Ep. 240 Beyond the usual: Exploring some lesser‑known fruits for the garden | #GoodGrowing

Curious about adding something a little different to your backyard orchard? On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we dive into the flavorful world of lesser-known fruits you can grow right here in Illinois. From early‑ripening honeyberries and fall-bearing primocane blackberries to compact bush cherries and Illinois-born PRI apples, we explore unique fruit crops that offer exciting alternatives to the usual. 

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XAVtrBFKB40 

Skip to what you want to know:  

  01:30 – Welcome, Grant McCarty! Illinois Beginning Orchard Academy.

  03:22 – Some not-so-successful crops for Grant in northern Illinois. 

  07:35 – Where in Illinois can we reliably grow/harvest peaches?

  09:53 – Honeyberries. How to grow and what do they taste like? 

  14:52 – Are honeyberries problematic like many other honeysuckles? 

  17:32 – Primocane fruiting blackberries.

  21:38 – Is the care of primocane blooming blackberries different than other blackberries?

  23:45 – Is there a link to Illini Hardy blackberry?

  27:20 – Bush cherries. How are they different than cherry trees?

  33:57 – Apples. What are PRI apples?

  38:51 – High-density apples

  44:31 – Any PRI resources out there?

  48:10 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

More information:

Overview of Honeyberry from University of Minnesota

Haskap/Honeyberry, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Haskap/Honeyberry-University of Saskatchewan Resources

The PRI Apple Breeding Program

Contact us! 

Chris Enroth: [email protected]

Ken Johnson: [email protected]

Grant McCarty: [email protected]

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk

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