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LUCKY GARDENERS SAMPLE UNIVERSITY'S EXPERIMENTAL FRUIT VARIETIES
You no doubt have heard the expression "more excited than a kid in a candy store." We didn't have a candy store in Gotha when I was a kid but the expression came to mind in early September as I, along with 50 fellow Carver/Scott master gardeners, toured the University of Minnesota's research orchards and vineyards at the Arboretum's Horticultural Research Center on Highway 5.
Two things made the tour special. First, our guide was Mike Zins, recently retired University extension horticulturist and a favorite horticultural lecturer and tour guide.
The other perk was our invitation from Zins as we walked: "These are all experimental trees and vines. Sample any fruit you want and toss it aside if the flavor doesn't agree with you."
I love fruit so sampling from the dozens of experimental pear trees laden with ripe fruit was an invitation not to be ignored.
The pear trees are all crosses between Summercrisp and various Asian varieties. Each of the trees was planted 14 years ago from seed. Some pears were yellow-green and pear-shaped, while others were round (like apples), brown, red, smooth or rough.
HRC fruit breeders have selected 15 top-performing trees for propagation in a nursery. Their assignment completed, these trees will be bulldozed this fall to make room for new fruit research projects.
As we began the tour, Zins advised, "Some of these are pretty tasty and others...well, let's just say you've got to be hungry to enjoy them." I enjoyed most of the pears that I sampled.
After the pears, our next stop was the kiwi vines. I was surprised to learn that Minnesota has a kiwi research project since I associate kiwi with the tropics. The parent stock of these vines came from Russia where the cold-hardy kiwi is grown as a vitamin C replacement for citrus, a fruit not grown in that country.
The fruit on the kiwi vines we viewed is small and is eaten, skin and all. The grape-sized kiwi fruits, unfortunately, were still a month away from ripe so we couldn't indulge ourselves at this stop.
Next stop was the table grapes. The vineyard was fenced in to keep out raccoons. Judging by the indescribable juiciness and flavor of some of the experimental grapes, I can easily understand the desire to deter raccoons. Like the pear research, the goal here is to find Minnesota-hardy grape varieties that will provide growers with a tasty grape for Minnesota consumers.
Following my feast of pears, and somewhere between the grape and apple stops, I pondered the consequences of sampling as many apples as I had pears. My thoughts weren't pretty, so I limited my apple tasting to a half dozen varieties.
How do you know when an apple is ripe? Zins was asked. It depends, he explained, on the apple variety, the growing season, fall temperature and other factors. Varieties like Hazen, State Fair and Beacon mature early and can be picked in August or early September. Later varieties like Haralson, Regent and Fireside get sweeter the longer they hang on the tree and don't need to be picked until after the first light frost.
One way to gauge ripeness is to cut the apple in half. If the seeds are dark (black or brown), the apple is close to ripe.
The goal of all of these research efforts, of course, is to discover fruit that will perform in Minnesota gardeners' yards and commercial growers' orchards and vineyards. There have been many past successes so it's a safe bet that some of the pears, grapes and apples I sampled will become the hot varieties of 2010 or 2015.
One of the University's most notable fruit-breeding successes is the Honeycrisp apple, which disappears off shelves almost as fast as the juicy red apples can be stocked. Honeycrisp is described as "pure good taste...aromatic, clean, sweet-tart...along with juiciness, versatility, excellent 'snap,' and the unusual ability to be refrigerated for six months with no loss of its outstanding features."
During its research years (1960s), Honeycrisp was known as "Minnesota 1711," a cross between Macoun and Honeygold. Honeygold, in turn, was a cross between Golden Delicious and Haralson, both of which were developed at the University of Minnesota.
Growing fruit in Minnesota requires more management and care than growing ornamental woody plants and perennial flowers. The rewards for those who follow proven growing guidelines, however, can make it all worthwhile, especially at harvest time.
The University's horticulture extension website contains lots of cultural information. It can be viewed at www.extension.umn.edu.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
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by Cliff Johnson |
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