The Grass Doctor

Are there any food plants / vegetables that will grow wild in Zone 6(Western Kentucky)?

I have 11 acres that are completely surrounded by urban development. They are "landlocked" and are not suitable for homes due to hills and valleys. There are foxes,turkeys,deer, groundhogs, rabbits, etc visiting the plot. Occasionally you see "volunteer" watermelons, tomatoes and other plants come up in the spring from discarded produce. Most current grocery produce is hybridized so subsequent generations tend to revert to plants similar to an ancestor.There are heirloom varieties of vegetables that breed true generation after generation. I would like to try an experiment where I plant varieties of food plants on my "farm" and leave them on their own to see how they would fare. It is unlikely for a successful plant to escape due to the geography and surrounding lawns/development. I already have pecan, hickory walnut and plum trees.

Public Comments

1. There's probably quite a few...but what comes to mind are any bramble type berries. Raspberries, black berries, etc. Most fruit trees would do well. Also Asparagus! Might try adding different fruit trees - apple, cherry, pear, peach. They should all do well there.
2. You can grow raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apple, cherry, strawberries, grapes, and pear trees to name a few. I am in Zone 6 and I see all of these plants growing here quite successfully. Best of luck
3. The property can be developed for homes even if it has hills and valleys. for example, san francisco and malibu are all hills and valleys.
4. Sounds like you have a wonderful spot there! There are lots of places online that sell heirloom seeds. The folks at Burpee have just issued their catalog for the year, and they are very reputable. There are also lots of smaller places that deal largely in heirloom varieties. I hope your experiment goes well!