Since now is a good time to plant fruit trees, bushes or vines I thought it would be good to tell everyone about fruit that are fairly easy to grow in Georgia. We can grow just about anything in Georgia, but we can’t grow everything without having to use products to control, insects, diseases, weeds and even nuisance wildlife. Sometimes we grow the diseases and insects better than we grow the crops.
Other than being a pain in the neck to pick, blueberries are a good low maintenance option. There are some things to consider however before establishing a planting. First, they like organic matter (OM), so the addition of pine bark mulch may be necessary on sandy soils. They also like a very acidic soil. Somewhere around 4.5 is ideal for blueberries. Finally, they need irrigation, but they do not like wet feet. They should never be planted in a low spot that stays wet.
Persimmons are another good option. Japanese persimmons are larger than our native persimmons and tend to be much less tart even when unripe. Japanese persimmons like a pH of around 6.0 to 6.5, and do well with minimal irrigation and fertility. These trees can be self-pollinating, however pollination is improved when several trees are planted together.
Muscadines or scuppernongs are another southern favorite, and they are easy to maintain. Unless you just do not like to prune. The key to good production is training them to a trellis, and pruning in late winter back to individual spurs. pH of 6.5 is perfect for muscadines and they require a tablespoon of Epsom salts per vine per season. They benefit from magnesium (Mg) and Epsom salts contain Mg and S.
Finally, we have figs. The biggest issue that I see with figs is cold damage. Cold winter air is always going to settle into low spots. Any time that you plant a fruit tree, bush or vine in a low area you run the risk of: 1. getting root rot from waterlogged soils and 2. Cold injury to the bark and or flowers/fruit. Figs are truly low maintenance. The biggest consideration with figs is timely harvest so you keep the bees and wasps away. This means that figs need to be picked every day or every other day as they begin to ripen.
Just so you know, fruit like peaches, plums, nectarines, apples and pears are not low-maintenance crops. Several diseases and insects limit home garden production of these fruit. However, if you still want to try, contact me and we can talk about the steps to success. You can also go to our home garden series publications page and search for the fruit (or vegetable) you are interested in or just search the internet for UGA home garden blank.
