This March in central Louisiana I planted 4 Celeste fig trees, a cutting from a Brown Turkey fig tree planted last year, 4 Dwarf Everbearing Mulberry trees, and 2 Pineapple Guava evergreen fruit bushes. I still have Brown Turkey figs ripening but when I was young we either grew Celeste or Smith figs and those ripened in summer. But it`s nice to have October figs. I`d love a pear tree but I have no car and have physical limitations from an accident with head, neck and nerve injuries and survive on very little money. I have to order everything and pear trees are incredibly expensive. Gardening & mowing with an electric mower is part of my doctor`s orders to stay active. My other trees were cheap and came as 4 packs for 25. I moved to this lot in September of 2022 and discovered the previous people ruined the lot by bulldozing away the soil and dumping gravel so I had to use sandy dirt from a wash in the woods mixed with rotting wood, cardboard, grass clippings and leaves/pine straw to make every last bit of my fruit tree and vegetable garden soil. I`m continuing this process now by filling cardboard shipping boxes with this mix one after another. My garden wagon has been the best thing I have because I can pull it to within a few feet of the wash and not have to carry anything heavy. I was so discouraged at first. The task seemed impossible. Most of my garden soil was created by planting southern peas as a cover crop and mulching heavily with chopped leaves, cardboard, crumbled rotting logs and grass clippings and letting fungus, worms and roly polys break it down. A load of topsoil costs about 1000 bucks minimum so that`s impossible. But after I found the sandy soil I was able to move about ten gallons per week as a base to add organics to. I put down cardboard, cover with green grass clippings, and cover with sandy dirt and immediately plant Red Ripper Peas. Then I continue to add grass clippings, sandy soil, cardboard, pine straw and chopped leaves.
I have not tried the improved mulberry trees yet. Want to try a Shangri La. The cost of fruit trees has really went up over the past couple of years. You appear to have done a really good job with restoring the soil. So hard starting from scratch.
@@growyourownfood7814 I had to if I wanted fresh food. It was so frustrating doing a few square feet at a time and it was very difficult for me. I didn`t think I could do it at first and almost gave up. I`m getting better and better harvests now. I have a lot of cucumbers, ground cherries & cherry tomatoes that will be ready by tomorrow evening and a decent harvest of butternut squash and planted lots of fall/winter greens and carrots, beets, radishes and turnips. Next year the fruit trees should produce a lot.
Im in SETX I have Wonderful Pomegranate, brown turkey fig, banana, basic citrus, black beauty mulberries, pecans, elderberries, muscadine grapes, and 27 avocado trees i started from seed
I have 4 or 5 different pomegranates. I have several varieties of figs, many kinds of citrus, peaches, plums, and several pears. We can grow many things but they all seem to have one major flaw, such as disease or cold hardiness.
I am in East TX 8B between in Upshur County and I really like pineapple guavas. I have grown them for about 20 years. The fruit ripens in Sept/October. They are a semi-tropical tree, so they did well for many years till Snowmageddon and the following winter took them out. I have replanted and looking forward to future harvests. Thanks for the information!
I have heard a couple of people talk about pineapple guavas. What variety do you plant? Never ate pineapple guava. I am growing some regular pineapples, but they are in containers and cold sensitive.
I have an Ana apple & Dorset. They survived in a pot on the west side of my house, even putting out new growth. We get to 110-155' summers, very dry too. Will now put in ground & see how they do.
You have to have 2 chickasaw plums for cross pollination. I do have an Odom plum that is a hybrid chicksaw and a regular chicksaw for better cross pollination. I have a Gutherie improved chickasaw but they do not produce any root sprouts. Let me know this fall and we can work something out.
I think they are possible if you get the correct varieties. If I recall they need a pollinator so you would need 2 different varieties. We are not in their natural range and they tend to need more cold weather than we have. But Just Fruits and Exotics, a Florida nursery, does sell Collins, Overleese, and Mango varieties along with some southern seed varieties. So it should be possible. I have never had one and hated to spend all that money and not like the fruit, like I did with Jujubes. They do not like complete sun the first couple of years, and do not like to be transplanted. I do not know of anyone that has been successful, but do not know anyone that has tried either. They are a better bet than cherries or almonds that we know do not grow here.
I have heard that certain varieties may have over estimated the chill hours that are needed. However, not all chill hours are the same. Chill hours early in the winter are not as effective as ones later in the winter, and temperatures in the thirties are more effective than ones in the forties. Plus, if you have warm, humid temperatures in the middle of winter, you lose some of the chill hours you got earlier in the year. On top of all that, chill hours vary due to micro climates. Throw that in with chill hours varying from 400 to 800 from year to year in my area, and it really gets complicated. I have been told to add 200 chill hour requirements to trees developed in California because their chill hours are more effective than ours.
There are certain peach trees that only need 150 to 200 chill hours. Tropic Snow and Tropic Beauty peach trees both only need 150 to 200 chill hours. Figs only need about 100 chill hours. Loquat trees should also do well in your area. And of course all the citrus except limes would do well. Limes are cold sensitive. You might check out Just Fruits and Exotics out of Florida to get some more ideas of low chill fruit trees.
Sprouts are good to get additional trees. Seeds are bad for getting additional trees. I found the jujube fruits for sale at a farmers market. I live in high desert.
As a rule of thumb that is true. But if the sprout is from a root stock, it will not produce good fruit. But for a long time people would plant apricot seeds and make good trees from them. You just increase the variety you get from the seeds.
I am in close to Beaumont only a couple of hours away. Are the fig trees growing vigorously? Could be the trees get too much nitrogen fertilizer and grows vegetatively instead of setting fruit. Where did you get you fig trees from? There is some in California that needs a pollinator from a wasp that only lives in a few counties in California. If sold in a store this would not be the case. Birds and squirrels also love figs, so if you have fruit and they disappear it could be critters. They also need a steady supply of water, and will drop fruit if they get stressed. Not wet but moist.
My old house is 30 minutes north of Houston and we had an awesome fig tree, we got 200-300 figs off of it last year. Unknown variety, it was likely a brown turkey or Texas everbearing.
There used to be commercial fig orchards in San Leon between Texas City and Dickinson. My grandmother in South Hampton (Houston) had a fig tree big enough for us kids to climb, it made a lot of figs, from which she made preserves, cooked in washtubs.
Yes you can, but is the Alberta peach also on a root stock? I really need to get into grafting. Peaches are moderately difficult to graft. You do need to check the chill requirements for you fruit tree also. Some people further North gets plenty of chill hours so not a problem. Just because it says the tree can grow in like a zone 9 does not mean it will get enough chill hours in your area.
@@growyourownfood7814I tried Pineapple Guava here in San Marcos, TX, and they died. Maybe I did something wrong, but I at least kept them watered during the drought.
Each area has its advantages. You will have much less pest pressure than me, but water will be an issue. Most years I do not have to irrigate my in ground fruit trees, but diseased can take out a tree pretty quickly.
Olives grow here but since I am not an olive eater have never grown one. I have several Loquat trees. The only real problem with them is keeping the fruit or blooms from freezing in the winter. I have about 5 different varieties and planted several seedlings into one gallon pots last spring.
I limited the list to things that I have actually grown. The only mulberry I have eaten fruit from is the typical fruitless mulberry you buy at the big box store. Not very good. But I am interested in growing one of the improved varieties. Almost bought a Shangri La variety in Houston earlier this year but did not have room in the car.
It would need protection. Maybe if it was on the south side of the house where it would get some protection. We got down to 12 to 13 degrees twice in 2 different years. It survived but suffered some freeze damage on the limbs. And on the 2 years after those low temperatures, it did not produce any fruit. I personally would put it in a container and bring inside when temperatures get into the mid to low 20's. (unheated garage) Then take it back out after it warms up.
And you heard correctly. For me there is no way cherries would work. Way to humid and wet. In your area you might get by with the sour cherries. Regular sweet cherries probably will not work.
@@urbanharvestdfw Barbados cherries are not winter hardy either. I have tasted them and I am not a fan. The only non-cherry cherry that tasted anything like a cherry was Cherry of the Rio Grande. It is winter hardy to the low teens but not very productive, and takes a long time to start producing. If it gets cold they do not produce the next year either.
We have success with Asian pears,plum clots,3 in 1 apple trees,Santa Rosa plum and 3 in 1 peach tree ,we have 2 Fuji no luck and have loss of 2 grapefruit trees and one Valencia 😢
Plum cots are nearly impossible in a humid climate like Southeast Texas. I take it you live in a drier climate than me. I have a Valencia Orange and Pomelo but have to keep them in containers due to cold temperatures.
Besides the ones mentioned, you could also grow loquats and mulberries. Tell me what type you want to grow and I can recommend which varieties would work best.
Gary’s list: -Jujube. -And pear (choose a fire blight resistant variety)-much easier than apples, might outlast your house. -And blackberries. -And lemonade tree (a relatively hardy and productive lemon/orange cross). -Satsuma mandarins, on trifoliate rootstock and with a little winter protection. No nitrogen fertilizer after July, to harden it off. -Cherry of the Rio Grande (not a true cherry). -Peach. Although brown rot can be an issue. Might live about 7 years. -Persimmon. -Improved varieties of Chickasaw plums: Guthrie or Odam. (Spelling?)
This March in central Louisiana I planted 4 Celeste fig trees, a cutting from a Brown Turkey fig tree planted last year, 4 Dwarf Everbearing Mulberry trees, and 2 Pineapple Guava evergreen fruit bushes. I still have Brown Turkey figs ripening but when I was young we either grew Celeste or Smith figs and those ripened in summer. But it`s nice to have October figs.
I`d love a pear tree but I have no car and have physical limitations from an accident with head, neck and nerve injuries and survive on very little money. I have to order everything and pear trees are incredibly expensive. Gardening & mowing with an electric mower is part of my doctor`s orders to stay active. My other trees were cheap and came as 4 packs for 25.
I moved to this lot in September of 2022 and discovered the previous people ruined the lot by bulldozing away the soil and dumping gravel so I had to use sandy dirt from a wash in the woods mixed with rotting wood, cardboard, grass clippings and leaves/pine straw to make every last bit of my fruit tree and vegetable garden soil.
I`m continuing this process now by filling cardboard shipping boxes with this mix one after another. My garden wagon has been the best thing I have because I can pull it to within a few feet of the wash and not have to carry anything heavy. I was so discouraged at first. The task seemed impossible.
Most of my garden soil was created by planting southern peas as a cover crop and mulching heavily with chopped leaves, cardboard, crumbled rotting logs and grass clippings and letting fungus, worms and roly polys break it down. A load of topsoil costs about 1000 bucks minimum so that`s impossible. But after I found the sandy soil I was able to move about ten gallons per week as a base to add organics to.
I put down cardboard, cover with green grass clippings, and cover with sandy dirt and immediately plant Red Ripper Peas. Then I continue to add grass clippings, sandy soil, cardboard, pine straw and chopped leaves.
I have not tried the improved mulberry trees yet. Want to try a Shangri La. The cost of fruit trees has really went up over the past couple of years. You appear to have done a really good job with restoring the soil. So hard starting from scratch.
@@growyourownfood7814 I had to if I wanted fresh food. It was so frustrating doing a few square feet at a time and it was very difficult for me. I didn`t think I could do it at first and almost gave up. I`m getting better and better harvests now. I have a lot of cucumbers, ground cherries & cherry tomatoes that will be ready by tomorrow evening and a decent harvest of butternut squash and planted lots of fall/winter greens and carrots, beets, radishes and turnips. Next year the fruit trees should produce a lot.
Im in SETX I have Wonderful Pomegranate, brown turkey fig, banana, basic citrus, black beauty mulberries, pecans, elderberries, muscadine grapes, and 27 avocado trees i started from seed
I have 4 or 5 different pomegranates. I have several varieties of figs, many kinds of citrus, peaches, plums, and several pears. We can grow many things but they all seem to have one major flaw, such as disease or cold hardiness.
1. Fig
2. Jujube
3. Pear (right variety)
4. Blackberry
5. ujukitsu lemon
6. Satsuma oranges
7. Cherry of the Rio Grande
8. Peach
9. Persimmon
10. Chickasaw plums
11. Loquats
12. Pomegranate
13. Muscadine grapes
14. Mulberries
Same growing zone and chill hours as coastal SC. Thanks for posting.
Coastal zones in the south seem to be pretty close to the same environment. West Coast is totally different even when they are in the same zone.
Yes, I’m mtns of sc. cool to see same zone in a different t state
I am in East TX 8B between in Upshur County and I really like pineapple guavas. I have grown them for about 20 years. The fruit ripens in Sept/October. They are a semi-tropical tree, so they did well for many years till Snowmageddon and the following winter took them out. I have replanted and looking forward to future harvests. Thanks for the information!
I have heard a couple of people talk about pineapple guavas. What variety do you plant? Never ate pineapple guava. I am growing some regular pineapples, but they are in containers and cold sensitive.
Thanks for the information
Your welcome.
I have an Ana apple & Dorset. They survived in a pot on the west side of my house, even putting out new growth. We get to 110-155' summers, very dry too. Will now put in ground & see how they do.
We have very different climates. We are so humid we seldom get above 100, but heat indexes reach into the 120's pretty often in the summer.
Hurray, maybe there is a chance I can get a Chickasaw plum. Thanks very much! Have been looking for ages.
You have to have 2 chickasaw plums for cross pollination. I do have an Odom plum that is a hybrid chicksaw and a regular chicksaw for better cross pollination. I have a Gutherie improved chickasaw but they do not produce any root sprouts. Let me know this fall and we can work something out.
Amazing list. Thank you
Thanks, this was made before the zone changes so probably easiest in zone 9a. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
What are your thoughts on growing Paw Paw trees in SE texas? I saw it being sold at a local nursery but no one i know has ever heard of it.
I think they are possible if you get the correct varieties. If I recall they need a pollinator so you would need 2 different varieties. We are not in their natural range and they tend to need more cold weather than we have. But Just Fruits and Exotics, a Florida nursery, does sell Collins, Overleese, and Mango varieties along with some southern seed varieties. So it should be possible. I have never had one and hated to spend all that money and not like the fruit, like I did with Jujubes. They do not like complete sun the first couple of years, and do not like to be transplanted. I do not know of anyone that has been successful, but do not know anyone that has tried either. They are a better bet than cherries or almonds that we know do not grow here.
With Apple Trees , Chill Hours has been found to be inaccurate
I have heard that certain varieties may have over estimated the chill hours that are needed.
However, not all chill hours are the same. Chill hours early in the winter are not as effective as ones later in the winter, and temperatures in the thirties are more effective than ones in the forties.
Plus, if you have warm, humid temperatures in the middle of winter, you lose some of the chill hours you got earlier in the year.
On top of all that, chill hours vary due to micro climates. Throw that in with chill hours varying from 400 to 800 from year to year in my area, and it really gets complicated.
I have been told to add 200 chill hour requirements to trees developed in California because their chill hours are more effective than ours.
I'm in Lavaca County Texas zone 9a and we have about 200 chill hours, what fruit trees can I grow?
There are certain peach trees that only need 150 to 200 chill hours. Tropic Snow and Tropic Beauty peach trees both only need 150 to 200 chill hours. Figs only need about 100 chill hours. Loquat trees should also do well in your area. And of course all the citrus except limes would do well. Limes are cold sensitive. You might check out Just Fruits and Exotics out of Florida to get some more ideas of low chill fruit trees.
Sprouts are good to get additional trees. Seeds are bad for getting additional trees. I found the jujube fruits for sale at a farmers market. I live in high desert.
As a rule of thumb that is true. But if the sprout is from a root stock, it will not produce good fruit. But for a long time people would plant apricot seeds and make good trees from them. You just increase the variety you get from the seeds.
I never get figs here in Houston, TX though I have had fig bushes/trees for years.
I am in close to Beaumont only a couple of hours away. Are the fig trees growing vigorously? Could be the trees get too much nitrogen fertilizer and grows vegetatively instead of setting fruit.
Where did you get you fig trees from? There is some in California that needs a pollinator from a wasp that only lives in a few counties in California. If sold in a store this would not be the case. Birds and squirrels also love figs, so if you have fruit and they disappear it could be critters. They also need a steady supply of water, and will drop fruit if they get stressed. Not wet but moist.
How much sun/shade are they getting?
My old house is 30 minutes north of Houston and we had an awesome fig tree, we got 200-300 figs off of it last year. Unknown variety, it was likely a brown turkey or Texas everbearing.
There used to be commercial fig orchards in San Leon between Texas City and Dickinson.
My grandmother in South Hampton (Houston) had a fig tree big enough for us kids to climb, it made a lot of figs, from which she made preserves, cooked in washtubs.
In NW Texas we need about 850 to 1000 chill hours to not bloom before the last frost.
All the best varieties are in the 850 to 1000 chill hours. A little jealous. But we do have nicer winter weather.
Can you graft on to an Alberta, using the Alberta as a rootstock graft? I just learned that you need to check the zones when buying all fruit trees
Yes you can, but is the Alberta peach also on a root stock? I really need to get into grafting. Peaches are moderately difficult to graft. You do need to check the chill requirements for you fruit tree also. Some people further North gets plenty of chill hours so not a problem. Just because it says the tree can grow in like a zone 9 does not mean it will get enough chill hours in your area.
Pineapple guava us a good one too.
I have never grown any of the guavas. Good to know.
@@growyourownfood7814I tried Pineapple Guava here in San Marcos, TX, and they died. Maybe I did something wrong, but I at least kept them watered during the drought.
@@wardenweaver3320 I have never grown any guava.
guava died during the winter freeze, my figs, asian pears, and persimmons did fine.
Take a look at EdgeofNowhere farms. Orchard near Phoenix. Lots of varieties doing well in the desert.
Each area has its advantages. You will have much less pest pressure than me, but water will be an issue. Most years I do not have to irrigate my in ground fruit trees, but diseased can take out a tree pretty quickly.
Have you tried olive trees? Or Loquat (japanese plums)?
Olives grow here but since I am not an olive eater have never grown one. I have several Loquat trees. The only real problem with them is keeping the fruit or blooms from freezing in the winter. I have about 5 different varieties and planted several seedlings into one gallon pots last spring.
Where are the mulberries?
I limited the list to things that I have actually grown. The only mulberry I have eaten fruit from is the typical fruitless mulberry you buy at the big box store. Not very good. But I am interested in growing one of the improved varieties. Almost bought a Shangri La variety in Houston earlier this year but did not have room in the car.
Thanks for the information
Will that lemon tree do well in dfw
It would need protection. Maybe if it was on the south side of the house where it would get some protection. We got down to 12 to 13 degrees twice in 2 different years. It survived but suffered some freeze damage on the limbs. And on the 2 years after those low temperatures, it did not produce any fruit. I personally would put it in a container and bring inside when temperatures get into the mid to low 20's. (unheated garage) Then take it back out after it warms up.
@@growyourownfood7814 where did you get it from
I heard cherry do nt do well in tx
And you heard correctly. For me there is no way cherries would work. Way to humid and wet. In your area you might get by with the sour cherries. Regular sweet cherries probably will not work.
@@growyourownfood7814 yea i heard Barbados cherries do well but taste 🤢 im like what's the point of growing them then
@@urbanharvestdfw Barbados cherries are not winter hardy either. I have tasted them and I am not a fan. The only non-cherry cherry that tasted anything like a cherry was Cherry of the Rio Grande. It is winter hardy to the low teens but not very productive, and takes a long time to start producing. If it gets cold they do not produce the next year either.
We have success with Asian pears,plum clots,3 in 1 apple trees,Santa Rosa plum and 3 in 1 peach tree ,we have 2 Fuji no luck and have loss of 2 grapefruit trees and one Valencia 😢
Plum cots are nearly impossible in a humid climate like Southeast Texas. I take it you live in a drier climate than me. I have a Valencia Orange and Pomelo but have to keep them in containers due to cold temperatures.
What fruit trees for Kingwood/New Caney TX area?
Besides the ones mentioned, you could also grow loquats and mulberries. Tell me what type you want to grow and I can recommend which varieties would work best.
Rambling again. Jiberish !
Very easy to click the added bookmarks in video to go to a specific tree mentioned.
quince. pomegranate . plum. fig. grape.
Gary’s list:
-Jujube.
-And pear (choose a fire blight resistant variety)-much easier than apples, might outlast your house.
-And blackberries.
-And lemonade tree (a relatively hardy and productive lemon/orange cross).
-Satsuma mandarins, on trifoliate rootstock and with a little winter protection. No nitrogen fertilizer after July, to harden it off.
-Cherry of the Rio Grande (not a true cherry).
-Peach. Although brown rot can be an issue. Might live about 7 years.
-Persimmon.
-Improved varieties of Chickasaw plums: Guthrie or Odam. (Spelling?)
Odam (sp?).
-Bonuses: loquat, pomegranates, mulberries, strawberries (“almost an annual here”).
I only know quince from “The Owl and the Pussycat.” Are they good?
I thought quince was root stock for grafts.