One way to know if a site is relatively warm (has a longer growing season with fewer killing frosts) is to look for land in mid-fall when you can compare how far along native trees are towards dormancy. Best fruit growing areas are often known in the East and will already have established orchards. People have been growing fruit here for 300 years but you might luck out, I guess, and discover your own tiny "banana belt". As far as productivity- of course you will be able to grow a wider range of varieties in a 6 than a 5 and some would yield more with a longer season- at least over time. But your question really seems to be can you find a Z6 in regions that are predominantly 5. I think it's the leeward (southeast) side of large bodies of water that have moderated temps as in far upstate NY, not far from Buffalo and areas like Lake Geneva. Also along rivers such as the Hudson Valley and running up the Housatonic in CT. Some of the fruit you listed, like cold-hardy figs and Jap persimmons aren't going to work for you, even in a Z6 without protection.

Hello, my first post on Gardenweb. On my property there are many wild apple trees, but a couple years ago I decided to plant an orchard of known cultivars. Then last year I got into rare and exotic fruits. One of which was the pawpaw. I planted about 30 small trees last year, and another 30 this year. Generally they are all doing well, I have only lost one tree, a Rappahannock. Fastest growers are the Pennsylvania Golden and the Overleese. One of my PAG's just passed 5 feet tall. I have found that you never want to take a Pawpaw that leafed out under low light conditions, and plant it in full sun. If the tree leafed out in full sun, then it can handle it. I water them quite a lot, which seems to make them grow faster, and resist large amounts of sunlight. Like Ken said, the taproot is very sensitive, but a good healthy taproot will make the tree much resistant to less than ideal conditions. When I dug the holes to plant the trees, I bored out a 3 foot by 4" diameter hole down the center and filled it with topsoil. This gives the taproot a big boost to grow deep. I mulch around the trees with grass clippings, and they seem to like this. Maybe next year I will get some fruit.

Ugh, I'm sorry, all... I will make every effort to write a comprehensive review very soon. It's been on my list! For now, by way of a quick update, I'm still very pleased with the AR Performer. Awesome burner power for searing, quickly heating everything. The simmer is comparable to any other range I've used in the category of commercial/semi-commercial gas ranges. (I've used Wolf, Viking, Blue Star, but not Capital). The low simmer remains WAY better than even my mom's Viking cooktop, which is not nearly as powerful as the AR.) I do a lot of sauces and candy-making, and I have no complaints about the low-heat and simmer properties. (I usually use reasonably heavy/good quality cookware, mostly All-Clad, which definitely factors in). There are times, when doing a smaller batch of pasta sauce on a long simmer, for example, that I'll turn it off for a bit, but that's been the case with every gas range I've ever had. For most medium to large batches of soups, sauces, etc, the simmer is just perfect; I can get it quite low. The oven, also, is fantastic. I LOVE the large (full-sheet) capacity, and that's one of the reasons I chose the AR over the others. Heats very evenly, and I've been really pleased with how it handles everything from cakes to macarons, and the roasting and broiling is also superb. As I've mentioned before, none of the other ranges in this category can compare in terms of the quality of the shelves; they are heavy-gauge steel, as are the racks, and they are super solid and slide smoothly. That is actually something that makes a huge difference to me, especially when taking delicate items, like souffles out. I still highly recommend the AR Performer; I love it and have no regrets about my decision to buy it over the BS or CC. I say go for it!

Me, I live in South Carolina. Cook everything from scratch and live in the garden. Retired nursery owner and landscaper. Nice to meet everyone. Re: Park Seed. I was there a few days ago and it had the 'feeling' that it might be going out of business. Not the same, vibrant business that I have known over the years. Wayside Gardens has opened a retail discount outlet in Greenwood, SC. not too far from Park Seeds. Anyone within driving distance should make the trip. Terrific bargains on plants/roses, iron gates and arches, books and many its catalog items plus more.