Suggestions for Siesta Key / Sarasota area

[SonnyCrockett]

I'm considering a move to Siesta Key on the coast of Sarasota, Fl.  Is there anything that does particularly well or not well here?  I'd be about a mile from the ocean.  USDA map says it's 9b/10a.

The only person I know around there is Wayne Clifton.   He is in Bradenton, which is not very far from Siesta Key, but he's not right on the coast either.  He's got full-sized mango, sapodilla, Dream anonna, lychee, caramobola, star apple, and a bunch of other stuff in his yard.  But not sure how that area compares to Siesta Key.  I saw a few coconut palms on Siesta, but not many.

Anyone with experience around there?  Any suggestions?

[achetadomestica]

Siesta Key is definitely warmer then Bradenton. Everything you mentioned at Wayne's should work with maybe a little
winter protection the first couple years on specific cold nights. I am on the edge of 9b and 10a and we haven't had frost
the past 2 winters. I guess we are due? Siesta Key is wonderful. I hope you can get a little property? Everything you mentioned
I have in my yard but we could have a 25 degree night and I will be scrambling.

[SonnyCrockett]

Siesta Key is definitely warmer then Bradenton. Everything you mentioned at Wayne's should work with maybe a little
winter protection the first couple years on specific cold nights. I am on the edge of 9b and 10a and we haven't had frost
the past 2 winters. I guess we are due? Siesta Key is wonderful. I hope you can get a little property? Everything you mentioned
I have in my yard but we could have a 25 degree night and I will be scrambling.

Probably going to end up with a fairly small lot (0.3 to 0.6 acres), so I'm trying to prioritize what to plant and what to leave out/not attempt. 

What about Muntingia?  Biriba?  Euginias?  Will the fruit flies attack soft-skinned fruits?

[achetadomestica]

I grow muntingia but we haven't had frost in two years. I have lived here for 7 years now and one winter we had 3 frosts including a heavy one and 3 years ago it was 30F for 3 hours in the end of February. Last winter we were 37F with a strong windchill that kept the frost off. My muntingia produced all winter but slowed down. I have Na Dai sugar apples and Lisa, Dream, and an Australian atemoya. I also have over 10 different Eugenia species. So far the fruit fly has not been an issue. I have a stink bug that pokes my peaches then beetles enter the fruit. I visited a couple growers out on Pine Island and one grower had peaches. They have never had this stink bug poke their fruit and the peaches were unblemished. Not sure what you will encounter, My biggest nemesis has been the Sri Lankan weevil, it chews up allot of my new growth but leaves the fruit alone. The weevil is common in the nurseries. I am currently trying a nematode and it is keeping the numbers down but has not eradicated them, yet.

[SonnyCrockett]

Since you mentioned peaches, which varieties do you grow?   I have a lot of temperate plants that I'm not sure about bringing-  blackberries, peaches, plums, mulberries, loquat, pomegranates, etc.  I try to plant so that I always have something fruiting, but dont want to waste time and space on fruit that won't do well.  Whatever I don't take down there is probably going to get planted at my parents farm.

[bradflorida]

Hi Sonny

I live in Osprey.  It's a few miles south of siesta key. 

The following grow well here: Lychees, longans, avocado, jackfruit, coconut, jaboticaba, fig, dragonfruit, persimmon, sugar apple, blueberries, sapodilla, starfruit, etc.

Brad

[achetadomestica]

I grow the low chill peaches including Tropic Beauty, FL glow, FL snow, grande,
They are out of UF and it is much cooler up there. Most of these trees need 75-175 chill hours.
We haven't had that in 2 years and luckily they still produce for me. I am especially excited
about the white flesh peaches. The FL glow and FL snow are both white flesh. The stink bugs
don't mess with these as much. They have melting flesh. When you eat one it is incredible!
I had plums and currently have a Hypoluxo that is self pollinating and produces every year,
my tree has never been a real vigorous tree but I end up with 25-50 a year. There is a gulf series
that requires a pollinator but I didn't do well with them. I also have 2 sunracer nectarines and they
had a real good flavor. I think they need 200 or 250 chill hours and I didn't have much production.
I dug up a white mulberry from up north. 3 years in a row the fruit was terrible. I do have 7 types
of mulberries and can let you know what works down here. I had a couple trees from up north and
they didn't fruit?

[WGphil]

Plenty of mango trees in the interior of Siesta.  Nearer the salt may be different
 East of 75 is a lot colder, a lot.

Join the Local fruit club that was meeting at Marie Selby  Gardens when I lived  down there.  They know their area.

Osprey is very similar and if they grow it there you should be able to also


On Longboat is a huge Mango tree in Durante Park still making stringy fruit.     Pretty old tree that is a test of time

[Vernmented]

You can grow almost anything besides the ultra tropicals. I think muntingia would be a waste of space. I have fruiting jackfruit east of 75 but it has been warm the past few winters. I am about 7.5 miles east of Siesta. Salt spray could be an issue if you were right on the gulf. I'm not sure about well water quality out there.

[SonnyCrockett]

Thanks guys.  I appreciate the info.  I will be going back down there soon to start looking for a place.

[beefyboy]

Siesta Key can be a hot box.  I took care of hundreds of fruit trees there, you can grow anything you like with some common sense placement.