Growing Guides

We love apples, and I’m sure you do too (or else you probably wouldn’t be on this page)! They are probably the first fruit tree everyone thinks about planting in their yard. Unfortunately, apples are not so easy to grow in our area, especially without any sprays. And since we don’t use any sprays on our fruit, we have found them very challenging. They suffer from cedar apple rust, fire blight, scab, wooly aphids, plum curculio, apple codling moth, and what seems like a never-ending list of pests and diseases.

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All hope is not lost, though! Because here at Hundred Fruit Farm we have been trialing disease-resistant apple cultivars for their performance in no-spray conditions, and these are the only apples we will graft and sell to customers. So for those who are brave enough to try growing apples in our area, we will help hook you up with the cultivars that will give you the best chance of success!

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All our apples are grafted onto semi-dwarf rootstock, which means you can expect the trees to reach about 12-18 feet in height once mature. Apples are not at all resistant to deer, in fact they are among their favorite things to eat! So make sure you protect your apple trees from deer with either cages, tree tubes, or a deer fence. Once the trees get above 5 ft tall, they are relatively safe from deer browse, but young trunks can still be damaged in the fall by buck rub, so be careful of that as well!

Apples need well-drained soil (don’t even think about planting them in a wet spot) and full sun. Give them lots of sun and airflow and this will go a long way to preventing disease and problems. Most apples need another cultivar for pollination (though crabapples will pollinate them as well). Any cultivars that are self-fruitful will be labeled as such.

Aronias (Aronia melanocarpa or Sorbaronia mitschurinii) are sometimes called chokeberries, because when under ripe they are extremely astringent (like unripe persimmons). But we think this name doesn’t do aronias justice, because when fully ripe, (although they retain some of the astringency) they become quite sweet with a rich, complex flavor most comparable to acai berries. But unlike acai berries, they are native to our area and actually have more antioxidants than acai, blueberries, elderberries, and most other “superfoods”. Although some people enjoy them fresh, they are probably at their best when frozen or cooked, which eliminates most of the astringency. They can be used for a wide variety of different dishes – pies, jams, jellies, juices, sauces, etc. Our favorite way to use them is in a frozen smoothie, blended with yogurt and other berries. Mad Princes Brewing in Buckingham even makes a killer sour beer with them!

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Aronias will grow in an extremely wide range of soil conditions and can be found in the wild growing in extreme areas like exposed glades and in wet ditches. They tolerate wet soil better than almost any other berry, yet despite this, they are also fairly drought tolerant once they get established. They also have no significant diseases or pests to worry about and are even quite deer resistant. Talk about a bulletproof plant! Their flowers are also highly attractive to native pollinators and birds will make great use of any berries you don’t harvest for yourself, as the dried berries will hang on the shrubs all through winter. So there are countless reasons to grow these plants!

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Aronias grow anywhere from 3-8 ft tall depending on the cultivar and growing conditions. Space plants 4-6 ft apart. Aronia leaves will turn a bright red color in the fall and look great as an edible ornamental hedge. Aronias are self-fertile but will produce more fruit with another cultivar around.

Who doesn’t love a good blueberry? No, seriously, does such a person even exist? Blueberries hardly need any introduction, but they are a berry rich in flavor and antioxidants and native to our region wherever naturally-occuring highly acidic soil is found. Although there are many species of blueberries out there (and blueberry relatives and look-alikes like huckleberries), the mainstay of blueberry production in our region is the Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). Most cultivars get anywhere from 4 to 6 ft tall, but wild highbush blueberries can reach as tall as 15 ft.

Blueberries do best in full sun and absolutely love rich soil with loads of organic matter and moist but well-drained soil. But the one thing blueberries absolutely must have is a soil pH of 4.0 to 5.5, which means they need very acidic soil. Around our area, soils are more typically around 6.5 in pH, but the best way to know for sure is to do a soil test and send it into the Penn State Soil Lab or a similar university soil testing service like Rutgers, UMass, etc. It’s easy and cheap to do, and it will tell you exactly what your soil pH is. If your soil is above 5.5 like the vast majority of us, you will need to amend the soil with elemental sulfur in order to get the soil pH where it needs to be. Elemental sulfur is just pure, naturally-occurring sulfur, so it’s safe and approved for organic use. Application rates will be found on the back of most bags, but you can also use a soil acidifier calculator to figure out how much you need to add. I can pretty much guarantee that if your soil is not below 5.5 pH and you DON’T add sulfur, your blueberries will never thrive and never produce large amounts of berries, so don’t skip this step!

One other thing you will want to watch out for is the dreaded spotted wing drosophila (SWD), a fruit fly that lays eggs in soft berries like blueberries. The only way to deal with this pest organically is to only plant early or early-mid season cultivars that produce their fruit before the SWD populations are extremely high later in the season. For this reason, we only carry early blueberry cultivars in our nursery and we don’t recommend any late season blueberries for our area. Blueberries are not self-fertile, so make sure you get at least two cultivars for pollination.

We’re crazy about currants and gooseberries here at Hundred Fruit Farm! We were first introduced to these berries while living in Sweden, where almost every yard had a currant bush or two. Being resistant to deer and having very little pest problems, they thrive equally well here as they did in Sweden. Red, white, and pink currants are all the same species (Ribes rubrum) and have the same growth habits, growing to about 3-5 ft tall and wide. Black currants (Ribes nigrum) are a separate species, growing slightly taller at 3-6 ft tall. Red/white currants are better for fresh eating, but black currants have a more complex flavor. Gooseberries are similar to currants, but the plants have thorns and produce much larger berries, with a more grape-like flavor and texture. All currants and gooseberries are excellent for juices, pies, jams, jellies, drinks, etc.

All currants and gooseberries are self-fertile, but they are so good it’s hard to limit yourself to just one plant! Currants and gooseberries love partial shade to full sun. They seem to thrive best in moist, rich garden soil with a tiny bit of shade, but we also have mulched rows of currants doing very well on our farm out in 100% full sun. They enjoy moist soil but like most berries won’t tolerate consistently wet conditions. They are quite deer resistant, as they are among the last plants deer will choose to eat, but it’s a good idea to protect very young and small plants until they can establish themselves. Once established, deer should never be a problem for most people.

We carry many cultivars of currants and gooseberries here at HFF, and each year we add more to our collection! In 2024, we should have some new black currant, red/white currant, and gooseberry cultivars in addition to the ones listed below.

Living right near the New Jersey border, we think it’s important to mention that black currants are only allowed to be grown in New Jersey with a permit because of the perceived risk of spreading white pine blister rust to white pines. In our opinion, this risk is very minimal because most modern black currant cultivars (including the ones we grow) are very resistant to this disease. And for this reason, Pennsylvania has decided not to impose any restrictions on growing currants. Red/white currants and gooseberries are allowed (without a permit) almost everywhere in New Jersey except for certain townships in the extreme northern portion of NJ (see map below).

If you live in a state other than PA/NJ, you may want to check the laws and restrictons on growing currants where you live.

An incredible native berry packed full of antioxidants and widely used as a health tonic, elderberries are a must have for any yard or garden! Elderberries attract a bonanza of pollinators on their umbrella-shaped flowers (especially lightning bugs) and then produce copious amounts of berries around August. Wild elderberries tend to have smaller clusters and smaller individual berries and are highly favored by many species of birds. We also carry many cultivars which produce much larger clusters of juicy berries. These berries are not eaten raw, but are cooked and made into delicious wine, jellies, jams, syrups, tonics, and more! Flowers are also used to make teas and drinks.

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Elderberries enjoy moisture and can be found growing wild in our area next to streams and ditches (but not in them). They can tolerate soil that occasionally gets wet, but they don’t want “wet feet” all the time. They enjoy full sun and will fruit better in those conditions but can also tolerate some shade. Deer love to browse on young elderberry plants, but once established, elderberries are extremely resistant to deer, quickly growing above the browsing height of deer.

Plants will grow about 6-12′ tall and about 10′ wide depending on the conditions, but tend to grow on the taller side in our climate. They can be spaced as close as 4′ apart for production or for a hedge. They have no major pests or diseases to worry about, they are the perfect no spray berry plant for our area.

One of the hardest things about growing plants of any kind is dealing with weeds. Nature abhors a vacuum, so whenever bare soil exists, plants are going to start growing. Usually these plants are going to be plants we don’t want – in other words, weeds! But the best way to prevent weeds from taking over your landscaped beds and berry bushes is to occupy that space with a plant we do want – and groundcovers are plants which do this extremely well!

Typically in landscaping, many non-native plants are used as groundcovers, and while they might get the job done, here at Hundred Fruit Farm we are a big believes in multiple functions. So in our nursery we only sell groundcovers that also achieve some other function – an edible or medicinal yield, or supporting native pollinators and wildlife (which is what native plants do). So below we will list and describe the various groundcovers we sell in our nursery and what their benefits and uses are. 

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Hardy Kiwis (Actinidia) are fruiting vines closely related to fuzzy kiwis, but tolerate a much colder climate than than their subtropical cousins. Smooth-skinned and the size of a grape, they are also known as kiwi berries. The taste of hardy kiwis is similar to fuzzy kiwis, but with more sweetness and less acidity. Almost everyone who tastes them loves them! 

Hardy kiwis tolerate a wide range of soil types but will not tolerate wet soil. They prefer moist, well-drained soil. Only female vines produce fruit, but one male vine is needed to pollinate about every 5-8 female vines. Only the cultivar ‘Issai’ is self-fertile and will produce fruit on its own without a pollenizer.

Vines are extremely vigorous and can grow 40-50 feet up a tree if allowed to do so. For male vines, this is a good choice since there are no fruit to harvest. Female vines are best grown on a pergola or T-bar trellis at least 6-7 feet tall, so that you can walk underneath the vines to pick the fruit. Space female vines 20 feet apart and male vines 10 feet apart from other vines.

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Elderberries enjoy moisture and can be found growing wild in our area next to streams and ditches (but not in them). They can tolerate soil that occasionally gets wet, but they don’t want “wet feet” all the time. They enjoy full sun and will fruit better in those conditions but can also tolerate some shade. Deer love to browse on young elderberry plants, but once established, elderberries are extremely resistant to deer, quickly growing above the browsing height of deer.

Plants will grow about 6-12′ tall and about 10′ wide depending on the conditions, but tend to grow on the taller side in our climate. They can be spaced as close as 4′ apart for production or for a hedge. They have no major pests or diseases to worry about, they are the perfect no spray berry plant for our area.

Honeyberries (Lonicera caerulea), also known as haskaps, are edible honeysuckle plants native to Siberia and northern Japan. Unlike other non-native honeysuckles, honeyberries are non-invasive and pose no threat to native species. Extremely cold hardy and resistant to most pests and diseases, honeyberries are a great no-spray berry choice for our area. Berries are about a half inch to an inch in size and ripen fairly early in the year, starting at the same time as strawberries. The flavor of the berries varies from tart to sweet, depending on the cultivar. The taste is a little reminiscent of blueberries, but with more zing (and more antioxidants as well).

Due to their sub-arctic provenance, they benefit from partial shade in our climate,  especially during the heat of the summer. In full sun, honeyberries will go into early dormancy in late summer, losing their leaves early. 

Plants tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, including clay and heavy soil. Plants grow to a height of 3-8 ft depending on the cultivar. Space plants 3-5 ft apart and make sure to plant at least two cultivars for pollination. Plants are not self-fertile.

Plants are somewhat deer resistant, but only when established. Deer will often browse the tender leaves of young plants, so they may need deer protection while getting established. Birds do love the berries, though, so make sure to plant plenty of them so there are enough berries for everyone!

Pawpaws are North America’s largest edible fruit, and probably among the tastiest as well! Native to Pennsylvania, NJ, and throughout the Mid-Atlantic and into the Midwest, they are one of the easiest fruit trees for anyone to grow. They have been growing in this region for at least five million years. The Lenape, the original inhabitants of our region, called them “mahchikpi”.

Pawpaws have very few pests or diseases that bother them and produce beautiful fruit without any sprays. One of the best things about them is they are also highly deer resistant – deer really don’t enjoy the taste of the leaves or the skin on the fruit, because both have lots of acetogenic compounds in them that makes them very unpalatable. But the fruit itself is incredible with a distinctly tropical flavor to them that you just have to try for yourself to truly understand. 

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There are many myths about pawpaws and the conditions they like and don’t like, but since we also grow them ourselves, we can set the record straight. Pawpaws do best in full sun and well-drained soil. They can tolerate a fairly high amount of shade, but will produce much heavier crops of fruit when grown in full sun. They can also tolerate more poorly drained soils than most other fruit trees, but they grow much slower and perform much poorer in these conditions, and will not perform well at all in waterlogged, consistently wet areas. They appreciate rich organic soils and enjoy lots of compost and mulch. Each tree can produce 25-50 lbs. of fruit once mature.

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In the wild, pawpaws grow as an understory tree and can reach heights of 30+ ft as they search for more sunlight. In an orchard setting, heights of 12-15 ft are more typical, and with pruning they can be kept even shorter. Pawpaws are not self-fertile, so you need two different cultivars/seedlings to produce fruit. They also are pollinated by flies and beetles rather than bees, so they must be planted in fairly close proximity to each other to ensure they get pollinated properly. Pawpaws can be spaced as close as 8 ft apart in an orchard setting but should be planted no further than 15 ft apart to ensure good pollination. If you have very limited space in your yard, you can plant two pawpaws in the same hole and let them grow together so they look like they have two trunks. This will allow them to pollinate each other but only take up the space of one tree. 

We grow our pawpaws from seed in deep tree pots that can accommodate their long taproot. The seed we use is mostly from our own improved (grafted) pawpaw cultivars, which means the seedling trees should have larger than average fruit compared to wild pawpaws. We have also begun to graft pawpaws, including Peterson™ Pawpaws (licensed from Neal Peterson himself) and usually have them available in the fall. We have a hard time keeping these in stock, so we almost never have them available in the spring as they are usually sold out by then.