responding to local question about fruit tree advice
I'm only in my second year of most of my trees; I also deal with heavy deer and Japanese beetle pressure. Here's some things I've learned so far, starting with my most recommended trees:
Pawpaws, pomegranates, and pineapple guavas are completely pest-free. I give them no protection, and the deer haven't touched them so far, and I know they've been right next to them based on what's eaten around them. I think I'm pushing the hardiness zone on the guavas but they got through this past winter just fine. All haven't put on what I would consider impressive growth, but the soil they were put in wasn't great to begin with and I never water them (don't be like me).
Figs I would also consider pest free although deer will taste-test them from time to time, so I would protect them the first year or two while small and don't have many leaves to spare; a deer bit the central bud off one of mine that was poised to grow straight up, so that has affected the shape of the tree as it has had to shoot up a leader from one of the side buds. Otherwise figs are vigorous and the only tree that has produced for me so far, easy to propagate from cuttings, but will also require heavy pruning every year.
Asian persimmons are immune to deer, but the Japanese beetles do go after them, which is a shame because they otherwise make nice landscaping trees. If I were vigilant about collecting the beetles off the trees, I might be able to preserve their appearance.
Peach trees have been very vigorous and appear immune to Japanese beetles; deer will browse heavily, but have only shown interest in the bottom three feet, so they need protection the first couple years. I'm not sure I would recommend them yet until I start getting some harvests and see if the fruit itself has any pest issues. I do have one peach forming this year.
Apples and plums are heavily impacted by the Japanese beetles and deer love them. My oldest trees are a couple of standard European pears from Stark Bros. that have been immune to Japanese beetles but deer love to browse them and have yet to flower; they also require some training with stakes and string in order to spread their branches out. I am interested in trying asian pears but I imagine they will also need deer protection.
I haven't attempted cherries for the reason someone already mentioned.
I would also suggest attempting a native or native-cross mulberry. I am interested in trying a Silk Hope mulberry, though they get quite big; I would imagine they would need early deer protection until they've grown tall enough. Right now I have a dwarf everbearing that I got from Renfrow's, but the deer decimate it when they get a chance. I protected it well last year, but it grew straight up like a stick. I pruned it heavily to try to force an open-vase shape, but then the late freeze we got this past March set it back significantly, and since then the deer have found it in what can best be described as a fit of rapture. I'm not sure its origin, but if I had to guess it's not a native-cross, and I think natives are more tolerable of our late freezes.
Pawpaws, pomegranates, and pineapple guavas are completely pest-free. I give them no protection, and the deer haven't touched them so far, and I know they've been right next to them based on what's eaten around them. I think I'm pushing the hardiness zone on the guavas but they got through this past winter just fine. All haven't put on what I would consider impressive growth, but the soil they were put in wasn't great to begin with and I never water them (don't be like me).
Figs I would also consider pest free although deer will taste-test them from time to time, so I would protect them the first year or two while small and don't have many leaves to spare; a deer bit the central bud off one of mine that was poised to grow straight up, so that has affected the shape of the tree as it has had to shoot up a leader from one of the side buds. Otherwise figs are vigorous and the only tree that has produced for me so far, easy to propagate from cuttings, but will also require heavy pruning every year.
Asian persimmons are immune to deer, but the Japanese beetles do go after them, which is a shame because they otherwise make nice landscaping trees. If I were vigilant about collecting the beetles off the trees, I might be able to preserve their appearance.
Peach trees have been very vigorous and appear immune to Japanese beetles; deer will browse heavily, but have only shown interest in the bottom three feet, so they need protection the first couple years. I'm not sure I would recommend them yet until I start getting some harvests and see if the fruit itself has any pest issues. I do have one peach forming this year.
Apples and plums are heavily impacted by the Japanese beetles and deer love them. My oldest trees are a couple of standard European pears from Stark Bros. that have been immune to Japanese beetles but deer love to browse them and have yet to flower; they also require some training with stakes and string in order to spread their branches out. I am interested in trying asian pears but I imagine they will also need deer protection.
I haven't attempted cherries for the reason someone already mentioned.
I would also suggest attempting a native or native-cross mulberry. I am interested in trying a Silk Hope mulberry, though they get quite big; I would imagine they would need early deer protection until they've grown tall enough. Right now I have a dwarf everbearing that I got from Renfrow's, but the deer decimate it when they get a chance. I protected it well last year, but it grew straight up like a stick. I pruned it heavily to try to force an open-vase shape, but then the late freeze we got this past March set it back significantly, and since then the deer have found it in what can best be described as a fit of rapture. I'm not sure its origin, but if I had to guess it's not a native-cross, and I think natives are more tolerable of our late freezes.