ISU Extension News:

Yard and Garden: Selecting Fruit Varieties

2013-05-17T14:18:44Z

AMES, Iowa — What fruit varieties will perform well in Iowa? Horticulturists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach answer questions about selecting plum, pear, cherry and peach varieties. To have additional questions answered, contact Hortline at hortline@iastate.edu or 515-294-3108.

What are some good plum varieties for Iowa?

Cold hardiness is an important factor when selecting plum varieties (cultivars) for home gardens. Japanese plums are not reliably cold hardy in Iowa. However, several European and hybrid plum cultivars can be successfully grown in the state.

European plum cultivars that perform well in Iowa include ‘Mount Royal,’ ‘Stanley’ and ‘Damson.’ 'Mount Royal’ produces small fruit with bluish black skin and greenish yellow flesh. ‘Mount Royal’ can be grown throughout Iowa. ‘Stanley’ (dark blue skin, greenish yellow flesh) and ‘Damson’ (blue skin, yellow flesh) are not reliably cold hardy in northern Iowa, but can be successfully grown in the southern two-thirds of the state.

Several hybrid plum cultivars (introduced by the University of Minnesota) possess excellent cold hardiness and can be successfully grown throughout the state. Hybrid plums include ‘Alderman’ (burgundy red skin, yellow flesh), ‘Pipestone’ (red skin, golden yellow flesh), ‘Superior’ (red skin, yellow flesh), and ‘Underwood’ (dull red skin, yellow flesh).

European plums are self-fruitful. A single tree will bear fruit. Hybrid plums are self-unfruitful. Two or more hybrid plum cultivars must be planted to ensure cross-pollination and fruit set. ‘Toka’ is an excellent pollinator for ‘Alderman,’ ‘Superior,’ ‘Underwood’ and other hybrid plums.

What are some good pear varieties for Iowa?

Pear varieties (cultivars) that perform well in Iowa include ‘Summercrisp’ (University of Minnesota introduction, large fruit, matures early August), ‘Moonglow’ (introduced by USDA, medium to large fruit, matures mid-August), ‘Bartlett’ (large fruit, matures late August, susceptible to fireblight), ‘Luscious’ (developed at South Dakota State University, medium-sized fruit, matures mid-September), ‘Patten’ (originated in Iowa, large fruit, matures mid-September) and ‘Seckel’ (sometimes called Sugar Pear, small fruit, matures mid-September).

‘Moonglow’ and ‘Bartlett’ are not reliably cold hardy in northern Iowa. They should be planted only in central and southern portions of the state. All of the other aforementioned pear cultivars can be successfully grown throughout Iowa.

Which sour (tart) cherry varieties perform well in Iowa?

‘Northstar’ and ‘Meteor’ are two of the best performing sour cherry varieties (cultivars) in Iowa. Both cultivars were introduced by the University of Minnesota and possess excellent cold hardiness. ‘Northstar’ is a dwarf tree that commonly grows 8 to 10 feet tall. Its fruit have a mahogany red skin, red flesh, and are 3/4 inch in diameter. ‘Meteor’ is a semi-dwarf tree. Trees may eventually reach a height of 10 to 14 feet. The fruit of ‘Meteor’ are slightly larger than ‘Northstar’ and have a bright red skin and yellow flesh. Another possibility is ‘Mesabi,’ a cross between a sweet and tart cherry. Its red-fleshed fruit are sweeter than ‘Northstar’ and ‘Meteor.’

Can sweet cherries be successfully grown in Iowa?

‘Gold,’ BlackGold™, and WhiteGold™ are sweet cherry varieties (cultivars) that can be successfully grown in the southern two-thirds of Iowa. ‘Gold’ has golden yellow skin. It is self-unfruitful. Another late blooming sweet cherry cultivar must be planted for pollination and fruit set. BlackGold™ and WhiteGold™ are self-fruitful, mid to late blooming cultivars from Cornell University in New York. BlackGold™ has dark red skin, while WhiteGold™ is light yellow with a reddish blush. Other possibilities for southeastern Iowa include ‘Hedelfingen’ (self-unfruitful, red fruit), ‘Kristin’ (self-unfruitful, purplish black fruit), ‘Sam’ (self-unfruitful, dark red fruit) and ‘Van’ (self-unfruitful, reddish black fruit).

Are there any peach varieties that can be successfully grown in Iowa?

Peaches are not reliably cold hardy in most parts of Iowa. It is possible to grow ‘Reliance’ (yellow flesh, freestone) and ‘Polly’ (white flesh, clingstone) in the southern one-third of Iowa.

Growing peaches in Iowa is challenging. Cold winter temperatures may destroy the flower buds on peach trees. A late frost or freeze in spring can damage or destroy the flowers. As a result, peach trees often bear few, if any, fruit. Gardeners in southern Iowa can anticipate a good crop about once every three or four years. Peaches also are short-lived in Iowa, often dying within eight to 10 years.

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Applications Now Open for 2013 Youth Culinary Challenge at Iowa State Fair

2013-05-17T14:09:47Z

Iowa 4-H is inviting youth from across the state to showcase their skills in a competition that puts the knife to the board. The fourth annual “Cook This!” 4-H Culinary Challenge is Aug. 9-10, 2013, in the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair.

Farm Poll: Farmer Philanthropy Important to Community Development

2013-05-15T08:30:04Z

Iowa’s farmers are substantially involved in philanthropy, donating their time and money to organizations, causes and charities they believe in, according to the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll. Many rural communities are beginning to depend on these philanthropic efforts as an important part of local community and economic development.

Registrations Rolling in for Lauren Christian Pork Chop Open

2013-05-13T10:31:31Z

AMES, Iowa — Golf registrations are coming in for the 2013 Lauren Christian Pork Chop Open, and Iowa State University animal science professor John Mabry reminded people of this year’s earlier date.

“The event is scheduled for Wednesday, June 26, and we hope this will allow more folks to join us,” Mabry said. “This is the day before Iowa State’s annual Iowa Swine Day in Ames, and the June temperature shouldn’t be as hot as some previous years.”

Cost of the golf tournament and golf associated activities is $85 per person ($340 per four-person team) and the registration deadline is June 12 or when the field of 32 teams is reached. The registration form is available on the Iowa Pork Industry Center website.

The 18-hole best ball tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. and includes lunch at the golf course. Following the tournament, players and others are invited to attend a reception and awards program. Winners of the Lauren Christian undergraduate and graduate scholarships for 2013 also will be honored during the program.

This annual event benefits the Lauren L. Christian Endowment, which provides financial support for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students, and continued swine and pork educational opportunities through Iowa State.

Those interested in also attending Iowa Swine Day can check out that event’s online schedule and registration information. This event’s early registration deadline is June 14.

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Farming Practices to Minimize Ill Effects on Bees and Other Pollinators

2013-05-13T11:44:01Z

Farmers being observant with seed treatments at planting and pesticide applications during the growing season could minimize ill effects on bee populations, according to Iowa State University entomologists.

Plan Flower Gardens with ISU Extension and Outreach Publication

2013-05-16T09:09:07Z

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Quality Machine of Iowa Featured in CIRAS News

2013-05-10T09:55:20Z

Quality Machine of Iowa Inc. is featured in the spring issue of CIRAS News, the newsletter of the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Center for Industrial Research and Service. QMI has been working with CIRAS since 2010 to incorporate lean manufacturing principles and to expand the company’s customer base.

Webinar Features State Revolving Fund and Water Quality

2013-05-10T09:43:28Z

AMES, Iowa — Tony Toigo and Patti Cale-Finnegan will discuss Water Resource Restoration Sponsored Projects during the Iowa Learning Farms’ webinar Wednesday, May 15, at 11:30 a.m. The webinar is part of a free series hosted by ILF through Adobe Connect. The series is on the third Wednesday of each month. A computer with Internet access is all that is needed to participate.

The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is implementing Water Resource Restoration Sponsored Projects, which will help cities, watershed organizations, landowners and others address local water quality programs. With the Sponsored Projects, a total of $15 million will be available per year for watershed protection practices such as stream buffers, wetland restoration and green infrastructure. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is providing technical assistance with the project. Tony Toigo, loan program coordinator with IDALS, along with Patti Cale-Finnegan, State Revolving Fund coordinator with the Department of Natural Resources, will present information about the program including who is eligible, what the program covers and how to apply.

To connect to the webinars, go to https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/. Toigo and Cale-Finnegan will be able to answer questions from webinar attendees via the Adobe Connect chat box. The ILF website contains links for archived webinars from previous months at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/Webinars/. The webinar archive also will be available in a podcast through iTunes.

Iowa Learning Farms is a partnership of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (USEPA section 319); in cooperation with Conservation Districts of Iowa, the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Iowa Water Center.

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Contacts
Tony Toigo, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, 515-281-6148
Patti Cale-Finnegan, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-725-0498

Yard and Garden: Rhubarb

2013-05-10T09:59:16Z

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Geospatial Technology Program Offers ArcGIS 10.1 Courses

2013-05-08T14:59:17Z

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Geospatial Technology Program is offering two geographic information systems short courses this summer on June 13-14 and Aug. 22-23.