Best Fruit Crops for Mississippi Farmers Markets

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Ruth Montgomery
5 years ago
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1 Best Fruit Crops for Mississippi Farmers Markets Eric T. Stafne Associate Extension/Research Professor Mississippi State University Poplarville, MS

2 Latest Hardiness Zone Map

3 The market 5 Top Tips to Know Growing conditions Cost of production The cultivars of each desired species Where to get help

4 The Market Where will the fruit be sold? To whom? How much can be sold and for how much? Are there gaps that can be filled?

5 Growing Conditions Site selection Soil characteristics Light requirement Sun exposure Land elevation and air movement Pests

6 Soil Characteristics Ideal soil is well-drained with adequate waterholding capacity. Sandy loams are best. Poor soil is poorly drained (internally or externally), and ph is not correct for the crop.

7 Light Requirements Full sun is ideal. Morning sun is preferable to afternoon sun.

8 Sun Exposure It is a few degrees colder on the north side of a hill than on the south. Fruit crops bloom earlier in the spring with southern exposure. Northern exposure may cause winter damage to fruit crops.

9 Elevation Low elevations More prone to frost Less air movement Poorer water and air drainage More prone to disease

10 Pests Insects Diseases Weeds Wildlife Abiotic

11 Cost of Production What does it cost to: Prepare the site? Plant the crop? Manage the crop during the season? Harvest? Storage (if necessary)? Maintain after the season? Maintain prior to the season? How hard and how much do I want to work?

12 Management Practices Fertilize Train Prune Irrigate Harvest

13 Cultivar Selection Adaptability to your area - very important Disease resistance Self-pollination versus cross-pollination Desired harvest date Taste, sweetness, size, texture, etc. Chilling requirement

14 Care and Maintenance Easy* o Blackberries, blueberries, figs Moderate o Muscadines, strawberries, pears Difficult o Peaches, apples, bunch grapes

15 Blackberries

16 Blackberries Blackberries are adapted to various soils Plant in hedgerows with 3 to 5 feet between plants and 10 feet between rows Use some type of support if desired

17 Blackberries Canes live 2 years and produce fruit the second year Remove only the fruiting canes after harvest Most common pests: Rosette (double blossom), anthracnose, strawberry weevils, cane borers, SWD

18 Cultivars to consider: Thorny: o Chickasaw, Kiowa Thornless: Blackberries o Apache, Osage, Natchez, Navaho, Ouachita o Triple Crown (semi-trailing) o PrimeArk Freedom???

19 Blueberries

20 Blueberries Soil ph should be 4.5 to 5.5 Space 4 to 6 feet apart Mulching is highly recommended

Shear the bush immediately after harvest and before August 1.

21 Blueberries Requires two varieties in the same category for crosspollination (Rabbiteye). Shear the bush immediately after harvest and before August 1. Remove old, damaged wood after harvest or during the dormant season. Most common pests: Birds, blueberry gall midges, mummy berry, SWD

22 Cultivars to consider: Rabbiteye Blueberries o Austin, Brightwell, Climax, Premier, Tifblue, Powderblue, Alapaha, Prince, Titan? Southern Highbush o Star, Emerald, Misty, O Neal, Jewel, Jubilee, Pearl

23 Figs

24 Fig Culture Some annual pruning is needed. Establish four to five scaffold branches, and open the center. Trees managed by pruning vigorous growth produce a later crop. Non-vigorous growth results in an earlier and shorter crop. Growth of fewer than 8 to 10 inches is undesirable.

25 Figs Space 10 to 15 feet apart. Prune to bush form. Plant in an area that is protected from cold. Most common pests: Birds, leaf rust, sap beetles

26 Fig Cultivars Recommended cultivars: Celeste, Brown Turkey, Black Spanish, Green Ishia, LSU Purple, Alma

27 Muscadines and Bunch Grapes

28 Muscadines and Bunch Grapes Muscadines are adapted to various soils Bunch grapes like well-drained soils, slightly acidic ph Space muscadines feet apart (depends on variety vigor, management, etc.) Space bunch grapes 6-10 feet apart Both types require trellising

growth to two to three buds Most common pests: Grape root

29 Muscadines and Bunch Grapes Train vines to trellises in the first year After the first year, prune the current year s growth to two to three buds Most common pests: Grape root borer, berry and bunch rots, bees and wasps during harvest, PM, DM

30 Grape Pruning

31 Muscadines and Bunch Grapes Cultivars to consider: o Black Beauty, Carlos, Noble, Supreme, Eudora, Black Fry, Dixie Red, Golden Isles, Late Fry, Magnolia, Regale, Sterling Bunch Grapes Cultivars to consider (need to think about PD): o Fredonia, Niagara, Norton, Victoria Red?, Villard blanc, Blanc du bois, Lake Emerald, Favorite

32 Strawberries

33 Strawberries Strawberries are planted in 30-inch-wide raised beds Space beds 4 to 5 feet apart Space plants 12 to 15 inches in two staggered rows 12 inches apart

34 Growing systems Strawberries o Annual production on black plastic: plant in fall, harvest in spring o Matted row: rejuvenate beds by allowing daughter plants to grow Most common pests o Slugs, birds, deer, Botrytis (gray mold), anthracnose

35 Bed Types

36 Proven Southern Strawberry Chandler Cultivars Sweet Charlie Camarosa

37 Other Strawberry Cultivars to Consider o Cardinal o Earliglow o Ventana o Strawberry Festival o Strawberry Radiance o Ovation o Oso Grande o Gaviota

38 Apples and pears

39 Apples and pears Require two varieties for cross-pollination Trained to modified central leader Most common pests o Fire blight o Cedar apple rust o Summer rot o Aphids o Scale

42 Recommended Apple and Pear Cultivars Apples Red Chief, Early Red One, Cumberland Spur Smoothie, Stark Golden Delicious, Firm Gold, Ozark Gold Arkansas Black-spur type, Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, Royal Gala, Jonagold Pears o Hard: Kieffer, Orient, Baldwin o Soft: Ayers, Moonglow, Maxine, Magness, LeConte

43 Peaches

44 Peaches Space plants 15 to 20 feet apart, and allow 20 feet between rows. Rootstock Guardian, Nemaguard, Halford Prune plants to open center. Most common pests: Brown rot, scab, scale, stink bugs, plum curculio, peach tree borer, root rots

45 Recommended Peach Cultivars Early varieties are clingstone; later varieties are freestone. Coastal (350 to 500 chill hours) Flordadawn, Flordacrest, Flordaking, White Robin, Gulfprince South (500 to 850 chill hours) Queencrest, Camden, Springprince, Sunbrite, Junegold, Rubyprince, Surecrop, Garnet Beauty, Sureprince, GaLa, Flavorcrest, Redhaven, Harvester, Fireprince, Bounty, Loring, Ruston Red, Cresthaven, Dixieland, Redskin, Jefferson, O Henry, Flameprince, Parade, Autumnprince many more

46 Helpful Resources Mississippi Fruit and Nut Blog ( My (best option) My phone number:

2019 Annual 4-H Plant Sale

NAME ADDRESS EMAIL PHONE 2019 Annual 4-H Plant Sale Fruit Variety Cost Number Ordered Apple Arkansas Black $ 16.00 Horse Apple $ 16.00 Mutzu $ 16.00 Pink Lady $ 16.00 Red Delicious $ 16.00 Stamen-Winesap