Wanting to plant veggies, fruits, and herbs in Pittsburgh. (McKeesport: garden, yard)

[JenniferLyn]

Hello All!

I am trying to figure out what I can grow here in Pittsburgh. I know that tomatoes, green beans, colorabies, zucchinis, apple trees, raspberries, corn and parsley grow pretty well here.

Any suggestions from gardeners or those who know gardeners? I'm particularly interested in fruits.

This thread has some great veggie suggestions for anyone who is interested:
Advice on Gardening in Pittsburgh

Thanks in advance!

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by JenniferLyn

Any suggestions from gardeners or those who know gardeners? I'm particularly interested in fruits.

Fruit trees do very well in Pittsburgh. I have a friend who even has banana trees!

As for non-tree fuits, most berries and melons do well. Pennsylvania is great for grapes too.

What type of fruit do you want?

[nuwaver88]

Apples, Cherries, Peaches, Strawberries. We had all of these while I was growing up. They take a lot of work to keep the critters away, but worth it. We tried figs. but to no avail. Just not the right climate. If peaches get a late frost, it is all over. Strawberries need to be covered with a net to keep the bugs off. They are a hardy plant and can handle a frost. Apples can grow anywhere almost.

[jabcity]

My father told me everyone use to have pear trees in McKeesport.

[highway29south]

I have a dwarf peach tree and it's has some good years and some bad. The growing season here is pretty short so if frost comes early, it can affect things.

I also have a garden and I've grown most everything. It's taken a few years to get the soil to improve but it's pretty easy to get it workable. The one thing, oddly, that works the best in my garden is greens. I've grown collards for several years now and I get really great crops. I've also had great experiences with beans and buttercrunch lettuce.

[greg42]

A pear tree was in the yard when I bought this house. Last year, lots of pears, for the first time really I'd say in 4 possible growing seasons. This year, none again. May have been a late frost issue.

[Katarina Witt]

Just about anything that matures within Pittsburgh's growing season will grow well there. Plenty of rainfall. My parents grew vegetables aplenty, corn, beans, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, you name it. They "put up" plenty, too.

[groar]

the only things it seems to be hard to grow is tender perenniels or bienniels, like artichokes, which have to grow for 2 seasons and can't take a cold winter. i do know people who've overwintered artichokes here with some success though.

does anyone know what hardiness zone we're in? i always forget if it's 5 or 6, cause if i remember correctly we're right by a little bloop where zone 6 hops to the north in the usda map.

i think there was *too much* rainfall this year, and it was too cold. at least that's the cause i ascribe to the slow ripening and relative flavorlessness of my tomatoes!

[greg42]

Zone 6 is what they say, although just barely I think for some of the area.

[Hopes]

Zone 5 to play it safe. With Zone 6, you might lose a couple things in a bad winter if you don't protect them.

I personally go with Zone 6. I only lost one thing and it was after 5 years---the year I didn't mulch it.