Selecting Stone Fruit Crops and Varieties - Growing Organic Orchard Fruits - page 251

CHAPTER 6
Selecting Stone Fruit Crops and Varieties
CHAPTER CONTENTS
Apricot ➔
Cherry ➔
Peach ➔
Nectarine ➔
Plum ➔
We have already discussed the importance of matching crops to your cli-
mate and location. This step is especially important for stone fruits. With a
few exceptions, stone fruits tend to be less cold-hardy than apples and
pears, are more susceptible to spring frosts, and are less tolerant of poor
drainage. Stone fruits are also susceptible to many pests and diseases. Not-
withstanding, they remain popular choices for organic orchardists in many
areas of North America.
As we discussed in chapter 5 ➔ , the vast majority of fruit trees are propag-
ated vegetatively by budding or grafting desirable varieties onto suitable
rootstocks (see page 120 ➔ ).