PIKETON, Ohio – With the downturn in the economy and the move toward healthier, locally produced food, more gardeners and small farm operators are interested in growing their own fruits, either for personal benefit or to turn a small profit. 

 Dr. Gary Gao, an Ohio State University extension educator in agriculture and natural resources, said that several types of fruit crops are beginner-grower friendly, adding that Ohio’s climate is surprisingly helpful to many fruits.

 “Since Ohio doesn’t have severe winters, growers can have a multitude of success with fruits,” Gao said, referring to apples, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, apricots, grapes, cherries and raspberries, just to name a few.

 Many new producers, Gao says, are apprehensive on how to get started. In addition, some experienced growers may have questions about their established orchards. For this reason, Gao will host the Ohio Berry Field Night on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio.

 “It just takes a little management input, time and patience,” Gao said. “Fruit crops grow very well in Ohio and producers should take note of this.”

Table and wine grape production is one of five key topics at the upcoming Ohio Berry Field night. Though much smaller than California, Ohio has a growing grape and wine industry with a reported 148 vineyards covering 1,200 acres in 55 counties. Gao says there’s room for more grapes in the state.

“Ohio is the ninth largest grape producing state and the sixth largest wine producing state,” Gao said. “Ohio produces 1.2 million gallons of wine annually.

“Growing grapes in Ohio is no small task. They’re very temperature and climate sensitive. They are also subject to problems faced by any other agriculture crop such as disease, insects, weeds and pests like deer, raccoons and birds. Yet, even with facing these risks and having to wait three years for vines to produce, a number of farmers have been introducing new vineyards in our state and new wineries are appearing.”

 Gao says a mature, carefully tended grapevine can produce more than 20 pounds of fruit in a year and produce for as long as 40 or more years.

Strawberries, brambles (such as raspberries and blackberries) and blueberries grow well in Ohio and are highly touted by Gao.

“Strawberries are not tough to grow at all and one crop I recommend to backyard growers and farmers alike,” Gao said. “The two most popular types of strawberries in Ohio are ever-bearing strawberries, which will produce a crop the same year they are planted, and June-bearing strawberries, which will produce a crop in the second year of planting.”

 Gao said there is tremendous interest in growing brambles, which thrive in Ohio he adds.

 “With raspberries, growers can choose from red, black, purple and yellow varieties,” he said. “A traditional red raspberry that is quite dependable is Heritage. Caroline is another good red variety that produces bigger fruit and is said to taste better. For a good black raspberry, try Jewel or Bristol, and for a good yellow raspberry, try Fall Gold or Anne. With blackberries growers can choose between thorny or thornless varieties. A good thornless variety is Apache.”

Two good new blackberry varieties, Gao adds, are Prime Jim and Prime Jan. Both are ideal for Ohio weather conditions because of their ability to produce fruit on new shoots if the floral canes are damaged by cold temperatures in winter.

 “Blueberries are a bit more challenging to grow because you need to keep the soil acidic,” Gao said. “Soils in central Ohio, for example, are not acidic enough so you have to apply a sulfur amendment annually to keep oil pH between 4.5 and 5.5. Blueberries will generally produce fruit in their third year of production.

 “We wants to help Ohio growers increase their acres of blueberries to try to get more on par to what growers in neighboring states such as Indiana and Michigan are doing.”

 Another highlighted topic at the Ohio Berry Night is that of hardy fig production. Gao and his associates first began trials on figs in Wooster in 2017. He will share progress made with the fig at the upcoming Ohio Berry Field Night.

 “There is a big difference between being able to grow hardy figs in Ohio and making money from it,” Gao says. “Since a majority of the fruits ripen from September to November, growing in a high tunnel is highly recommended for growing hardy figs for profit.”

 Gao says the total amount of ripe figs per plant ranges from 2-5 pounds during the first three years inside a high tunnel while that amount was about one pound outside a high tunnel.

Gao will discuss orange rust-resistant cultivars, since orange rust is a frequent issue with blackberries in the state. He will also lead a discussion about the prospects of long cane raspberry production, as well as cover crop and beneficial microbes for tomatoes.

 “This field night features information to benefit both beginner and advanced growers, and to teach attendees the techniques to maximize production and quality in the plantings and vineyards,” Gao said. “Fruits of all kinds do well in Ohio and producers should cash in.”

 The cost is $25. Register for this event at go.osu.edu/fieldnight or call 614-247-9680. Ohio South Centers is located at 1864 Shyville Road in Piketon, Ohio.