Links and Resources
These links will take you to sites with additional information.
Tree Fruit Varieties
Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association - "The Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association shares in and benefits from the personal experience of successful fruit growing in Alaska and seeks to educate any person(s) interested in fruit growing."
Attracted 2 Apples - We just came across this website for a U-Pick near Edmonton. It has information on a few numbered varieties that we hadn't found information on elsewhere.
Domestic Fruit Development Report - This report from the Agriculture Development Fund, published in 2003 includes information on apples and sour cherries. A few of the numbered varieties we grow are mentioned here. The information on 4-15-50, which we have named "Nicky" is so positive, we suspect it might be a named variety elsewhere as well.
Dwarf Cherries - An exciting edible - this is a blog post from Art's Nursery about bush cherries. It was published in 2013 with what was new information then. Most of the information we've included on our website about comes from Growing Fruit in Northern Gardens by Sara Williams and Bob Bors, which is both more recent (2017) and also straight from the developers of these cherries, but this article does include some interesting information for those who don't have access to the book.
Growing Apples in Interior Alaska - This was a report on trials of apple trees at UAF. They grew trees both in high tunnels and outside them. In general, the trees grew more quickly and were quicker to fruit inside the high tunnels, but some varieties actually survived better outside the high tunnels. The data is from 2011 on a trial that began in 2007. I believe that the project was eventually scrapped after the high tunnels collapsed under a heavy snow load, so there isn't a follow-up report. Still, the data is helpful and gives a good sense of which are the hardier varieties, and also how to care for trees inside high tunnels.
Hardy Fruit Tree Nursery - A nursery producing trees for zone 4 and colder, located about an hour north of Montreal. There are quite a few trees here that might work well in our area, but be sure you consider growing season as well as winter hardiness when considering your tree choices.
Klondike Valley Nursery - This is linked under other orchards below, but it seemed worth listing here as well, because of their research on varieties that do well in their location near Dawson.
Maple Valley Orchards Varieties list - Maple Valley is an orchard in Northeastern Wisconsin that specializes in antique apples. Their list of scionwood contains information about a lot of interesting apples.
Plum information from the Canada Dept. of Ag in 1954 - Although this is an old document, it has some useful information about pollination and varieties.
Plum information from the University of Saskatchewan - Pollination information on plums is really confusing, and often one finds contradictory information on varieties and compatibility. This is one source of information.
Pomiferous - This is an amazing website with a lot of great information on the origin of different apples, including many that grow here in Interior Alaska.
Prairie Fruit Breeding Cooperative - an interesting document about apples bred, tested and grown in Canada in the 1950s-1970s. Many of the varieties we grow are listed, and there are some interesting tidbits of information about them.
UAF Cooperative Extension Service Publications - Including publications on crabapples and on apple trials here in the interior.
University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program. This has info on their released apple varieties and also on their cherries and honeyberries (haskaps). Click on the "fruit crops" tab to find information on lots of different varieties.
Rootstock Information
Apple Rootstocks Trial - This is a paper detailing the results of rootstock trials at the Plant Materials Center in Palmer and at other trial sites throughout the state. This information was published in 1988, when the climate of Alaska was somewhat colder than it is now. Although it is an older publication, it is one of the only controlled studies on rootstocks in Alaska.
Increasing Apple Cultivar Hardiness To -40° F - A 1994 report from Bernie Nikolai of Edmonton on his experiences and experiments. He suggests not just using hardy rootstock but also top grafting varieties onto a hardy frame tree to decrease winter kill.
Fruit Tree Pruning and Care:
Chilkat Valley Orchard Project - Funded by a USDA grant to explore tree fruit production in the Chilkat Valley region of Alaska, near Haines, this project has been gathering and sharing information. There are workshops available on their website on quite a few orchard topics. Those who are interested in growing fruit in green houses or hoop houses, or in growing in containers, might find episode 3 of their video series particularly helpful.
Growing apples in the home garden - This site from the University of Minnesota gives information on planting, pruning, fertilizing, as well as varieties and some of the pests and diseases that affect apples. Lots of excellent information here.
Information on other fruit plants
Growing Currants, Gooseberries and Jostaberries - article from the University of Idaho Extension Service - covers site selection, pruning, care - basically everything.
Uncommon Fruit - This is information from a research farm in Wisconsin and gives information about quite a few plants that have been successful in Alaska.
Other orchards in Alaska
(and one in Canada)
(and one in Canada)
(A very incomplete list, but we'll be adding to it - Underlined text should be a clickable link. )
Alaska Apple Farms - This orchard is in Hoonah, so has a VERY different climate than we do here in Fairbanks. Their information about varieties and care may be helpful for people in warmer, wetter parts of the state.
All About Apples - 950 E Fairview Loop Rd. (Mile 4.8), Wasilla, AK 99654, (907) 376-5196, dmelliott@mtaonline.net. This is a really beautiful orchard in a beautiful spot. They have a really large number of apple varieties, the trees are all well cared for, and Dan and Marian Elliot are incredibly knowledgeable. Click the link for more information.
The Apple Patch - Everything we know about this orchard is in this article from the Anchorage Daily News. We'd like to visit some time.
Clair's Cultivations - 1364 Esro Road Fairbanks, Alaska - Clair Lammers really pioneered large scale apple growing in the Fairbanks area. He sold apples at the farmer's market for many years, and bred some of the apples we grow in our orchard. His family now maintains the orchard and hosts U-Pick events every fall. Click the link for more information.
Clark’s orchard- 3200 Rabbit Creek Road, Anchorage - This is certainly one of the oldest orchards in Alaska, with lots of mature trees, primarily apples and sour and sweet cherries. Clark's orchards hosts a huge U-Pick event each fall. Click the link for more information.
Fire Apple Orchard - 4214 S. Andrea, Wasilla, AK 99654 , (907)373-6317, fireapple@mtaonline.net - We had a wonderful tour of this orchard, learned a lot and got some great ideas. We highly recommend a visit and really enjoyed meeting Dan and Nancy! You are encouraged to call before visiting.
Government Hill Common - Government Hill Commons is a community organization that works to cultivate, nurture, and enhance public spaces in an Anchorage neighborhood. They are doing some really interesting experimenting with growing things like peaches (Yes, peaches! Outdoors!) and a lot of fruit on espalier. Paul Lariviere gave us a tour and was super informative.
Homer orchardists talk about their experiences - Not sure where to put this, but this is a link to an interview with Dave Schroer and Dave Erickson of Homer about their experiences growing various apples beginning in the 1970s.
Klondike Valley Nursery - Located near Dawson, they've been experimenting with growing apples in the Boreal Forest for 30 years, collaborating with researchers at the University of Saskatchewan as well as with other growers, including Clair Lammers. Their site includes a lot of information about their research and experiences. They have plans for semi-mobile tree shelters, information about winter protection for trees, varietal information, and a lot more.
O'Brien Garden and Trees - 49240 Freda Dr, Nikiski, Alaska, (907) 398-4998. At about 6 acres, this is the largest orchard we have visited in Alaska. The orchard and gardens include several high tunnels as well as trees growing outdoors. In addition to apples, plums, pears and sweet and sour cherries, they are also growing more exotic fruit, like peaches, nectarines and apricots. O'Brien Garden and Trees hosts apple tastings several times a year and also provides fruit to farmer's markets and others. Definitely an impressive operation, and well worth seeing. Click the link for more information.
Orca Orchard - 371 Old Meridian Circle, Wasilla, AK 99654, (907)373 -6263, fdeiser@mtaonline.net. Fred and Dawn Deiser's orchard includes apples, cherries, grapes, sea buckthorn, aronia, haskap, raspberries and gogi berries. We have not visited this orchard, but they did provide us with some Red Melba scion wood!
Solitude Springs Springs Farm and Vinyard - 6515 Reconstruction Rd., Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: (907) 322-7549 wxjunkie@juno.com. Aaron Stierle has been experimenting with a wide variety of fruit and flowers in the hills above Fairbanks. Although his main interest isn't tree fruit, his enthusiasm for exploring and trying new things makes his website and blog interesting reading.
Sundog Orchard - We haven't visited this orchard and there isn't much on the website, but its founder, Kevin Irvin, served as president of the Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers. Sun-dog@alaskan.com
Books
These are some of the books that we own and refer to with some frequency.
The Apple Grower by Michael Phillips
Growing Fruit in Northern Gardens by Sara Willams and Bob Bors - information on many of the fruits we grow here in Fairbanks, by the people who developed some of the varieties.
The Holistic Orchard: Tree Fruits and Berries the Biological Way by Michael Phillips (Steve says his first book is better, but this one has some merits as well.)
They New Cider Makers Handbook by Claude Jolicoeur - this is quite comprehensive, and possibly more than casual cider makers want to read, but if you want the information, it's there.
The Pruning Book by Lee Reich - this book doesn't just cover fruit trees, but gives a good comprehensive over-view of pruning. Worth reading thoroughly once, then re-skimming frequently.