9 Comments
User's avatar
INTJ Architect's avatar

I assume you are familiar with lowtechmagazine? It's one of my favorite sites (they haven't posted anything in quite some time, hope everything is ok).

https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/04/fruit-trenches-cultivating-subtropical-plants-in-freezing-temperatures.html

Part of the article above talks about 'progressive cold-hardening'.

"The method consists of planting a seed of a highly valued tree a bit further north of its original location, and then waiting for it to give seeds. Those seeds are then planted a bit further north, and with the process repeated further, slowly but steadily". "The method, developed following the observation that young plants started from seed adapt to the conditions of the new environment, also proved successful for citrus fruits"

Expand full comment
William Hunter Duncan's avatar

Nice link. Thank you. I kept a "clementine" once for three winters. The fruit was more the size of a large kumquat, and I didn't fertilize much so the fruit tasted more like lime, but is was crazy productive, it would flower three times a year and had fruit on it 8 months of the year. It wasn't any bigger than a small shrub but would produce 100+ fruits. Kept it inside in winter and outside in the summer. I tried to transplant it to another pot but it died.

I also grew apricot and peaches in my city lot. The peaches were amazing and incredibly productive. The apricot did great until we had a really cold winter with something like 70 days below 0F, and it never fruited successfully again. Best apricots I ever ate though. The 80 where I am moving is considerably colder. Trenching citrus would be a possibility though.

Expand full comment
Mrs S's avatar

Thanks for a fascinating post. Your grapes look delicious, but some woman coming and just stealing them is outrageous. That's a great picture of your purple feet - you look like a French peasant.

We struggle to grow grapes here in the north of England, but we have one young vine on a south-facing wall that might produce enough to do something with next year.

Don't worry about scaring me. I have been reading John Michael Greer and Gail Tverberg for years, so i know our trajectory.

The key is to enjoy what we have whilst we have it, i think. Every week that i am able to afford meat at the shop to feed my kids, i am grateful.

Expand full comment
William Hunter Duncan's avatar

Thank you and you are welcome. An educated American peasant in spirit. Greer has inspired me to think about living and articulating a new vision of America. Plenty of work in that regard. I regularly remind myself to appreciate coffee especially. Greetings from America to northern England.

Expand full comment
INTJ Architect's avatar

Lol, yes, appreciate the coffee!

Expand full comment
Shield Maiden's avatar

Love the his post! Brought back memories of when I made Muscadine wine many years ago. Now I love to make sauerkraut. Need to make more soon.

Expand full comment
Original Island Girl's avatar

Great grapes !

Expand full comment
Random Acts of Karma's avatar

Pretty pictures and such a fun project! Our native grapes are muscadines (and scuppernongs) (which are a type of muscadine, but so much more fun to say). My father grows them. There are some wineries that use them, though we never harvested enough for that. They are delicious straight of the vine, though.

I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, too. Our fun was to go visit the new garden store that opened up in town. :-)

Expand full comment
William Hunter Duncan's avatar

Thanks! New garden store? That is great news. More demand. Less support for corporate.

Expand full comment