What fruit would you recommend for march-May in So Cal

[BestDay]

Hi all,  My wife and I are trying to figure out what fruit we should add to our backyard to fill our March thru May void. We currently have Blackberries June thru August, Peaches in July and Mangos August thru November.  Then we get what I think are Satsuma Tangarines December, January or February. Then our Navel Orange ripens about January thru May. But we usually just juice those. So that leaves us with sometimes February and always March thru May with nothing to pick from the yard to eat. We are considering a different type of Mandarine since our boys love them so much and literally can eat ten or more in one day!  But before we decide I wanted to see what you guys would recommend.

I have plenty of space for blackberries against my North wall so maybe you guys know of any early variety that you would recommend. My earliest Blackberry is Kiowa which started fruiting May 30 of last year.

I also have many different varieties of Bananas and Pineapple that fruit whenever they feel like it.

Any help is appreciated.

Bill

[fyliu]

Mulberries might be one of them that will fill the gap. They start fruiting at bud break.

[emegar]

Loquats may fit the bill.  They fruit in Spring, and can be quite delicious.  Seedlings often produce small, watery fruit, but improved varieties can be very nice.

Also, if you're thinking of adding a mandarin, you might consider Gold Nugget.  It's been discussed on the forum and is a top notch seedless mandarin which has a reputation for holding extremely well on the tree, which makes a late, extended harvest possible.

[JF]

Mandarins, blueberries, plut, early peaches, jaboticaba, avocados, aprium.... We are awash with fruits year round. My suggestion is you attend a OC or San Diego CRFG meeting in the next 2 months and the experts will be more specific and maybe invite you to a spring tasting 

[MangoFang]

Hi Bill - yeah, Blueberries should help fill that niche, I've been eating some
Florida Prince peaches the past couple of days, but I know I may have earlier
ripening than you cuz of my heat advantage, but the FP is my first peach to
ripen, so I would consider it an "early" peach.

CHerries - had one fruit from my young minnie royal/royal lee cherry trees this year - they
seem to be early.  They are low chill and you must have both for cross pollination.....I also
ate a few Surinam Cherries which seem to ripen in late winter and will hang on the bush
for awhile.....

Avocados from my old house - definitely ripened in March.....

Gary

[BestDay]

Yes, I forgot to mention my Hass tree.  It is small now but should eventually have a season of March thru August or later.

I also had a couple of Surinam Cherries off of my bush last month.  I was thinking that could be an option.  But to be honest the ones I have aren't that great.  They are nice in small quantities as a novelty but I don't think I would want to eat large quantities of them.  Plus for optimal flavor they have a very small window in which to be picked.

I was thinking of an early variety of peach.  Does anyone have one that they would highly recommend?  I have Red Baron for July which is supposed to be excellent.

I was also considering the same cherries that you have Gary.  How is the flavor?

What the heck is a Plut and Aprium?  Out of the fruit you listed JF which would you recommend?  I know nothing about the Jobaticaba.

Bill

[BestDay]

I just read about the Jobaticaba on CRFG.  It says each grape size fruit has 3-4 seeds so I think I'm out.  The fruit would have to be outstanding to deal with that many seeds.  Plus the kids are spoiled and don't like fruit with seeds.

Bill

[fyliu]

Bill, you'll want to get a seedless cherimoya when they become available. We should have it within 5 years.

My wife is fond of grapes since they keep well, don't make a mess and are portable with versatile serving sizes. Seeded ones are okay, but seedless is better.

[huertasurbanas]

I just read about the Jobaticaba on CRFG.  It says each grape size fruit has 3-4 seeds so I think I'm out.  The fruit would have to be outstanding to deal with that many seeds.  Plus the kids are spoiled and don't like fruit with seeds.

Bill

Bill: I don't know any person in the world that doesn't want to grow a jaboticaba! :-S

[starling1]

I just read about the Jobaticaba on CRFG.  It says each grape size fruit has 3-4 seeds so I think I'm out.  The fruit would have to be outstanding to deal with that many seeds.  Plus the kids are spoiled and don't like fruit with seeds.

Bill

Bill: I don't know any person in the world that doesn't want to grow a jaboticaba! :-S

Hi--know you know one 

[BestDay]

Well maybe I need to try Jaboticaba before I decide not to grow it.  Is it that good?  CRFG says it is delicious and fruits up to five times a year.  Does anyone one here have a fruiting tree that I could try fruit from?

I was thinking about a cherry tree also.  When do the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee usually fruit?  And how long is there season?

Bill

[kh0110]

Well maybe I need to try Jaboticaba before I decide not to grow it.  Is it that good?  CRFG says it is delicious and fruits up to five times a year.  Does anyone one here have a fruiting tree that I could try fruit from?
...

I believe Marklee said he tasted some at the Fullerton Arboretum during the Green Scene event. He didn't say if it was from a tree of the Arboretum but very likely it was.

[wslau]

I was thinking about a cherry tree also.  When do the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee usually fruit?  And how long is there season?

Bill

Bill,
Minnie Royal and Royal Lee are supposed to fruit 11-14 days before Bing... So mid-May to early June in our area.  The problem I hear from many SoCal'ers with these varieties is getting both varieties to flower at the same time.  I haven't heard of too many folks having high yields.  Cherry season is generally short for us ...about a month.
Warren

[JF]

Yes, I forgot to mention my Hass tree.  It is small now but should eventually have a season of March thru August or later.

I also had a couple of Surinam Cherries off of my bush last month.  I was thinking that could be an option.  But to be honest the ones I have aren't that great.  They are nice in small quantities as a novelty but I don't think I would want to eat large quantities of them.  Plus for optimal flavor they have a very small window in which to be picked.

I was thinking of an early variety of peach.  Does anyone have one that they would highly recommend?  I have Red Baron for July which is supposed to be excellent.

I was also considering the same cherries that you have Gary.  How is the flavor?

What the heck is a Plut and Aprium?  Out of the fruit you listed JF which would you recommend?  I know nothing about the Jobaticaba.

Bill

Pluots. Jaboticaba are ok nothing special if you want to try some come to our next meeting we have a tree in our growing grounds......we might have some aprium in our tasting table not sure.

[MangoFang]

Bill - the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee Story out here in the desert has yet to be written.
I only got one cherry this year and it was bluuuuuck!!!!!  We can hope that as it
matures I'll get more and tastier fruit, but we'll have to wait and see.

And Warren - my two cherry trees flowered at exactly the same time this early spring....


Gary

[BestDay]

I have tried Loquats before. I don't know if they where seedlings or a grafted variety. They where good but I think I would rather grow a mandarin instead.

I have been reading about the low chill cherries. Most people are having very poor fruit set due to the trees flowering at different times. So I'm not really interested in them.

When do Pakistani Mulberries fruit?  Is it normally April?  I tried some at the green scene and they were good. No great.

Any other ideas?  No one has anything fruiting right now that they would recommend?

Bill

[JF]

I have tried Loquats before. I don't know if they where seedlings or a grafted variety. They where good but I think I would rather grow a mandarin instead.

I have been reading about the low chill cherries. Most people are having very poor fruit set due to the trees flowering at different times. So I'm not really interested in them.

When do Pakistani Mulberries fruit?  Is it normally April?  I tried some at the green scene and they were good. No great.

Any other ideas?  No one has anything fruiting right now that they would recommend?

Bill

Pakistani are fruiting now. I'm not a big fan of loquats either call our friend Jon from the master garnered program he can give you some advice. I will post some picks of his fabulous high density yard later.

[EJO8]

Yes, I forgot to mention my Hass tree.  It is small now but should eventually have a season of March thru August or later.

I also had a couple of Surinam Cherries off of my bush last month.  I was thinking that could be an option.  But to be honest the ones I have aren't that great.  They are nice in small quantities as a novelty but I don't think I would want to eat large quantities of them.  Plus for optimal flavor they have a very small window in which to be picked.

I was thinking of an early variety of peach.  Does anyone have one that they would highly recommend?  I have Red Baron for July which is supposed to be excellent.

I was also considering the same cherries that you have Gary.  How is the flavor?

What the heck is a Plut and Aprium?  Out of the fruit you listed JF which would you recommend?  I know nothing about the Jobaticaba.

Bill

A pluot is bascially 75% plum and 25% apricot. An aprium is just the opposite, 75% apricot and 25% plum. Both are extremely tasty.

[huertasurbanas]

Well maybe I need to try Jaboticaba before I decide not to grow it.  Is it that good?  CRFG says it is delicious and fruits up to five times a year.  Does anyone one here have a fruiting tree that I could try fruit from?

I was thinking about a cherry tree also.  When do the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee usually fruit?  And how long is there season?

Bill

Many forum members have jaboticaba fruiting, for instance:

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=10104.0

[CGameProgrammer]

Nobody mentioned kumquats yet but those flower in the fall and rapidly produce ripe fruit, and seem to keep producing, or just maintaining, at least through April. You eat them whole.

[gunnar429]

I just read about the Jobaticaba on CRFG.  It says each grape size fruit has 3-4 seeds so I think I'm out.  The fruit would have to be outstanding to deal with that many seeds.  Plus the kids are spoiled and don't like fruit with seeds.

Bill

Time to whip those kids into shape!   

[BestDay]

Hi all, I'm bringing back this old post from a year ago that I originally started. Since then I have bought a Tango Mandarine for the February thru May time frame. They are supposed to be outstanding, hold on the tree well and my kids devour Mandarines.

I'm also very interested in getting a low chill cherry. Does anyone have any better information on them for SoCal?  Gary how are yours doing. I've read that as they get older they tend to flower together thereby increasing yields. Does anyone know anything about this?  This past month my 4 year old boy has been eating tons of store bought cherries and says they are his new favorite fruit. So I think trying them in my yard is a good choice.

I've also read that some varieties of white sapote are ever bearing and give fruit starting in March or April. Does anyone know anything about these?  I've never tried one but they sound interesting.

Any help is appreciated.

Bill

[CGameProgrammer]

There are no good cherries that grow here. I tried the one that the nurseries sell but they just had a slight apple taste but no cherry taste.

I do recommend Cherry of the Rio Grande or Surinam Cherry. Neither are true cherries but they both fruit in your requested timespan and then some; some mature surinam cherry trees can be almost everbearing.

[simon_grow]

I highly recommend Gold Nugget Mandarin. It ripens within your required time frame and hold on the tree pretty well, I still have a couple on my small tree. First year or two of fruit from the tree are good but the quality increases with age. They taste a lot like Dekopon for me and even look similar.
Simon

[simon_grow]

Another fruit you may consider is the Yellow Dragonfruit, it holds on the vine for many months and my kids love them.

Simon