Fruit Trees in Zone 7

I live in zone 7 and since I am from CA we always had plenty of fruit trees when I lived there. What kind of fruit trees can be grown in zone 7?

Apples (Malus)

The home gardener has a good choice of varieties that are hardy in zone 7. Popular varieties of apples include Early McIntosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Wealthy, Lodi, Jonathan and Cortland, just to mention a very few of the many cultivars available. Some varieties will perform better than others, depending in which part of zone 7 you are located. Crab apples can also be grown successfully in zone 7. Apricots are a good choice for the home gardener. Early Golden, Moorpark, Nugget, Tilton, Goldcot and Wilson Delicious are a few of the many varieties commonly grown. If you love the taste of sweet cherries, a few popular varieties include Bing, Black Tatarian, Napoleon, Vista, Windsor and Kansas Sweet. Popular sour cherries include Montmorency, North Star, Meteor, Early Richmond and Montmammoth.

A popular variety of fig that does well in this zone is Lattarula, also known as White Italian. There are many varieties of peaches to choose from including Redskin, Sunhaven, Reliance, Harbelle and Sunapee, among many others. Calvalier, Freedom, and Red Chief are varieties of nectarines that can be grown successfully in zone 7.

There is a large selection of pears to choose from including the famous yellow Bartlett, as well as Max-Red Bartlett, Golden Russet, Starking Delicious, Anjou, Kieffer and Moonglow, to mention a few. A few cultivars of the native persimmon include Killen, Early Golden and Garrettson. As for the Kaki species of persimmon, Eureka, Chocolate, Hachiya and Fuyu are a few examples.

Another easy to grow and hardy fruit is the plum. The available cultivars are endless. A few cultivars of the Japanese plum include Red Heart, Shiro, Santa Rosa and Ozark Premier. Burbank, Grand Prize, Green Gage and Blufre prune are cultivars of the European plum. Hybrid plums include Tecumseh, Superior, Underwood, Kaga and many others.

For the small garden, small fruits or berries can be grown in zone 7. Some of these include Darrow and Eldorado blackberries; Pixwell and Poorman gooseberries; grapes, including Brighton, Buffalo, Ontario, Niagara, Catawba, Concord and Thompson Seedless, to mention only a few. Raspberry cultivars include Heritage, Latham, Durham, Hilton, Fall Red, Golden West, Black Hawk, Allen and Durham, for examples. The raspberries are either red, yellow or black, depending on the cultivar. As for strawberries, choose from those varieties that do well in your local area.

It is wise to contact your local Horticultural Agency before ordering or buying any fruit tree. They can recommend varieties or cultivars that are best suited for your local growing conditions. For example, regions with dry air or regions with humid air can have great influences on diseases that are troublesome to fruit trees. Your local horticultural agent can recommend trees that are resistant to such diseases in your area, for example.

Calla Lily Grows With No Flowers

I live in zone 7 and my brother gave me a rhizome from a white calla lily. It has been in the ground for 4 years. It always produces leaves every spring however no flower. It is in a part shade/part sunny area and the soil is moist. Help! Do I need to transplant is somewhere else in the backyard?

Calla lilies Zantedeschi aethiopica

There is the possibility that the plant is not receiving enough sunlight. Calla lilies only need partial shade during the hottest part of the day. If a flowering plant does not receive adequate light, it will only produce foliage and abort flowering.

Too much nitrogen fertilizer in the soil will produce green leaves at the expense of flowers. All bulbous and rhizomatous plants should have either bonemeal or a fertilizer with a higher percentage of phosphorus added to the soil in which they are growing. 5-10-5 is a good chemical fertilizer for these plants. They are hungry plants and should be given a dusting of 5-10- 5 once a month while they are actively growing.

Of course, the calla lily must always have a constant supply of moisture. Zantedeschia aethiopica, for example, will thrive in a muck soil covered by water. On a final note, the calla lily will not do well if the night temperature drops below 50°F.

Cut Back Creeping Phlox

I have several Creeping Phlox plants that are 3-4 years old. They are spreading nicely, but the inner & under stems/growth seem dead & brown, while the outer edges and top grow green and bloom nicely. Should I be cutting the phlox back each winter or spring to discourage this "dead" look? Thanks!

Creeping Phlox Phlox stolonifera

It is best to cut any dead stems (be sure they are dead) off the plant at any time of the year. Shear or cut all the stems back by 1/3 or 1/2 after the plants have completed flowering every year. This will promote lush new growth and enhance the vigor of the plants. This also prevents the top growth from shading the lower growth which eventually dies from lack of sunlight. If you are leery about cutting the plants back, experiment the first year by only cutting a few plants half way back. You can then tell by observation if this treatment works well for phlox in your area.

Every few years you may have to dig up a few plants or rooted stems here and there to keep the patch from becoming over-crowded. This is a good way to increase the size of your bed or give a few plants away to friends. Where the plants are too thick, a few stems may also be removed by pruning them close to the ground.

Calathea Growing Conditions

I would like to know if I could grow the 'Blue Ice' Calathea burlemarxii in Houston, TX, given the proper soil, light and water conditions. We sometimes get a freeze on the southern part of town, but not often.

Calathea burlemarxii

Calathea is a tropical plant, so any temperature under 55°F or even 60°F for this plant could do it harm. Even at temperatures 10° above freezing, tropical plants can suffer from the 'Chilling Effect' which causes plant cell damage. Neither will the plant tolerate alot of dry, windy conditions. A few days of this and the plant would look ragged and worn. Tropical plants grow naturally in a very warm, humid environment. Calathea's also suffer from sudden fluctuations in temperatures such as a very warm day followed by a sudden cooling trend. If you wish to try growing it outside in the summer, it does best in light shade, not full sun.

The safest spot for this beautiful foliage plant is inside the home.

Piggyback Plant Retailer

I was wondering where I could buy a piggyback plant. I have found none in my area.. Also, I have tried finding a Donkey's tail plant everywhere. I live in Manhattan where you won't find a Lowe's or average garden shops, so I figured I could buy one online. Still can't find them anywhere. Is there a website you know of where I could purchase a Donkey's tail? Many thanks in advance.

Tolmiea menziesii

The 'Golden Piggyback Plant' (Tolmiea maniesii aurea) and The Donkey's Tail (Sedum morganianum) are available at this address:

Merry Gardens
122 Mechanic St.
Camden, Me. 04843
Phone: 207-236-9064

Merry Gardens handles many other houseplants as well.