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Apples
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| Barlett Pear |
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| Asian Pears |
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Mulberries
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| Grapes |
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| hazelnuts |
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making strawberry jam
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After many struggles with growing fruit (clay hardpan dirt, too much rain, not enough rain, several late frosts after too early springs, pests, etc) we are finally seeing some rewards - but we still have our challenges this year. This season we are finally getting a number of pears and apples. Our cherries were looking good this spring, until we had a ton of rain just as they were getting ripe, so they all split on us. Blueberries did not have enough rain while they were ripening, so many shriveled or are very tart. Our grapes are doing mixed, many looked great, some are shriveling, others look like they may make it. Mulberries are doing very well, if I can beat the birds to them that is. We are getting a lot of apples this year as well, although they are small, those we already have harvested seem to be sweet. Also this season we are getting our first hazelnuts, and harvested a bunch of currants (white and black). Our strawberries did great early on, but our everbearers didn't like the drier and hotter than normal weather we had much of July. Our Elderberries are not doing well this year, although last year we had a bumper crop. In talking with others, they have also had a mixed success this year both with fruit and garden veggies. Some explain how they narrow down what grows best, others plant a variety as they've found (as have we) that some years some things do great and others don't and other years it is the reverse. As
climate change effects become more dramatic here in the Northeast, I expect this will become even more complicated.
