Trees that won't fruit without a dry season

[joehewitt]

I'm in the process of relocating to Hilo, Hawaii. Though it seems like you can grow anything tropical there, I am learning that some fruit trees will be unhappy with the amount of rain and the timing of it.

I'll be at 350 feet elevation in an area that receives about 150 inches of rain spread evenly throughout the year. I've heard that some trees may never flower due to the lack of a well defined dry season (examples being Pulasan and certain species of Durio and Artocarpus). Other fruits, like Mango, may not set any fruit unless I spray for anthracnose.

As I am planning my orchard, what are some other fruit trees that I should avoid for these reasons?

[RiversOFT]

I've read that Bael (Aegle marmelos) won't fruit without a dry season but that's the only one I can think of off the top of my head but I've read about others

[fruitlovers]

I'm in the process of relocating to Hilo, Hawaii. Though it seems like you can grow anything tropical there, I am learning that some fruit trees will be unhappy with the amount of rain and the timing of it.

I'll be at 350 feet elevation in an area that receives about 150 inches of rain spread evenly throughout the year. I've heard that some trees may never flower due to the lack of a well defined dry season (examples being Pulasan and certain species of Durio and Artocarpus). Other fruits, like Mango, may not set any fruit unless I spray for anthracnose.

As I am planning my orchard, what are some other fruit trees that I should avoid for these reasons?

The trickiest to fruit in Hilo is mango due to anthracnose. Durians and pulasan only need a very short dry spell to induce flowering. One week can do it. And we get that often enough that these fruits do well in most years. Artocarpus doesn't need a dry spell. Others that are real hard to fruit here due to rain are sugar apple, dates, and emblic (myrobalan).
Basically you are moving to tropical fruit paradise. Most fruits do well. A bigger problem than the consistent rain i think is poor soil. If you can set up north of Hilo (Hamakua) where there is soil rather than just lava rock then your trees (and you) will be a lot happier. Downside is the much higher cost of land there.

[joehewitt]

Thanks, Oscar, that's good to know. I'll be on the Mauna Kea side of Hilo where there's plenty of soil.

Surprised to hear about Sugar Apple. Does that generalize to all Annonas, and is it a pollination issue or something else?

[fruitlovers]

Thanks, Oscar, that's good to know. I'll be on the Mauna Kea side of Hilo where there's plenty of soil.

Surprised to hear about Sugar Apple. Does that generalize to all Annonas, and is it a pollination issue or something else?

Too rainy for sugar apple.  Right at dryer coast it does squeeze by. The other annonas fruit fine, but many get stung by chalchid wasp and fruits will become mummified if not bagged.
Another fruit that  doesn't do well here because of rain is pomegranate, flowers but doesn't set.
You're lucky to get land with soil. Wtat area is it in?

[gnappi]

How many inches of rain do you get in the fruiting season? We get quite a bit of rain here in So. Florida sometimes many inches in an hour most years and sugar apple do very well.

[fruitlovers]

How many inches of rain do you get in the fruiting season? We get quite a bit of rain here in So. Florida sometimes many inches in an hour most years and sugar apple do very well.

Southern Florida does not have rain even distributed through the whole year like we have here. There is good reason why Hilo is called the rainiest city of USA.

[joehewitt]

You're lucky to get land with soil. Wtat area is it in?

Just north of the Wailuku River. I guess you'd say it's the beginning (or end) of the Hamakua Coast. You have an orchard not far from there right?

[AndyNZ]

Hello,

some Pasiflora (passion fruit) species need a draught period to set flower and fruit.
I had 6 Pasiflora species in a greenhouse with full automatic on-demand irrigation and 3 had not flowered until I stopped the automatic irrigation and let the soil get fairly "dry" for some days.

[fruitlovers]

You're lucky to get land with soil. Wtat area is it in?

Just north of the Wailuku River. I guess you'd say it's the beginning (or end) of the Hamakua Coast. You have an orchard not far from there right?

12 miles north of there.

[gnappi]

How many inches of rain do you get in the fruiting season? We get quite a bit of rain here in So. Florida sometimes many inches in an hour most years and sugar apple do very well.

Southern Florida does not have rain even distributed through the whole year like we have here. There is good reason why Hilo is called the rainiest city of USA.

That wasn't my question Oscar, I am curious if / where there was a tipping point in volume of rain where sugar apple wouldn't thrive.
Soooo... any idea what the annual rainfall there is?

[fruitlovers]

How many inches of rain do you get in the fruiting season? We get quite a bit of rain here in So. Florida sometimes many inches in an hour most years and sugar apple do very well.

Southern Florida does not have rain even distributed through the whole year like we have here. There is good reason why Hilo is called the rainiest city of USA.

That wasn't my question Oscar, I am curious if / where there was a tipping point in volume of rain where sugar apple wouldn't thrive.
Soooo... any idea what the annual rainfall there is?

Rainfall here varies a lot depending on location. The areas being discussed for possible growing are 125-150 inches. If you look at first post, Joe already said his average rainfall is 150 inches. And there they won't do well. I think they will tolerate 75 inch rainfall, which is average along eastern coast. But they will do even better where it is even drier, like Kona or Kau.
Keep in mind also that it is not just volume of rain that matters, but also how evenly that rain is spread out. That is what my previous answer was getting at. They might be able to withstand 150 inches of rain where there is a solid month of drought at right time. But that doesn't occur here.

[Mike T]

Places here (30 to 100 miles south) with 200 inches still grow sugar apples and lychees as well as host of species that prefer drier climates. The highly seasonal nature of the rainfall allows this to happen. Temperature and day length cues for flowering can be just as important.

[joehewitt]

Places here (30 to 100 miles south) with 200 inches still grow sugar apples and lychees as well as host of species that prefer drier climates. The highly seasonal nature of the rainfall allows this to happen. Temperature and day length cues for flowering can be just as important.

I wonder if I could get this same effect by planting Sugar Apples on fast-draining mounds and then put a temporary canopy over them for a month or two each year to keep the rain off. Probably not worth the effort given the number of low-maintenance fruits I can grow in Hilo, but might be a fun experiment.

[Central Floridave]

Is there an option there to plant the trees on a mound and/encourage the rain to to go around the rootball rather on top of it?  150 inches a year is a lot.  Wow.  Just brainstorming.  I know in low lying areas planting citrus on a mound is best.   Good Luck! 

[Central Floridave]

LOL, great minds think alike!   I didn't see your "fast draining mound" post before I typed that up! 

Again,good luck.  LIving in paradise and trying to figure out the best tropical plants to grow....tough life!   #sarcasm

[FrankDrebinOfFruits]

So, Joe, did you sell your place in los gatos hills?
What happened to the tropical fruit experiment? I was hoping to see some conclusions.

[joehewitt]

My garden in Los Gatos will go on, but I'm going to remove most of the subtropicals and stick to temperate fruits. Most of them have already removed themselves during the winter. Thanks for reminding me - I'll go back to that thread and write an update.

[fruitlovers]

Places here (30 to 100 miles south) with 200 inches still grow sugar apples and lychees as well as host of species that prefer drier climates. The highly seasonal nature of the rainfall allows this to happen. Temperature and day length cues for flowering can be just as important.

I wonder if I could get this same effect by planting Sugar Apples on fast-draining mounds and then put a temporary canopy over them for a month or two each year to keep the rain off. Probably not worth the effort given the number of low-maintenance fruits I can grow in Hilo, but might be a fun experiment.

I thought of using plastic canopies over dwarf mango trees. I think if you do that in winter when they are flowering it would really help reduce anthracnose and get better fruit set, but never got around to trying it.

[fruitlovers]

Is there an option there to plant the trees on a mound and/encourage the rain to to go around the rootball rather on top of it?  150 inches a year is a lot.  Wow.  Just brainstorming.  I know in low lying areas planting citrus on a mound is best.   Good Luck!

Planting in mounds is great for reducing root rot dieseases. But it doesn't do much to help fruit set. Pounding rain on flowers is the problem.
BTW, speaking of mounds, it's great here to use mounds with lots of black cinder mixed in when planting avocados and durian to increase drainage. Planting on a slope has same effect.

[cbss_daviefl]

Places here (30 to 100 miles south) with 200 inches still grow sugar apples and lychees as well as host of species that prefer drier climates. The highly seasonal nature of the rainfall allows this to happen. Temperature and day length cues for flowering can be just as important.

I wonder if I could get this same effect by planting Sugar Apples on fast-draining mounds and then put a temporary canopy over them for a month or two each year to keep the rain off. Probably not worth the effort given the number of low-maintenance fruits I can grow in Hilo, but might be a fun experiment.

I thought of using plastic canopies over dwarf mango trees. I think if you do that in winter when they are flowering it would really help reduce anthracnose and get better fruit set, but never got around to trying it.

My guess is covering mango trees will have limited effectiveness and not worth the effort.  It has not rained here very much (one day every 2 - 3 weeks) this year but my panicles are still being infected. High humidity is enough.  One benefit would be that copper treatments would last much longer.  Planting disease resistant varieties would be the better way to go. As the years progress, I will be replacing the more susceptible varieties. Rapoza and Southern Blush are at the top of the chop list.