasmanian fruit experience out there as well?  Southern NZ?

Thanks again.

[Lesley Cox]

Kid's Orange Red is a good var with great flavour but I haven't seen it around here over recent years. Braeburn, Granny Smith, Gala, Royal Gala, Sturmer (if you can get it), Golden Delicious, Pacific Rose and some others are all good cold climate plants (to -18 anyway). Peaches likewise and apricots, plums, nectarines. Stonefruits like a stony soil. Remember that all these come originally from places like Afghanistan, and central Asia so are cold hardy - tough as old boots most of them. Keeping with Rosaceae, they should try strawberries, rasps, blackberries, boysenberries and then red and black currants. No limit really. Anything that grows and fruits well in NZ's South Island should do well for your friends. These are the fruits I see at my weekly market. (Otago Farmers' Market)

[Lesley Cox]

I have a friend in the Blue Mountains (Mt Tomah) who grows a lot of heritage apples so they are around, though I know he has imported some. The really old vars sometimes don't look so great but usually have excellent flavour.

[Paul T]

Thanks Lesley, that's brilliant info.   Exactly what I was wanting as there are heaps of varieties easily available here in your list.  So you reckon that pretty much any peaches, apricots and nectarines are going to be OK?

Thanks again!

[Lesley Cox]

They should be OK. There are, now, varieties of the small fruits, currants, raspberries etc, bred specifically for warmer climates (or rather for milder winters) but A, they are not around so much, not here anyway, and B the fruit is blander and less intersting. Look good, taste pathetic, if you know what I mean. All the Rosaceae grown for fruit are specifically plants for cold winters.

[Paul T]

Excellent.  Thanks for the extra info.