Lisbon, Meyers, Eureka Lemon
Blood Orange
Wash Naval Orange
Sour Orange (Seville for making marmelade!)
Clementine
Lime
Ross, Fuerte and Bacon Avocado
Loquat
Anna Apple
Peach
Plum
Katy Apricot
Unk Olive (sm black fruit)
Pomegranates
Raspberries
blackberries
12 varieties of wine grapes from Spain, Portugal and Italy (Nebollio (sp?), Sangiovese)
and of course 100+ varieties of figs, 35-50 will go in ground this spring.

Planning on:
Fuyu Persimmon
Walnut
Nicoise and Kalamata olive and appropriate pollinator
maybe another nut tree...pecan or macadamia
Pitanga
passion vines
allspice

love to have cherries but it's too hot here.

then there's the veggie garden...

Sue

Figs, figs, figs, and more figs. Bananas and more bananas.

Still make room for oranges, kumquats, limes, lemons, grapefruit, blood oranges, che, sugar cane, apples, asian pears, loquats, white sapote, pitangas, grapes, passion fruit, inga, pluots, plums, cherries, apricots, peaches, mulberries, strawberry guavas, tropical guavas, macadamias, papayas, star apple,  cherimoya, cherimoya/atemoya hybrids, etc

Tangerine, Mango, Boysenberries, Pecan, etc.

Jujube, avocado, Guyaneese guava, acerola, etc.

Where do I begin.... zone 10, South Florida, used to have lots of citrus... picked fruit and loaded my wheelbarrow, my son used to distribute limes in his red wagon to the neighbors.. FL dept of AG removed them.. long and sad as well as infuriating story
dancy tangerine,
honey murcott tangerine
navel oranges
persian lime
mineola tangelo
mulberry - black, removed it as it got too big
bananas - removed as it got too big and the whole 'hood got sick of eating bananas.

currently grow
key lime in big pot
dancy tangerine
loquat
pineapples,  lots, second and third generation from Hawaii, Maui Gold variety
figs - 6 varities here and 20 other varieties in Gainesville (North Florida)
lychee - var mauritius
lychee - var brewster
sugar apple
papaya - from hawaii second and third generation
mamey (sapote) var 'pantin' aka 'key west'
mango - nam doc mai (awesome- best mango I've ever eaten)
mango - carrie... commercial variety, so so plant, might it remove to make room
Opuntia ficus indica - prickly pear cactus, originated from Sicily

Looking at everyone's lists, I notice that I forget to list a lot of the things we are growing.  I guess we are always trying something new.

I really envy those of you who can grow bananas.

My family used to own a banana plantation, and we love bananas, but only the ornamental kind can be grown here outside unprotected, and they get cut to the ground every year.

My wife has been very successful with beautiful ornamental pomegranates, so I am field testing some cold hardy fruiting types.  So far the plants are doing well, but we will see if they have time to ripen when they fruit next year.  My guess is it's going to be a pretty close call, but fun either way, and beautiful flowers either way.

It actually gets pretty cold here in the North Georgia Piedmont sometimes, down to the mid-teens the last few nights and we have had a little snow.

Nonetheless, our long, hot summers produced some outstanding figs last year.

Some of my favorite things to grow are cabbage during the winter and potatoes in the Spring.  I have about 50 heads of cabbage in the field right now.  My family is from Eastern Europe, so we couldn't live without the cabbage and potatoes, and the figs of course.

Best wishes to all.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

I have mostly figs, but also have some garlic chives that have survived for 35 years on their own, out back, in the same pot and without any care whatsoever.  I hear they are considered invasive in some states.  Guess we know why, but I've never had them cast around that took over in my yard.  I have some lemongrass in a pot, too.

Come March, I want to have an Owari Satsuma and a Meyer Lemon put in.  I'd love to have someone graft me a couple of trees from the Satsuma tree down the street from us.  It's been in the ground for at least 30 years, with almost no care and produces bumper crops of fruit every year.  I think it's going to come apart, though because no one has pruned it for many years, now, which is a shame for such a productive tree.  Makes me feel sad.  The house is abandoned now.  To my taste, Satsumas are a perfect orange type and are easy to peel.  The have a more orangey flavor than tangerines.  Tangerines taste like perfume, to me.

noss

Sacks on fig,

I only grow seedlings. I have had 2-3 named varieties which were way over-hyped and not worth the bother, in my opinion. I enjoy them very much, but not sure I would devote greenhouse space to them on a pounds of fruit per volume of bush basis.

John, is it possible to airlayer Goumi trees also?  Are they typically on their own rootstock, or are they grafted?

Hi Jason.  I have never done airlayering with the Goumi, but it is possible.  Not difficult but a little slow I think.  I may try it though just to see.

They really aren't hard to grow though,  I can tell you that, pretty much grow like weeds.  They are nitrogen fixers so you don't need to fertilize them, but you do need to prune them back good every year to keep them at a good picking height.

Overall it's a nice edible/unusual for the orchard, and said to have many health benefits too.

One other plus: It's the first fruit to ripen.  I can't remember when exactly but VERY early, well before anything else in the Spring.

I would give the Goumis a thumbs up.

Downsides: Some thorns (depending on variety); small fruits (but tons of them; I use a hand held cranberry rake to pick and have many gallons of fruit); need to prune every year after the plants reach about 5 to 6 feet or they will quickly be 10 feet and hard to pick.

Hello,

Wow, I'm impressed with everyones' lists. I have only the ordinary, but have always wanted to branch out, so this thread is very interesting to me.

3 apple
1 pear
thornless blackberry
blueberry
alpine strawberry
strawberries, everbearing and early
grapes 2 varieties
1 lonely fig, soon to have siblings
vegetables

I am especially interested in the Goumi trees. Do they grow from seed? or do you need to buy a tree?  self fertile? Full sun?

Have really enjoyed hearing about what others grow

West of Atlanta,7b

Hi Goldie.  I must confess that I have wasted a lot of money trying unusual edibles.  The "Sea Berry" project went on for years and wasted hundreds of dollars, and in the end they all died without producing one berry.

Goumi has been a winner though.  Just so everyone knows, they are not true cherries, and while they taste cherry like, and we think quite good, these aren't traditional cherries.

We love that they are so early fruiting and abundant though.  The children eat lots of them fresh right off the bush (so do we) and I pick them with a hand held rake (I said cranberry earlier; but maybe a lingonberry rake?) and then wash them (no need to seed or stem), cook them, and strain out the seeds and stems in one of those cullender things, and you have lots of cherry sauce to use and can.  We pour the sauce over angel food cake (terrific!), make preserves, and I make "cherry" pies that taste like a cherry pie but have the texture of a lemon pie because the "cherries" have been strained.  Excellent though.

You can grow from seed or air layer, but they sell for less than $20 at Raintree Nursury or One Green World.  They are partially self-fertile but you get more fruit with two varieties (you get a lot with one though).  Full sun.  Our first was a seedling from Raintree (the childrens favorite) but my favorite is the Red Gem from One Green World.  Here's the Raintree link:

http://www.raintreenursery.com/catalog/producttype.cfm?producttype=Goumi

Goumis are extremely cold hardy, but will grow very well here in Georgia too.

Best wishes.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

Very impressive lists... And very jealous of those of you who live in warmer climates.   And those who have room for a greenhouse, for that matter (someday!)
Figs (10 cultivars, some named, others unk... all potted for now)
Plum (santa rosa, 'lost the tag like a fool')
Peach (july elberta)
Nectarine
Asian pear (Korean Giant)
Euro Pear (Bosc primary w/ 5 grafted limbs from local finds)
Apple (seedling rootstock, hope to graft this spring)
Jujube (Li)
Hardy Kiwi (Anna, Arctic Beauty male)
Loads of veggies, always experimenting with new (to me anyway) stuff

Jon,

I like what you did with my username he he. I tried coming up with a re-make for yours but I got nothin'.
So you're saying my greenhouse space might be better used for a more valuable selection. Maybe so. I can already see that no matter how big I build it, it's not going to be big enough.

Jason & John,  You guys are making me want to try some Goumi here in Z6. From the sounds of things they should do fine here -? Do they grow true-to-seed. If so, does anyone have some seed they'd like to share :) ? 

Ingevald,  You reminded me about the northern Pecan tree I have in my yard. I had forgotten to list it. It gives me plenty of nuts but it seems to be off & on about developing full kernals. I also become bored quickly when shelling them. But they are very good when the shells are full. Anyone have a shortcut to shelling alot of pecans at a time?

Hi Bill.  The Goumi is very cold hardy, coming from the Russian East.

We are growing it here in Zone 7b so it takes heat well too, but the catalog description says it will survive negative 25 degrees F.

Kentucky Zone 6 never gets that cold, and it should be safe up through northern zone 5 (southern Michigan).

You can grow from seed.  I have never tried, but it is said to be a slow hit and miss process.  For under $20 at either Raintree or One Green World I would just buy one and you will have fruit much sooner, possibly even a few to taste the first year, the second  year for sure, and in 3 to 4 years you will be getting some respectable crops.  Also, while you may get a good seedling, you may not.  I like the Red Gem because of it's size and mild flavor.  The seedling we have is good too but slightly more astrigent until dead ripe.  The Red Gem is sweeter, bigger, juicier, and milder.  There are now some other named varieties I haved tried, but they look good also.

Best wishes.

John

Thank you for more details on the Goumis John. What a funny sounding name. I assume it's pronounced something like "goomy" -? I'm sure my 5yr old would like that word for the name game song he's been playing with lately. You know, 'Goomy-oomy-bo-boomy'....... LOL .  

Sounds like I'll have to start with Red Gem on your reccomendation. I'll also have to do some searching on other varities, just to see what else is out there. I'm gonna have to get creative with finding ways to make this hobby fund itself  :-} ! 

Sacks on Figs.....couldn't figure it out on my own- but funny!

Thanks for the info on Goumis..I do need to know how to pronounce it also- I have a seven year old. I'll have to find some room for some. have you ever tried to grow one from a cutting?

Hi Bill and Goldie.

On funding your hobby, some people make some money selling plants, etc., but for most of us this hobby funds itself in a different way:

1) You really can save a lot of money growing your own produce (which means not having to buy as much at the store);

2) The health benefits of home-grown organic produce are enormous, and you could save thousands, and even hundreds of thousands on medical bills over a lifetime by eating more home-grown organic produce (with all the anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, soluable fiber, etc., and none of the pesticides, e-coli, heavy metals, etc.);

3) You get great exercise gardening, further contributing to your health; and

4) You can't buy the joy of seeing your own figs, etc., grow and fruit, a peace and happiness that further contributes to your health and quality of life.

So even if you never make a penny in cash, you are saving big bucks over the years.

And if your spouse doesn't buy any of that (all of which I sincerely believe is absolutely true), ask them to think of all that things you might be getting in trouble with if you weren't busy out in the garden!  ;-)

John

I like that philosophy John. Especially the part about "selling" this hobby to my wife ;) . She's grown accustomed to my many interests & hobbies I've had over the years though.
Gardening is one passion that has been a constant for me through all my other interests that may have come and gone over the years.

I have no question about the immeasurable health benefits of cultivating our own plants, enjoying the fresh clean produce, and the pleasure & satisfaction that comes from it all.  Not to mention the great sense of occomplishment we get when we have a successful harvest. To me, nothing else compares to it. -Is it spring yet :-] !?   

Hi Bill.  My job can sometimes be very stressful, and my fig trees, orchard, and garden are the perfect remedy.  I always feel a great sense of peace and happiness, even after a very tough day, when I walk through the garden to see what is happening today and dream about what it will be like in the future.

So what I am saying, is that this hobby has also saved me a LOT of money I would have had to pay for a Counselor!  ;-)

It's also fun to be able to talk with others here about their gardens and projects.  Most of my neighbors couldn't care less.  They are nice people of course, but when I take them vegetables, I'm pretty sure they don't have any idea what to even do with them.

So it's great to know that there are still lots of people out there who care about gardening, good health for their families, etc.

And one final thought: Most of our neighbors don't know it yet, but soon, they will need a garden too.  Think about it.  Throughout human history, except for the last few decades, everyone had a garden.  And when they need to learn, we will be there my friend, ready to help.

And Spring will be here before you know it.

Best wishes.

John

I really have more figs than anything. I used to have bananas which would get really big 12+ feet, but winter storage was tough.

John, I think the secret to cherry trees in Georgia is to grow North Star (naturally dwarf sour cherry) on the north side of the house, preferably sheltered from the summer sun. Plant the rootstock deep so that it is not exposed (most of these are on rootstocks that will be attacked by borers, but they won't attack the cherry itself). The cherry will eventually root, but the tree will stay dwarf. Mine fruits every year.

Figs (too many)
Pomegranates (three types if they make it through the winter)
Loquat
Sour cherry (North Star)
Antique apples
Pears
Blueberries
Orange tree (inside in the winter)
Scott

Thanks Scott.  I tried a North Star almost 10 years ago.  It did better than the other varieties and fruited for a year or tow, but the extreme drought we had at the time probably killed it.  So I will try a North Star again.  I truly appreciate the suggestion as cherries are one of our favorites and it's definately worth another try.

Happy holidays.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

I grow figs in containers and everything else in the ground in this cold part of Zone 5.
I also grow:
- Grapes (Some plants fruited in 2010)
- Peaches (one plant 'Reliance' fruited well in 2010). The 2nd one 'Red Heaven' went to heaven in the cold 2008 winter.
- Apricot (2 plants, both  fruited well in 2010 because a mild 2009 winter did not kill the fruit buds)
- Sweet Cherries, Sour Cherries (like NorthStar for birds) and sweet-sour cherry Evan (known as Bali in some parts of US)
- Red and White Nanking cherries.
- Plums (some of the plants are cold hardy ones from Manitoba)
- Apple, multi-graft (planted again in 2009). It is from HD but OK.
- Pears (two plants) almost destroyed by Jack rabbits  in one year with deep snow (& lack of food)
- Rasberries (10+ varieties). The Ann variety surprised me as being prolific & everbearing, bearing fruit until frost !! Do believe it.
- Strawberries (Seascape overbearing)
- Honeyberries
- CHUMs (Cherry-Plums)
- Illinois overbearing mulberry
- Weeping mulberries (2) . These are for my two grand-children, one each, but they do raid each others. They love it.
- Blackberries
- Gooseberries
- Saskatoons (My grandchildren told me they like to eat these just to keep me happy!)

 
The other plants that I try to grow but they don't want to grow big and just survive with small size. Survival is enough this far cold North. I hope some year they may surprise me.
- BLueberries  (no fruits after
- Pawpaw
- Oriental persimmom
- Black walnut
- Chestnuts
 
-Now the fruit that should be in the above list, is "Goumi" !!!. I did not it existed before reading this thread.. I googled it in Canada and found many posts from Canadians complaining about the lack of sources in Canada even though it originated in another cold country.  Any suggestion to get it here/there somewhere without going through that Phyto-stuff?
These pictures below of Goumi plant (minus some sub-pictures there) is a 1000.00 words:

http://www.google.ca/images?hl=en&biw=990&bih=697&q=goumi&rlz=1R2SKPB_enCA383&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=YG0NTamsN9Kynwe4qYSNDg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&ved=0CCsQsAQwAQ

  However, the fruit plants that I really work with are the fig plants. These other ones I plant them and they take care of themselves, summer and winter, and the squirrels take care of most of their fruits. Surprisingly I have not seen the squirrels go after rasberries.

Hello, Guys and Gals:

I've been away for a while and darned if you don't come up with a really good thread!!!!

Pecans, black walnut, mulberries and paw paw will naturalize here.  I have probably a hundred and fifty native and grafted trees.  Unfortunately if not tended, fertilized and sprayed they are unpredictable.  This year the squirrels took every nut; I got none, so you can see it was a small crop.  Black walnuts here are not worth the trouble of shelling--little meat and hard work.  Mulberry is fine if you like them; they grow well, as do paw paw.

Blackberries are native here and the thornless varieties do well but are a garden crop.  If untended they die out.  The wild ones become a pest. 
\
Elderberries are also naturalized here--they grow along the roadsides.

In addition to those naturalized nuts and berries (and of course the figs) I have;
Plum  (Wild plums here are small and useless)
Apple
Peach
Asian pear
grapes (The seedless varieties developed by the U. of Ark.)  Wild grapes are abundant but they make no useful fruit. Some of the U. of A. grapes, especially the red seedless, are as good as any you can get at the grocery.
Domestic pear (two varieties)
Japanese persimmon (Tana Nashi and Saijo)  Saijo is said to be the better one but mine are just whips, planted in late Fall 2009. 
Jujube--an unknown variety planted by the original owner of this home. 

I live next to a peach and apple grower, so could have an abundance of those if I were willing to make the effort--growing those here take real work as borers and drought take the peaches, scale and smut get apples.  Worms and chewing bugs get the fruit, too, so my most successful apple is the Arkansas Black.  It will put on fruit and give a decent crop even if ignored.  You have to be willing to cut out a bad spot or two on an apple, but they are hardy, delicious and good keepers.  Oh, I forgot; a  peach tree may have a crop ready to pick tomorrow and be stripped by coons before daylight on the day you plan to pick. 

Cherries:  I kinow where there is/'was a cherry tree fifteen feet high and that wide about twenty miles from here but I have not been able to get one to survive. 

Ditto on the gardening comments; a big garden is a pleasure to work, the produce is fresh and delicious. The wife enjoys both watching it grow and the picking and eating. I grow a few flowers and roses for her too. 

Goumi?  I had better check that one out.  I'm coming eighty, but I just might have time to get one to bearing size if I get right on it.

Oh; I forgot that hickory trees grow well here too, and are native.  I don't bother with the nuts since pecans are available.  I have a few large trees but cut them for firewood along with the black locust (the honey producer).
Ox

Crandall blackcurrant
Newtown Pippin apple
Hauer Pippin apple
Arkansas Black apple
Wonderful pomegranate
Thompson Seedless grapes
Pecan tree dug out of my father in law's yard
Stella cherry [didn't thrive, removed it a few months ago]
Lilacs, chinese pistache, green ash
Russian Willow, grown from a off of the tree that my great-great grandfather planted in Montana in the 1880s

Hi Ox.  Hope you have many, many more good healthy years, but the Goumi fruits quickly.  If you are starting with a decent sized plant (we got ours from Raintree Nursury and One Green World Nursery) you might get a little fruit to taste even the first year, but the second year for sure, and then you will start getting some nice crops after that.

Very best wishes.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b