Author Topic: Central Valley, ca thread  (Read 4565 times)

DSotM

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Central Valley, ca thread
« on: May 04, 2020, 01:42:31 PM »
Hi guys,

I’m in Fresno and always looking to connect with other growers who share my same climate. Unfortunately most tropical fruit growers live in LA, San Diego or the Bay Area which have distinctly different climate than we do. As a whole, most populated areas in the valley are 9b. Sharing highs between 105-110 and lows between 25-30.

This probably won’t be a thread with a tremendous amount of users, but it’d be nice to get to know some of you guys are your experiences.

I’ve been relatively successful with mangoes, having weathered two winters and now the third summer for my Manila seedlings, Valencia pride, ice cream, ndm, and only 1 winter for keitt. Last year I found some named  banana cultivars to add to my collection. I had been growing unnamed large bananas for three years - those clumps are fruiting but I’ve yet to taste them to know if they’re worth keeping.

The named cultivars I’ve grown are dwarf ladyfinger, dwarf Mysore, ice cream, dwarf namwah, gold finger and dwarf cavendish. Gold finger and cavendish have not bounced back from winter well - both of the last years their main growing stem rotting from the inside after initially trying to push. Ladyfinger was quick to grow and is now fruiting - I would say it’s a great option (given that it’s fruit is tasty). Namwah received the least amount of cold damage.

My mangoes get casually draped with frost cloth but nothing particularly extensive. In the two winters I’ve had them all they haven’t received frost damage. I believe the lowest temps have been about 28f. Valencia pride and ice cream have both fruited.

I’ve also overwintered Barbados cherry with no protection under a queen palm for two winters. It looks like it’ll grow a lot this year. I’ve had pineapples grow and fruit, a couple have died to crown rot but most have survived.

Papaya has been my most difficult to grow. I’ve managed to overwater huge ones and it’s been heartbreaking lol. I believe I need to build up a mound of sand for them to have a chance. My soil is just too heavy (and mulched) - retains too much water. The one papaya I’ve had for two years in ground is planted close to queen palms which seem to dry out the soil.

Ive had some other cool stuff grow including June plum, monstera deliciosa. Interested in hearing the successes of other Central Valley growers!

Tim
« Last Edit: May 05, 2020, 07:50:28 PM by DSotM »

johnb51

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2020, 01:40:04 PM »
Given the fact that stone fruits, apples and pears, citrus, avocados, grapes, and nuts all grow there, if you can also grow mangoes and bananas, you might be in the best location of all!
John

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2020, 02:58:11 PM »
It doesn’t come without effort, but it can be done! I’m not the only one, either. Someone about a mile from my house has a bit of a tropical fruit orchard in their front yard. Guava, dragon fruit (on a crepe Myrtle - so not much cold protection in winter) and what looked like a seedling mango (definitely mango, just not entirely sure it was ungrafted. The leaves looked like keitt but I didn’t see a graft line. Anyway, I never observed it protected during winter so if it was it was only sheeted one frosty nights.

It’s funny, though. Some of the most renown fruits and nuts can be grown with relative ease here and I’m hell bent on growing mangoes and avocados!

I do have a peach, plum and nectarine. Very easy to grow and so delicious.

johnb51

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2020, 04:24:18 PM »
It doesn’t come without effort, but it can be done! I’m not the only one, either. Someone about a mile from my house has a bit of a tropical fruit orchard in their front yard. Guava, dragon fruit (on a crepe Myrtle - so not much cold protection in winter) and what looked like a seedling mango (definitely mango, just not entirely sure it was ungrafted. The leaves looked like keitt but I didn’t see a graft line. Anyway, I never observed it protected during winter so if it was it was only sheeted one frosty nights.

It’s funny, though. Some of the most renown fruits and nuts can be grown with relative ease here and I’m hell bent on growing mangoes and avocados!

I do have a peach, plum and nectarine. Very easy to grow and so delicious.

Go figure!  It's okay to be eccentric.  Do you have enough water?  You always read about drought in California.
John

Oolie

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2020, 07:11:39 PM »
It doesn’t come without effort, but it can be done! I’m not the only one, either. Someone about a mile from my house has a bit of a tropical fruit orchard in their front yard. Guava, dragon fruit (on a crepe Myrtle - so not much cold protection in winter) and what looked like a seedling mango (definitely mango, just not entirely sure it was ungrafted. The leaves looked like keitt but I didn’t see a graft line. Anyway, I never observed it protected during winter so if it was it was only sheeted one frosty nights.

It’s funny, though. Some of the most renown fruits and nuts can be grown with relative ease here and I’m hell bent on growing mangoes and avocados!

I do have a peach, plum and nectarine. Very easy to grow and so delicious.

Go figure!  It's okay to be eccentric.  Do you have enough water?  You always read about drought in California.

California is in a frequent state of drought. The Central Valley is in a similar situation to much of the Mid-West, relying on non-replenishing aquifers to supply the water for agriculture.

There are also water projects moving water from the north of the state to the south. Most rivers in the state are filled with dams.

K-Rimes

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2020, 07:12:58 PM »
Though I am not really in the central valley, I am "sort of" in the same climate. I'm at 2200' and several miles inland above Santa Barbara. I get way more of that desert heat like the central valley and am 9b due to the elevation.

I'm having luck with a lot of things here, including mangoes. I am tempted to let the small plants hold fruits this year with support.

Some other things I'm having great success with:

Dragonfruit
Eugenias (100% success, almost all uncovered)
Jaboticabas
Passionfruit
Mulberries
Figs
Guavas

Things I am not having success with:

Garcinias
Stuff in the ground (gophers)
Campomanesias



DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2020, 07:15:36 PM »
It doesn’t come without effort, but it can be done! I’m not the only one, either. Someone about a mile from my house has a bit of a tropical fruit orchard in their front yard. Guava, dragon fruit (on a crepe Myrtle - so not much cold protection in winter) and what looked like a seedling mango (definitely mango, just not entirely sure it was ungrafted. The leaves looked like keitt but I didn’t see a graft line. Anyway, I never observed it protected during winter so if it was it was only sheeted one frosty nights.

It’s funny, though. Some of the most renown fruits and nuts can be grown with relative ease here and I’m hell bent on growing mangoes and avocados!

I do have a peach, plum and nectarine. Very easy to grow and so delicious.

Go figure!  It's okay to be eccentric.  Do you have enough water?  You always read about drought in California.

Im not sure how to answer that. I know when I compare my water using amongst my neighbors that I use considerably less than they do. I have a pool as well. No lawn for me.

zephian

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2020, 07:30:20 PM »
I'm an hour north of sacramento in stone fruit, nut and rice patties.

Saved thread when I'm not on my phone I'll share some pictures or something
-Kris

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2020, 07:39:57 PM »
Hi kris, awesome. I’m interested to hear more of what you’re experimenting with as well as your usually winter lows and summer highs!

NateTheGreat

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2020, 08:04:54 PM »
I'm at 2200' and several miles inland above Santa Barbara.
That sounds like a neat location. On the coast side or inland side? Any pictures?

I'm in the Bay Area, but past the hills, so not as mild as Fremont/San Jose where a lot of the Bay Area members are. After two winters in the ground, my pitangatuba takes a little bit of damage to the leaves, red jabo and grimal a bit more. I bought two seedling pitangatubas from Florida, and one of the two died from the frost. I think it could have been avoided had I been gentler with it. I have some dragonfruit that get through the winter with some minor damage, but I've only ever gotten a couple fruit out of them. I thought it was because I had them sprawling on the ground rather than dangling from a trellis, but they have been on a trellis for a year or two now and they aren't doing much. Eugenia candolleana, Muntingia calabura, and one of my two original pitangatubas died from the frost. I had five star fruit about 9 months old from seed going into last winter, but they slowly wasted away, I think just from prolonged cold weather. I had one Eugenia uniflora split the bark above the graft union, I think due to a freeze of about 27, which then killed the scion but not the rootstock. The regrown plant took the cold with minimal damage even to the leaves this winter, and ones that I grew from seed sown last spring took no damage to the leaves. Eugenia myrcianthes, Eugenia involucrata, Eugenia calycina took no damage. I have found the plants I grow from seed here are tougher than live plants bought from Florida. Some of my pitangatubas turn completely purple in the cold, while some stay green.

I'm trying to avoid things that I'll lose in a 10-year freeze, or that need to be covered in the winter, and have stayed away from cherimoyas and avocados for that reason, but I think I should give them a try eventually.

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2020, 08:30:35 PM »
Though I am not really in the central valley, I am "sort of" in the same climate. I'm at 2200' and several miles inland above Santa Barbara. I get way more of that desert heat like the central valley and am 9b due to the elevation.

I'm having luck with a lot of things here, including mangoes. I am tempted to let the small plants hold fruits this year with support.

Some other things I'm having great success with:

Dragonfruit
Eugenias (100% success, almost all uncovered)
Jaboticabas
Passionfruit
Mulberries
Figs
Guavas

Things I am not having success with:

Garcinias
Stuff in the ground (gophers)
Campomanesias

Santa Barbara! Yeah up in the hills and valleys behind Santa Barbara can get get hot! I lived there for four years and much of the eclectic tropical/succulent theme has inspired much of my yard. It’s nice to know you can grow mangoes there, must be your elevation. Santa Barbara is probably too cool and foggy I’d imagine:

zephian

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #11 on: May 05, 2020, 09:12:10 PM »
Hi kris, awesome. I’m interested to hear more of what you’re experimenting with as well as your usually winter lows and summer highs!
we don't usually dip below 28 for more than a couple hours, but we hit 115+ it's almost 100 already and I feel like I'm dieing. Lol
-Kris

johnb51

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2020, 09:37:09 PM »
Why are there so many gophers in California?  Everybody is always talking about gophers!  Actually we had them all the time growing up in Los Angeles (South Gate) in the 50's and 60's.  I've never seen a single one in Florida.  I hate those buggers.
John

Oolie

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2020, 10:40:38 PM »
Why are there so many gophers in California?  Everybody is always talking about gophers!  Actually we had them all the time growing up in Los Angeles (South Gate) in the 50's and 60's.  I've never seen a single one in Florida.  I hate those buggers.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=30497

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2020, 10:58:14 PM »
Hi kris, awesome. I’m interested to hear more of what you’re experimenting with as well as your usually winter lows and summer highs!
we don't usually dip below 28 for more than a couple hours, but we hit 115+ it's almost 100 already and I feel like I'm dieing. Lol

Good grief, and I thought fresno was the hottest in the valley. We usually don’t get over 108.

K-Rimes

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #15 on: May 06, 2020, 06:52:28 PM »
This is the property I live on, which is at 2200' in Santa Barbara, CA. It is almost always sunny, even during the June gloom, May grey, Fogust that SB gets, so the hours of sunlight my plants receive is pretty ludicrous. It was 80f in SB today, and cranked up to 93f today. We will see several 110+ days this year, so I would say this is indeed more central valley than it is SB Coast. In the winter, it went down to a recorded 26f. Luckily I have a nice micro climate inside the oaks, so when my neighbors are watching things die, my little slice is doing a bit better just a couple hundred feet away they'll be 10F lower!

This area is where I put all my most sensitive plants that can take the heat and sun. It is 10f hotter here, even in the winter. Mangoes, dragonfruits, sapotes, and eugenia area. Especially helpful for seedlings. I ran a frost cloth over top of all the dragonfruits and had string lights in it which kept everything toasty all winter long. No damage or deaths here.



This lower area is the next best for sun and heat, and I yank stuff over below the deck if it's looking really cold. Plums, cherimoyas, pluots, atemoya, guava, pitanga / strawberry combo pot, vanilla ice cream bean, black sapote, raspberry, caviar lime and panache fig



This is the area where I have more sensitive plants and those that don't need a lot of sun. I have a very large sabara jaboticaba that seems to be ready to fruit this year, two grumichamas, cherry of the rio grande, 7 blueberries, a lychee, gooseberries, and a whole lot of seedlings.



Everything is in pots mostly... Since the house isn't mine and I'm just a tenant. Luckily the well water is good stuff!


« Last Edit: May 06, 2020, 06:55:32 PM by K-Rimes »

NateTheGreat

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #16 on: May 06, 2020, 07:54:03 PM »
Thanks for sharing the pictures K-Rimes. Did you rent that place specificially for growing? It seems like an odd location to be a renter; I figured you bought some cheap rural land. How hardy is that Inga? Is it spectabilis? It reminds me of Spaugh's place in the hills over San Diego. Not sure if you're lumping cherry of the rio grande in with the sensitive plants, but they seem very tough to me. Does cherimoya or atemoya grow better for you there?

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #17 on: May 06, 2020, 08:10:09 PM »
This is the property I live on, which is at 2200' in Santa Barbara, CA. It is almost always sunny, even during the June gloom, May grey, Fogust that SB gets, so the hours of sunlight my plants receive is pretty ludicrous. It was 80f in SB today, and cranked up to 93f today. We will see several 110+ days this year, so I would say this is indeed more central valley than it is SB Coast. In the winter, it went down to a recorded 26f. Luckily I have a nice micro climate inside the oaks, so when my neighbors are watching things die, my little slice is doing a bit better just a couple hundred feet away they'll be 10F lower!

This area is where I put all my most sensitive plants that can take the heat and sun. It is 10f hotter here, even in the winter. Mangoes, dragonfruits, sapotes, and eugenia area. Especially helpful for seedlings. I ran a frost cloth over top of all the dragonfruits and had string lights in it which kept everything toasty all winter long. No damage or deaths here.



This lower area is the next best for sun and heat, and I yank stuff over below the deck if it's looking really cold. Plums, cherimoyas, pluots, atemoya, guava, pitanga / strawberry combo pot, vanilla ice cream bean, black sapote, raspberry, caviar lime and panache fig



This is the area where I have more sensitive plants and those that don't need a lot of sun. I have a very large sabara jaboticaba that seems to be ready to fruit this year, two grumichamas, cherry of the rio grande, 7 blueberries, a lychee, gooseberries, and a whole lot of seedlings.



Everything is in pots mostly... Since the house isn't mine and I'm just a tenant. Luckily the well water is good stuff!
That climate does certainly sound more like the valley than it does the coast. I always got a bit depressed that sb was so gloomy throughout the year. It’s nice that you get that sweet sunshine but can easily head to town for some cool weather if need be.

I was actually looking at some cheap property in the hills of Santa Barbara, something like 200-300k for a couple acres but it was teeming with red tape. There is some good spots up there.

K-Rimes

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #18 on: May 06, 2020, 08:15:20 PM »
This is the property I live on, which is at 2200' in Santa Barbara, CA. It is almost always sunny, even during the June gloom, May grey, Fogust that SB gets, so the hours of sunlight my plants receive is pretty ludicrous. It was 80f in SB today, and cranked up to 93f today. We will see several 110+ days this year, so I would say this is indeed more central valley than it is SB Coast. In the winter, it went down to a recorded 26f. Luckily I have a nice micro climate inside the oaks, so when my neighbors are watching things die, my little slice is doing a bit better just a couple hundred feet away they'll be 10F lower!

This area is where I put all my most sensitive plants that can take the heat and sun. It is 10f hotter here, even in the winter. Mangoes, dragonfruits, sapotes, and eugenia area. Especially helpful for seedlings. I ran a frost cloth over top of all the dragonfruits and had string lights in it which kept everything toasty all winter long. No damage or deaths here.



This lower area is the next best for sun and heat, and I yank stuff over below the deck if it's looking really cold. Plums, cherimoyas, pluots, atemoya, guava, pitanga / strawberry combo pot, vanilla ice cream bean, black sapote, raspberry, caviar lime and panache fig



This is the area where I have more sensitive plants and those that don't need a lot of sun. I have a very large sabara jaboticaba that seems to be ready to fruit this year, two grumichamas, cherry of the rio grande, 7 blueberries, a lychee, gooseberries, and a whole lot of seedlings.



Everything is in pots mostly... Since the house isn't mine and I'm just a tenant. Luckily the well water is good stuff!
That climate does certainly sound more like the valley than it does the coast. I always got a bit depressed that sb was so gloomy throughout the year. It’s nice that you get that sweet sunshine but can easily head to town for some cool weather if need be.

I was actually looking at some cheap property in the hills of Santa Barbara, something like 200-300k for a couple acres but it was teeming with red tape. There is some good spots up there.

I'm always looking at the land - and after substantial research, those plots you see in the 200-300k are rife with issues. Stuff over by Conejo Rd is slide-prone. Stuff on the 154 has fire and water issues. The stuff in Rosario Park is nice, but not enough sun and warmth for what I'm looking for.

Just sorta hoping to see just the right piece come up, but inevitably when it does, it's snapped up quick.

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #19 on: May 06, 2020, 09:38:48 PM »
This is the property I live on, which is at 2200' in Santa Barbara, CA. It is almost always sunny, even during the June gloom, May grey, Fogust that SB gets, so the hours of sunlight my plants receive is pretty ludicrous. It was 80f in SB today, and cranked up to 93f today. We will see several 110+ days this year, so I would say this is indeed more central valley than it is SB Coast. In the winter, it went down to a recorded 26f. Luckily I have a nice micro climate inside the oaks, so when my neighbors are watching things die, my little slice is doing a bit better just a couple hundred feet away they'll be 10F lower!

This area is where I put all my most sensitive plants that can take the heat and sun. It is 10f hotter here, even in the winter. Mangoes, dragonfruits, sapotes, and eugenia area. Especially helpful for seedlings. I ran a frost cloth over top of all the dragonfruits and had string lights in it which kept everything toasty all winter long. No damage or deaths here.



This lower area is the next best for sun and heat, and I yank stuff over below the deck if it's looking really cold. Plums, cherimoyas, pluots, atemoya, guava, pitanga / strawberry combo pot, vanilla ice cream bean, black sapote, raspberry, caviar lime and panache fig



This is the area where I have more sensitive plants and those that don't need a lot of sun. I have a very large sabara jaboticaba that seems to be ready to fruit this year, two grumichamas, cherry of the rio grande, 7 blueberries, a lychee, gooseberries, and a whole lot of seedlings.



Everything is in pots mostly... Since the house isn't mine and I'm just a tenant. Luckily the well water is good stuff!
That climate does certainly sound more like the valley than it does the coast. I always got a bit depressed that sb was so gloomy throughout the year. It’s nice that you get that sweet sunshine but can easily head to town for some cool weather if need be.

I was actually looking at some cheap property in the hills of Santa Barbara, something like 200-300k for a couple acres but it was teeming with red tape. There is some good spots up there.

I'm always looking at the land - and after substantial research, those plots you see in the 200-300k are rife with issues. Stuff over by Conejo Rd is slide-prone. Stuff on the 154 has fire and water issues. The stuff in Rosario Park is nice, but not enough sun and warmth for what I'm looking for.

Just sorta hoping to see just the right piece come up, but inevitably when it does, it's snapped up quick.
Yeah, I can imagine. If the fact that land with several acres for 200k isn’t a big red flag enough, when I called one one of them there was a washed out bridge and the new bridge needed to be construction and the land had extremely limited grade. In other words my money would float don’t the creek with an oncoming flood haha.

Assuming Santa Barbara doesn’t manifest, what other areas have you considered? Oxnard has some relatively cheaper real estate.

NewGen

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #20 on: May 08, 2020, 03:03:11 PM »
Hi everyone,

Good  to see a thread about the CA Central Valley. I'm in Bakersfield, similar climate to Fresno. For comparisons, I have these tropical fruit trees outdoors year round, some defoliate and look pathetic during the cold months but come alive the following spring, some maintain their leaves even in the winter.

Mangoes in containers and in ground (NDM, Cat, Carrie, Thompson, Manila,...) All have fruited. The unheralded Manila from Home Depot has real fragrant fruits and taste very good.
June plum in ground
Jabos in containers
Figs in ground and containers
Black sapote in container
Muntingias in containers
Cherry of Rio grande in container, flowers first time this  year, but no fruit set
Atemoya and cherimoyas in ground
Avocados in ground and containers
Dragon fruits in ground and containers
Papayas in ground and containers
Bananas in ground
Pakistani mulberry in ground
Guavas in ground and containers
Sapodilla in ground, always  get flowers every year but no fruits, ever, Lol.
Star fruit in ground
Feijoas in container, flowers but no fruits
Surinam cherry in ground
Longan in ground
Lychee in ground, flowers but no fruits
Citrus in ground and container

And some other tropical non fruiting trees.


Hope to learn from you guys, I've killed quite a few trees over the year.

Trung

« Last Edit: May 08, 2020, 03:13:10 PM by NewGen »

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #21 on: May 08, 2020, 04:43:43 PM »
Trung, that’s an impressive list. Please post pictures of your in ground plants. I’d love to hear your dos and don’ts for them.

Monstera deliciosa growing out of a pot and rooted in ground. It only gets the tail end of of the days direct sun.



Dragon fruit growing up queen palm



Planter with (left) nam doc mai, June plum and ice cream mango. These get a plastic tent built around them for the winter. They have overhead protection underneath two queen palm canopies.

My oldest papaya. This guy is a bit over 2 years. It’s been a super slow grower and hasn’t fruited although was holding a few before the cold last year. For whatever reason this one hasn’t gotten root rot like so many of my others. Close to pool and queen palm canopy is just on the edge of it. South facing

Barbados cherry with pineapples at its feet. Bought this from logees for like 12$ as a tiny start. It’s been through two winters with a frost cloth loosely draped on it. It’s underneath a queen palm.

This is dwarf nam wah. Looks great in full sun, shade, and against a block wall. Handled the winter the best out of all of my bananas and showed no disease or fungus.

Standard tropic white guava. This is one year in the ground - heavy producer . Potted muntingia right beside it

Suebelle white sapote

Kohala longan. Planted in winter. No damage.West facing block wall

Passion vine wall.

Little cado. Seems to be the droopiest out of all my avocados in the heat

Dwarf ladyfinger just dropped its flower today. My most vigorous banana. Grew to this hulking beast from a 3 gallon ft pot at 1.5 ft

Valencia pride mango

« Last Edit: May 08, 2020, 05:00:45 PM by DSotM »

NewGen

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #22 on: May 08, 2020, 07:53:51 PM »
Hi Tim,

Love your trees, I see the mango branches needs string support like some of mine, Lol. Your Monstera is indeed a monster, I have one but it's quite younger than yours. The Little Cado avocado looks very healthy. Do you think the pool helps with the moisture level? Here are some photos, different dates. But they do look more or less the same during the growing season. Most interesting is the Solo papaya recovering from total fruit loss (about 10 small ones on the tree at the end of December/early January). I got the wax jambu at a swap meet. Seller said "Black Pearl", turned out to be anything but. Nevertheless, most of them are sweet-ish, they turn pink when mature.




































DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #23 on: May 08, 2020, 09:23:21 PM »
Wow impressive! What type of protection measures are you taking? Also what is your absolute low?

Your mangoes have huge trunks! What age are they? I’m very impressed with tour papaya. Mine get as big as yours but many died to root rot. Did you do anything to avoid that? Or do you just have sandy soil? 

You know, the pool may have some increase in humidity but I wouldn’t think it’s very much. The body of the pool is virtually open air with only some of the queen palm canopy possibly catching some of that evaporation.

NewGen

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #24 on: May 09, 2020, 01:08:42 AM »
Hi Tim,

The Solo papaya has been in the ground for 2 years. First year, I wrapped Christmas lights around the trunk, and enclosed the entire trunk in bubble wraps. 2nd year, I didn't do anything, and it survived the cold. My soil is clay, the papaya is planted on a very slight grade, rain water pools several inches deep about 6 feet away from it, luckily, no issues so far. I did lose 3 other papayas over the winter, probably because those were more exposed to the elements. I have a few more that are in pots, will put some in ground next week, keeping the others in pots. The lows here are low 30s, but not for very long. I lost a Barbados cherry that was 5' tall, still bummed about that. I'm looking for a replacement, where did you get yours? The other trees in the photos got no protection. Mango and sapodilla retains  leaves year round, June plum and atemoya lost all leaves but regrow. My mangos are of different ages. The Manila was planted about 5 years ago. First 2 years got no fruits, flowers didn't set

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #25 on: May 09, 2020, 08:43:01 AM »
Impressive! Are you in a more cove location in Bakersfield to have only received low 30s?

I got the Barbados cherry from logees.

Viking Guy

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #26 on: May 09, 2020, 10:44:04 AM »
Your climate is the same as we have in Gulf Shores. 

It makes for a beautiful garden variety collection.

The trick to Papayas is large fabric containers.  Add a lot of sand to the mix.  It cannot be overwatered with this setup.

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #27 on: May 09, 2020, 11:30:25 AM »
Your climate is the same as we have in Gulf Shores. 

It makes for a beautiful garden variety collection.

The trick to Papayas is large fabric containers.  Add a lot of sand to the mix.  It cannot be overwatered with this setup.
Feel free to share yours as well! I have an aversion to plants in pots. I really, really want them in ground. But that does confirm part of my speculation. I really need to build a sand mound for my papaya.

This climate makes for a beautiful garden. Tropical trees, succulent ground cover, cacti. Makes for a very fun garden.
Tim

containerman

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #28 on: May 09, 2020, 01:24:10 PM »
I’m in the Modesto area and have 11 different varieties of avocados as far as tropical fruit trees go. I also have 35 other different varieties of fruit trees growing in my back yard.

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #29 on: May 28, 2020, 10:27:43 AM »
Awesome, what’s stopping you from putting in ground?

Can you guys share your watering cycles? I have inconsistent blooming on my citrus. My mandarin barely put on any fruit this year despite being seriously
Loaded last year. I did prune heavy in winter but otherwise things are the same.

I’m setting up micro spray irrigation and I’m trying to make sure I don’t over or under water. My 12x10 avocado is getting approx 150 gallons a week on two separate days. My 7 ft tall mango is getting approx 90 gallons of water a week. What are you guys hear practices? Heavy, clayey loam with thick mulch.

Thanks!

NewGen

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #30 on: May 28, 2020, 02:40:35 PM »
Awesome, what’s stopping you from putting in ground?

Can you guys share your watering cycles? I have inconsistent blooming on my citrus. My mandarin barely put on any fruit this year despite being seriously
Loaded last year. I did prune heavy in winter but otherwise things are the same.

I’m setting up micro spray irrigation and I’m trying to make sure I don’t over or under water. My 12x10 avocado is getting approx 150 gallons a week on two separate days. My 7 ft tall mango is getting approx 90 gallons of water a week. What are you guys hear practices? Heavy, clayey loam with thick mulch.

Thanks!

Wow, you're so detail oriented, knowing how many gallons you used. That's cool.
I'm assuming you only want to know about inground tree watering, so those trees in my yard, I do it manually with a garden hose. I don't use a nozzle, just waving the hose back and forth and around the drip line, under the canopy, spray the leaves. I'd say about 5 minutes per tree. I do this every other day, especially in this heat wave, it's been 100+ this week. If it's not a heat wave, then maybe twice a week.

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #31 on: May 28, 2020, 05:08:22 PM »
Yeah, well since changing up my irrigation I felt like I should make sure I don’t kill anything In the process so I measured a few of the heads.

DSotM

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #32 on: September 17, 2020, 07:58:34 PM »













Valencia pride, ice cream and nam doc mai all fruited. All were delicious. My ladyfinger banana also fruited and that was amazing. It was very quick to fruit and already has another flower emerging

johnb51

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #33 on: September 17, 2020, 09:09:43 PM »
Great to hear about these successes!
John

bob_tu

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #34 on: September 18, 2020, 02:10:40 AM »
https://www.youtube.com/user/Matrix56k/videos
This guy grows tropicals in Fresno/Central Valley

CaliforniaGold

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #35 on: November 12, 2023, 05:39:49 PM »
I have just recently moved to Visalia from Nipomo. Both 9b but Visalia weather is much more extreme on both ends of the spectrum. I had some issues with the marine influence and a very sandy soil. I am now in the southwest part of Visalia. I think I have somewhat of a microclimate that could help me out. I had previously had a young planting of various sub tropicals on the Nipomo mesa. I dug up everything that I could and took them along for the journey. I now have young longans, mangos, sapodilla, macadamias, pawpaws, cherimoyas, avocados, white sapotes, jujubes, very small coffee and lychees, and of course all your normal central valley fruits. This is the first year in the ground so we will see what happens over the next few months.

BayAreaMicroClimate

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #36 on: November 13, 2023, 11:06:50 AM »
This guy in Modesto has some really cool mature plants.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HVbqS8OhavM&pp=ygUbR3JvdyB0cm9waWNhbCBmcnVpdCBtb2Rlc3Rv
Pretty sure he’s fruited Kwai muk and lychee which is not common in north California. My climate in Dublin is a little different but I’m also having success with those unprotected in winter

xesoteryc

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Re: Central Valley, ca thread
« Reply #37 on: November 14, 2023, 11:50:18 AM »
https://www.youtube.com/user/Matrix56k/videos
This guy grows tropicals in Fresno/Central Valley

TCV puts out great stuff, love his content