Subtropical reccomendations

[Garcinia]

Hi everyone,

We're planning on doing an orchard at our new property, and I would like to plant some subtropicals as well as temperate fruit trees. I'm looking to hear what people think are the best choices. Please keep it zone appropriate or the reccomendation is useless.

[bsbullie]

You should let people know where this new property is located. One may assume its in the Marin area zone 9b but one should never assume...

[JF]

You should let people know where this new property is located. One may assume its in the Marin area zone 9b but one should never assume...

LOL

[Garcinia]

You should let people know where this new property is located. One may assume its in the Marin area zone 9b but one should never assume...

Located in technically zone 10a, though generally temps are zone 9. The sea keeps it from getting too cold.

[bsbullie]

I would focus on peaches, plums, pluots, Asian pears, lychees, longans,  mandarins, pommelo and cherimoyas if location is right

[Garcinia]

I would focus on peaches, plums, pluots, Asian pears, lychees, longans,  mandarins, pommelo and cherimoyas if location is right

Not sure about lychees or longans. I know all but the cherimoya will grow. Cherimoya should grow with some protection.

[JF]

I would focus on peaches, plums, pluots, Asian pears, lychees, longans,  mandarins, pommelo and cherimoyas if location is right

those are great choices for the Bay area you can scratch lichi....

[bsbullie]

I would focus on peaches, plums, pluots, Asian pears, lychees, longans,  mandarins, pommelo and cherimoyas if location is right

Not sure about lychees or longans. I know all but the cherimoya will grow. Cherimoya should grow with some protection.

Honeatly, grow what grows well without protection.   Let the Cali experts weigh in on if lychee, longan and moyas will thrive and fruit in that area

[JF]

White zapote I have three killer varieties that would thrive there, cold hardy avocados and of course the best stone fruits in the world. Zaiger genetics in Modesto is always releasing awesome stuff.

[bsbullie]

I would focus on peaches, plums, pluots, Asian pears, lychees, longans,  mandarins, pommelo and cherimoyas if location is right

Not sure about lychees or longans. I know all but the cherimoya will grow. Cherimoya should grow with some protection.

Honeatly, grow what grows well without protection.   Let the Cali experts weigh in on if lychee, longan and moyas will thrive and fruit in that area

I would give up a lot of my mangoes to grow some of the better nectarines,  pluots, plums and Interspecific selections...

[JF]

I would focus on peaches, plums, pluots, Asian pears, lychees, longans,  mandarins, pommelo and cherimoyas if location is right

Not sure about lychees or longans. I know all but the cherimoya will grow. Cherimoya should grow with some protection.

Honeatly, grow what grows well without protection.   Let the Cali experts weigh in on if lychee, longan and moyas will thrive and fruit in that area

I would give up a lot of my mangoes to grow some of the better nectarines,  pluots, plums and Interspecific selections...

I would agree with that great avocados and mandarins....http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=22485.0
it looks like every year we come up short in chill hours but we had a decent crop in Spice Zee last year.

[Garcinia]

I would focus on peaches, plums, pluots, Asian pears, lychees, longans,  mandarins, pommelo and cherimoyas if location is right

Not sure about lychees or longans. I know all but the cherimoya will grow. Cherimoya should grow with some protection.

Honeatly, grow what grows well without protection.   Let the Cali experts weigh in on if lychee, longan and moyas will thrive and fruit in that area

I would give up a lot of my mangoes to grow some of the better nectarines,  pluots, plums and Interspecific selections...

Wow! Well, I'd love to grow some fruits that aren't available in stores. Cherimoyas should be okay when they're bigger.

[FruitFreak]

All the stone fruits, sapote, mulberry, banana, persimmons, figs, olives

[Garcinia]

All the stone fruits, sapote, mulberry, banana, persimmons, figs, olives

Already growing the last three, will add the others to my list.

[bsbullie]

All the stone fruits, sapote, mulberry, banana, persimmons, figs, olives

Already growing the last three, will add the others to my list.

You may have some issues with bananas and different sapotes (sapodilla,  mamey and green).  Mulberries should be more supplemental.  A lot of pruning and harvest is labor intensive for the return. 

As I said, and mull over the advice, you have the ability to grow amazing nectarines,  peaches,  pluots, plums and pears.  Even some awesome apples you can frow.  Many dont have that ability.   Take advantage of it.

[JF]

How about some nuts? Pistachio

[Garcinia]

How about some nuts? Pistachio

I'm planning on macadamia, but some others might be nice.

[JF]

How about some nuts? Pistachio

I'm planning on macadamia, but some others might be nice.

is there a better ice cream than California pistachio?

[bsbullie]

How about some nuts? Pistachio

I'm planning on macadamia, but some others might be nice.

Based on the pain in the ass procedure to process macadamia...if you can grow pistachios,  i would do so over macadamia.   I have a macadamia and while the tree is beautiful,  the immature fruit wind up food for the squirrels.

[Garcinia]

How about some nuts? Pistachio

I'm planning on macadamia, but some others might be nice.

Based on the pain in the ass procedure to process macadamia...if you can grow pistachios,  i would do so over macadamia.   I have a macadamia and while the tree is beautiful,  the immature fruit wind up food for the squirrels.

Good to know. I need to take sketches and measurements of the area to decide. My plant is to use temperate trees to create a barrier around the subtropicals.

[bsbullie]

How about some nuts? Pistachio

I'm planning on macadamia, but some others might be nice.

Based on the pain in the ass procedure to process macadamia...if you can grow pistachios,  i would do so over macadamia.   I have a macadamia and while the tree is beautiful,  the immature fruit wind up food for the squirrels.

Good to know. I need to take sketches and measurements of the area to decide. My plant is to use temperate trees to create a barrier around the subtropicals.

I would recommend tasting some of the superior stine fruits.  I am telling you, many are better than any subtropicals you could grow.  There are some white nectarines that have amazing flavor and sweet as sugar.  Some of the pluots that are truly amazing.   Nothing at all like a store nectarine or pluot.  Would literally blow any fruit lover's mind...

[Garcinia]

I certainly plan on planting stone fruits.

[bsbullie]

I certainly plan on planting stone fruits.

My point is, even a windbreak/barrier will not xhange your climate that much to make some of the better subtropicals thrive and produce quality fruit.  What subtropicals are you cons8?

[BrianL]

For subtropicals maybe look into "Lost Crops of the Incas".  The book is a pdf online.  Those subtropicals will do better with your lack of heat especially if you are in a frost free zone.  There was someone who grew some Lychee in Marin for multiple years, but I don't think they ever got fruit.  Longan took all year to ripen for me (April-late Nov/Dec.) and I'm in Concord which gets more heat then anywhere in Marin Co.

Persimmons do great as do Date Plums.  Avocados can ripen as far north as Sonoma Co.  So can White Sapote.   

[Tropheus76]

My recommendation is to check some of the northern nurseries and read their descriptions and then do you research off of things that catch your attention. It sometimes sucks to me to  live in 9b and see all these cool things grown even in 8 that is to cold blooded for 9b. I am heartened on the research saying a lot of chill hour trees will adapt to warmer environments since I tend to zone push in both directions. There is a lot of neat stuff you can order. Raintree in Oregon is the first place I would look for a pretty wide menu of options and go from there.