Author Topic: Subtropicals for California Zone 9  (Read 14109 times)

Bush2Beach

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Re: Subtropicals for California Zone 9
« Reply #25 on: August 08, 2016, 01:57:23 PM »
Hey Joe,
 Sure, I've had those 3 Garcinia varieties growing side by side for over 3 years. 1 lemon drop, 2 Achachairu and a bunch of Luc's. Since I have more Luc's to play with I have put them in various location in and out of the greenhouse and it seems they all flush out around the same time and grow about the same. They stay in the greenhouse in the coldest months with the door closed on cold nights and otherwise open. They have deep tap root so a plant with 2 leaves could have a 24" tap root, deep tree pots are the way but mine are mostly in 5 and 3 Gallon. Well draining soil and as much water without water logging them. I think once they hit 15 and 25 G container and I can open them to a little more direct sun growth and side branching will come quicker. I tried the seashore mangosteen at fruit and spice park and didn't want to devote space to to it after that , though it was a nice sour fruit. I felt upgrading them to an easier to grow category was more in line with the other fruits in that category, they are easier to grow for me than all of the plants you put into "Possible with serious protection and lots of luck".
Try Babaco in a better draining location , perhaps on slope with some overhead taller tree protection or against a wall. I'm imagining your on slope in low gatos with some mixed oak, redwood etc...

CGameProgrammer

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Re: Subtropicals for California Zone 9
« Reply #26 on: August 08, 2016, 09:50:53 PM »
Babaco is absolutely more cold-hardy than papaya but that doesn't mean it likes frost. For example here in comparatively warm San Diego my papaya loses most leaves in winter and just has a tiny crown with leaves that have basically no stem at all, but the babaco on the other hand looks just fine. Papaya is very sensitive but babaco is much less so.

barath

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Re: Subtropicals for California Zone 9
« Reply #27 on: August 08, 2016, 11:03:08 PM »
Hey Joe,
 Sure, I've had those 3 Garcinia varieties growing side by side for over 3 years. 1 lemon drop, 2 Achachairu and a bunch of Luc's. Since I have more Luc's to play with I have put them in various location in and out of the greenhouse and it seems they all flush out around the same time and grow about the same. They stay in the greenhouse in the coldest months with the door closed on cold nights and otherwise open. They have deep tap root so a plant with 2 leaves could have a 24" tap root, deep tree pots are the way but mine are mostly in 5 and 3 Gallon. Well draining soil and as much water without water logging them. I think once they hit 15 and 25 G container and I can open them to a little more direct sun growth and side branching will come quicker. I tried the seashore mangosteen at fruit and spice park and didn't want to devote space to to it after that , though it was a nice sour fruit. I felt upgrading them to an easier to grow category was more in line with the other fruits in that category, they are easier to grow for me than all of the plants you put into "Possible with serious protection and lots of luck".
Try Babaco in a better draining location , perhaps on slope with some overhead taller tree protection or against a wall. I'm imagining your on slope in low gatos with some mixed oak, redwood etc...

I've been wondering if there is some way to get the Luc's to grow faster.  Even the ones I have in the greenhouse barely grow faster than the ones outdoors.  Achachairu seems to grow quite a bit faster for me, but I don't know if that means it would be a good rootstock for Luc's.  (It seems less cold hardy, but I can't really comment on frost tolerance.)

darkcoolboo

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Re: Subtropicals for California Zone 9
« Reply #28 on: August 09, 2016, 01:00:16 AM »

I am unsure how often it reaches 29F in you area and how much sun you have, so the list may not apply for all 9b climates since they are so diverse. For example, your 9b and wetter 9bs like Louisiana or FL are wetter and so are a dealbreaker for plants like avocado and cherimoya. 


I have made a similar list, but it is for Arizona. If Arizonans are reading this, don't
quote me on this list, because most of the info has come from Arizona tropical fruit websites. It doesn't include more of the rarer stuff you find in CA, but it gives a good idea. Each one respond to harsh sun to a different extent and to right write about the topic would require another list. Also this list has some herbs, so dont freak out.

Easy:
 No frost cloth (nfc), small size as in can be brought indoors (ss) OR fast growth and can regrow for the next fruiting season (fg)
 Loquat (nfc)
 Passionfruit (fg)
Jaboticaba (nfc)(ss)
 Peach (nfc)
 Cherry (nfc)
 Almond (nfc)
Prickly pear (nfc)
 Apricot (nfc)
 European pear (nfc)
 Asian pear (nfc)
 Mulberry (nfc)
 Fig (nfc)
 Grapes (fg)
 White sapote (nfc)
 Persimmon (nfc)
 Allspice (ss)
 Pandan (ss)
 Indian curry leaf (ss)
 Lemongrass (ss)
 Pineapple guava (nfc)
 Banana (fg)
 Pomegranate (nfc)
 Kumquat (nfc)
 Orange (nfc)
 Blood orange (nfc)
 Grapefruit (nfc)
 Kiwifruit (nfc)
 Jujube (nfc)
 Goji Berry (nfc)
 Moringa (fg)
 Apple (nfc)
 Bamboo (nfc)
 Dragonfruit (ss)
 Jacaranda (nfc)
 Sugar cane (fg)
 Magenta (ss)
Guava (fg)
Acerola (fg)
 (ss)
 
 
 
Medium
 With frost cloth and/or one complication; small size (ss) and must be potted (mb) when indicated:
 Starfruit - wind
 Royal Poinciana
 Tipu
 Cherry of the Rio Grande - salt
 Tamarind - slow
 Guamúchil
 Michelia Figo (mb) - salt, soil
 Sapodilla (ss) - slow
 Foxtail Palm - slow
 Longan - salt
 Mango - salt
 African Tulip Tree - slow
 Mexican Garcinia - slow
 Achachairú – slow
 
 Hard
 With frost cloth, one or more complications, high humidity and/or dislikes soil. Do not attempt unless years of practice:
Papaya – drainage (it’s a hit or miss)
Jackfruit - humidity, cold
Miracle Berry – pH and salt
 Cherimoya – humidity, sunburn
Canistel - salt, humidity, sunburn
 Sweetsop - humidity
 Soursop – humidity

Bush2Beach

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Re: Subtropicals for California Zone 9
« Reply #29 on: August 09, 2016, 11:48:56 AM »
Hey Joe,
 Sure, I've had those 3 Garcinia varieties growing side by side for over 3 years. 1 lemon drop, 2 Achachairu and a bunch of Luc's. Since I have more Luc's to play with I have put them in various location in and out of the greenhouse and it seems they all flush out around the same time and grow about the same. They stay in the greenhouse in the coldest months with the door closed on cold nights and otherwise open. They have deep tap root so a plant with 2 leaves could have a 24" tap root, deep tree pots are the way but mine are mostly in 5 and 3 Gallon. Well draining soil and as much water without water logging them. I think once they hit 15 and 25 G container and I can open them to a little more direct sun growth and side branching will come quicker. I tried the seashore mangosteen at fruit and spice park and didn't want to devote space to to it after that , though it was a nice sour fruit. I felt upgrading them to an easier to grow category was more in line with the other fruits in that category, they are easier to grow for me than all of the plants you put into "Possible with serious protection and lots of luck".
Try Babaco in a better draining location , perhaps on slope with some overhead taller tree protection or against a wall. I'm imagining your on slope in low gatos with some mixed oak, redwood etc...

I've been wondering if there is some way to get the Luc's to grow faster.  Even the ones I have in the greenhouse barely grow faster than the ones outdoors.  Achachairu seems to grow quite a bit faster for me, but I don't know if that means it would be a good rootstock for Luc's.  (It seems less cold hardy, but I can't really comment on frost tolerance.)

I'm expecting as they get more canopy and branch out , as well as up potting and playing with how soon you can put them in more full sun will all accelerate growth. It was a known long haul going in , the first Garcinia I got from Montoso "lemon drop mangosteen" is ready for a 15 G soon. I've been spraying with kelp and micro's a lot lately.

jason (palo alto)

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Re: Subtropicals for California Zone 9
« Reply #30 on: August 19, 2016, 12:06:41 AM »
Great list! I see several more fruit I need to add to my collection.
Thought I would add a few more that I haven't seen in any of the posts so far based on my experiences. I have several years of growing experience in the palo alto area and monterey area. Neither of which get too hot but they also don't get too cold. Right now I'm growing in Redwood City and starting a new plot in Pacific Grove.

Easy
Fuchsia (Denticulata, Boliviana, Procumbens, Splendens, others)
Perekia sp. (aculeata, bleo, grandifolia)
Halleria lucida
Lardizabala biternata
Stauntonia hexaphylla
Yerba Mate
Camellia Sinensis (Tea)
Caigua
Natal Plum
Leycesteria formosa (Pheasant Berry)
Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadine)
Nylandtia spinosa (Tortoise berry)

Medium
Coffee
Dovyalis Hebecarpa (Ketembilla)
Naranjilla
Curry Leaf
Pineapple
Vasconcellea sp. (papaya relatives, i.e. babaco)

Itay Gazit

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Re: Subtropicals for California Zone 9
« Reply #31 on: September 14, 2017, 04:16:47 AM »
Guys, let's keep this thread alive to report success and failures of tropical fruit trees in the bay area.

My plants are still young, I have only a few planted in the ground: Dwarf Namwah, Emperor Lychee, Keitt Mango

In a pot close to a wall I have: Blue Jaboticaba, Wampi, Florida sweet Acerola, Kohala Longan, Malabar Chestnut, Mango Brahm kai meu, Karambola

Will update after the Winter.

Zarafet

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Re: Subtropicals for California Zone 9
« Reply #32 on: September 14, 2017, 03:21:17 PM »
I have never covered my longan And it is in the coldest part of the yard . It has been in the ground for 3 years . I've covered the mangoes that are right around it and they got burned from the frost and the longan just looks at the mangoes and laughs .

Joe, I amended your list based on experience from the other side of the hill. Through trial and error I've found some plants thrive great in 1 part of the yard and died in another, or planted out early and died versus up potting and planting out a bigger tree. Keep it growing!

Bulletproof
Capulin Cherry
Cape gooseberry
Loquat
Cattley Guava
Feijoa
Guabiju

Easy with little to no protection

Avocado
Frederick
Cherimoya
Atemoya
Lucuma
Banana (cold tolerant varieties)
Macadamia
White Sapote
Cherry of the Rio Grande
Suriname Cherry
Ugni Molinae
Babaco
Ice Cream Bean

Needs protection only in very cold years

Jaboticaba
Green Sapote
Black Sapote
Imbe
Longan
Tropical Guavas
Pitomba
Pitangatuba
Cedar Bay Cherry
Tamarillo & Pepino Dulce (an easy to grow annual that dies in winter)
Luc's Mexican , Achacha, Lemon drop
Cinnamon Apple (Pouteria hypoglauca)
Guabiroba (various Campomanesias)

Possible with serious protection and lots of luck
Mango
Kwai Muk
Carambola
Canistel
Sapodilla
Lychee
Wax Jambu
Grumichama
Ceylon Cinnamon
Allspice
Strawberry Tree (Muntingia calabura)
Wampee
Peanut Butter Fruit
Rainforest Plum

Cannasquirrel

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Re: Subtropicals for California Zone 9
« Reply #33 on: January 01, 2023, 11:51:08 PM »
what about duguetia
Cupã squirrel

SDPirate

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Re: Subtropicals for California Zone 9
« Reply #34 on: January 03, 2023, 07:26:57 PM »
I would say it is hard to say with Duguetia.  I have heard some that say certain species can withstand a frost, but I think there is not a whole lot of data or examples of mature trees in the US.  Until we have more people getting these to adulthood, then we could have a better idea of how tolerant they are.