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Plant species to cultivate in northern climates.

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bluestone

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 9, 2014
38
0
0
Norway, Europe
As the title says Im looking for Plant species to cultivate in northern climates that are suitable for eating and mead production.
Can anybody list some?
Thanks bluestone:)
 

WVMJack

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 12, 2013
1,219
10
0
Karnage, WV
www.wvmjack.com
Like how north? Apples are good for eating, pollen and honey and making a cyser. Blackberries and raspberries, blueberries, you have to plant a lot to make honey, a few trees in your back yard isnt going to give you an excees they can make honey from. WVMJ
 

bluestone

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 9, 2014
38
0
0
Norway, Europe
Sorry. I wasn't thinking about plants for honey production(Im not there yet), but plants for ingredients in melomels etc.
Im in scandinavia(Northern europe). I think I can grow about the same species as Canada.

What should be some really good choices of species to plant(mostly trees and big bushes, but also smaller if good). For example:
sour cherry (Prunus cerasus), choke cherry(Prunus virginiana), elderberry(Sambucus nigra), certain apples, Aronia melanocarpa, red currant(Ribes rubrum), black currant, ?...?
 

WVMJack

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 12, 2013
1,219
10
0
Karnage, WV
www.wvmjack.com
Elders, black and red currants, gooseberries, you guys have more berries for the cold than we do in the USA, check out raintree nursery, they collect plants from all over the hemisphere. Mostly all your berries will make a good melomel, its mostly about balancing the acids with the honey. WVMJ
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,443
53
48
Ottawa, ON
Oh, I totally second the currants, red and black :) And elderberries too!

In southern Ontario we can grow peaches, moving north to where I am, apples, crabapples and pears do pretty well, I can't remember where cherries will grow, and up north in Sudbury, raspberries and blueberries and choke cherries grow just fine.

I'd stay away from gooseberries if you can't find a non-spiny version, their thorns are downright vicious.
 

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
I planted a chokeberry (aronia) last year and it's already producing a decent crop of berries. Astringent but if you have a food mill or other means of separating the skins & seeds, the pulp is quite delicious and has a great color. Last year we mixed the aronia & elderberry fruit and made a syrup (with added sugar)--super delicious.

Cherries grow well here (upstate NY, USDA Zone 5), and of course apples. The cherries seem to be making fruit a lot sooner than the apples, in case you're in a hurry. 3rd year now and I got a few handfuls of cherries off the sweet trees, but just a couple sour cherries. Only crabs so far on the apple side, but probably next year I can expect some fruit.

I've also got a saskatoon (serviceberry), but no fruit yet. Supposed to be a pretty productive shrub though, and similar flavor to blueberries.
 

brentG

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 20, 2014
200
2
0
I've also got a saskatoon (serviceberry), but no fruit yet. Supposed to be a pretty productive shrub though, and similar flavor to blueberries.

Saskatoon is the first thing that came to mind for me. I grew up in Manitoba and we had them everywhere. What a fantastic berry.
 
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