The Tropical Fruit Forum

Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: All the fruit on February 26, 2019, 08:46:23 PM

Title: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: All the fruit on February 26, 2019, 08:46:23 PM
Hi,
I have been fruit hunting in SW-Germany for over 35 years now. We have submediterranean and with climate change maybe even mediterranean microclimate in some locations so there is a lot of exotic fruit grown in the area. Still, im missing a few important fruit here. There are rumors, vage mentions but nothing substantial. Thats why i want to start an "exotic fruit in Germany" topic. Im particularly interested in edible bananas, citrus or passion fruit grown outdoors without protection.
Anyone here who has seen crazy exotic fruit grown outdoors in Germany?
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: Mugenia on February 26, 2019, 09:21:35 PM
I was in Heidelberg last fall. I was surprised to see banana and palm (Mediterranean or Palmetto type) trees. There's a lot of nice residential gardens along the Philosophenweg. There's a nice banana and other tropical herbaceous bush right in front of the statue of Theodore Bunsen.

That said, you possibly can grow some tropical plants. Good luck.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: All the fruit on February 26, 2019, 09:45:50 PM
Yes, we have a lot of bananas and palms in Heidelberg. But the bananas are japanese fiber bananas (M. Basio, inedible) and the palms are mostly Trachycarpus, Sabal and Chamaerops ( fruit nothing special and plants too rare to harvest the heart of palm.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: roblack on February 26, 2019, 09:54:47 PM
Guten abend!

I lived in Heidelberg, for 3 years, in the late 70's/early 80's. Remember considerable snowfall there during the winter months. Has that changed? Seems plants as far north as Heidelberg would need to be frost tolerant.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: All the fruit on February 27, 2019, 12:13:27 AM
Recently we had years with almost no winter (ripe Solanum nigrum in the riverside cliffs in February and ripe cherries by the end of April, we also had years with constant snow cover for over 6 weeks and the river freezing over. A surprising number of exotic plants survived that.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: FamilyJ on February 28, 2019, 04:23:41 PM
Recently we had years with almost no winter (ripe Solanum nigrum in the riverside cliffs in February and ripe cherries by the end of April, we also had years with constant snow cover for over 6 weeks and the river freezing over. A surprising number of exotic plants survived that.
I know i have a person growing some stuff like dragon fruit and other things there in germany
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: All the fruit on February 28, 2019, 11:35:12 PM
Must be in a greenhouse. Climate is not that mild, yet. All outdoor cactus fruit ive seen in Germany are Opuntia.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: lebmung on March 01, 2019, 05:51:53 PM
What kid of plants are you looking for?
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: shiro on March 03, 2019, 06:20:47 AM
Hi
I am in France but my climate is similar to your.
Must be able to grow.
Citrus Junos Yuzu
Capitata Butia Palm tree
Asimina Triloba
Feijoa
With protection of stump Passiflora edulis.
If the climate is not too humid:
Some Opuntia ficus .
In areas not too cold:
Possible Orange (bitter orange) some can withstand up to-9 °.
To test:
Citrange Benton, Citrange Morton ( -12° ).
http://homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/photos/benton2018.html (http://homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/photos/benton2018.html)

You are already a few names of tropical fruit trees possible.





Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: All the fruit on March 03, 2019, 06:24:39 AM
Thank you. Where in France are you living?
Im more interested where i can see those being grown.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: shinzo on March 03, 2019, 11:19:45 AM
Recently we had years with almost no winter (ripe Solanum nigrum in the riverside cliffs in February and ripe cherries by the end of April, we also had years with constant snow cover for over 6 weeks and the river freezing over. A surprising number of exotic plants survived that.
Hello. what are the exotic plants that survived such conditions, are there tropicals ?
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: All the fruit on March 03, 2019, 06:05:17 PM
Not exactly tropicals but Poncirus, Olea, Pistacia, Zizyphus, Ficus, Musa, Eryobotria, Punica and other subtropical and mediterranean plants. Many continued fruiting without protection or too much damage.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: shiro on March 03, 2019, 06:55:55 PM
Near La Rochelle.

For the plants you're talking about:
Poncirus ( -15°see more ) , Olea etc, it is normal finally depending on the species and temperatures of your climate.
Remains that these are not really tropical trees (not like the mango Tree for example).
Ficus Carica has been cultivating for a long time in France.
In reality it is that in the same family for example Annonaceae..
The Asimina are for temperate climate and Annona is more for tropical climate.
Although Asimina does exotic in Europe it is far from being tropical (resists-20 °)
Then some plants become more resistant to cold by grafting, case of mandarins on Poncirus.
All these exotic plants are for temperate climate in the final according to the species see the horticultural technique used grafting and hybridization (to broaden the area of cultivation of some species)

I'll take pictures soon to give you an idea.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: All the fruit on March 04, 2019, 05:40:48 AM
You can not really compare the climate: you have atlantic climate, ours is transitional to continental. You are deep into USDA zone 8 withe the coastal locations being mostly 9, we have mostly 7 with patches of 6 and 8. Even if you take into account the climate change both regions got warmer. There was ecen some paper claiming that our climate will become like that of the French atlantic coast.
But im still very interested in fotos from your area.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: lebmung on March 04, 2019, 06:27:06 AM
I grow many tropical fruits, you just need a small greenhouse to overwinter them. The heating is mostly neeed during the night time. But with good insulation and passive design, you will not use too much energy.
You can grow fast growing trees and use an automatic stove to burn wood from them. It's both cheap and environment friendly. Of course a lot of work.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: shiro on March 04, 2019, 08:23:28 AM
For Lebmung:
All the fruit looks for species to be grown outside without protection.

For All the fruit:
It's not the most important thing to look at the climate.
Because a plant resistant to-15 ° at us will also resist to-15 ° at your home.
Except Opuntia for example who does not like the humidity factor.
It's the rusticity that you have to look at.
The more rustic species will grow while other not.
The Asimina can grow in Spain it is true but also in England because its hardiness allows.
Poncirus etc... Also.
Then there are microclimates created by some factor like the city center better protect or countryside less protect as at home.

The climate or the hardiness zone is only for information because then several factors must be taken into account.
The humidity, the nature of the soil etc...
For example Opuntia will grow in zone 8 see 7 for some species if there is no moisture when it is not able to grow in zone 9 if there is too much moisture.

To better see it in your search, can you give us the most negative temperature you have at home usually?
This will help to know which exotic plant are rustic enough to grow or that would be possible to try.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: All the fruit on March 04, 2019, 05:18:01 PM
Actually, i dont plan on growing exotic plants right now. I want to see examples of some exotic fruit grown here. And you are right, when i did my thesis on the German Medlar i also researched about its frost hardiness and microclimates in the area and there are a lot of parallel gradients so sometimes its complicated to explain why a plant will grow in a place and not in another.
Around 2000 i saw several attempts on grafting numerous citrus on poncirus and also hybridizing them but since then it did not catch on in our area. I would like to see some succesful examples of that.
Here there are a lot of people too busy to protect their plants in winter. 20 years ago they used to cover the bananas with 1m of leaves now they do mostly nothing and the bananas survive.
I was actually hoping for someone to tell me " go to this location, there is a garden with citrus or edible bananas grown outdoors in Germany". But i guess there are not too many members from Germany so im looking forward to the pics from France.
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: svennagel97 on March 05, 2019, 05:10:51 AM
Hello, I‘m also from Germany.
I‘m growing also exotic fruit like Cherimoya or dragon fruit. I’m growing all my plants in containers because they’re easier to carry for me. On YouTube a friend got an YouTube channel where she shows her experiences in growing exotic fruit plants in Germany. But it’s also all about growing in pots. If you’re not lucky enough to own a greenhouse it’s the best way to go.
But sure there are some plants that do survive our winters.
In some protected areas might grow some of the cold hardy (-8 degrees Celsius if I’m not wrong) mexican avocados. I didn’t tested it so far but it would be worth a try I guess. Fejioas might do well also if protected. There are also some types of banana that withstand the colder weather conditions. I have also seen some self fertile pawpaw varieties.

Regards
Sven
Title: Re: Exotic fruit in Germany
Post by: All the fruit on March 05, 2019, 05:40:35 AM
Hi, last year our city planted some fejioas in parks and forgot to water them. But maybe some survived.
Would be very interested in outdoor avocados in Germany.
Had a lot of exotic fruit in pots as a teenager but cant do that any more because im not here in winter.