Weird microclimate help

[MorroBay]

So I’m located in Morro Bay CA in zone 10a.  So when I look at many tropical fruits I’m good to go but I have another issue.  It rarely gets above 70 degrees, it’s like mid 60’s year round.  So while nothing really dies, nothing really thrives.  Don’t have room for a greenhouse.  Only have room for container plants.  What thrives in these kind of temps?  I got some unknown banana trees, dragon fruit and some finger limes.  Looking to expand.  No room for large trees (avocado) unfortunately.

Thanks!

https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/morro-bay/california/united-states/usca0733


 

[850FL]

To start off I’d look into mountainous South American fruits. Cherimoya definitely comes to mind when you say ambient ‘cooler’ 60-70 F averages.. a lot of my seedling cherimoyas and even atemoyas started to succumb above 85-90F in the sun.. not all but quite a few..  also they can take freezes down somewhere in the 20s F

[Mike T]

That is good advice from 850. Atemoya can actually handle way higher temps than that and it is dry wind and very low humidity that is a bigger deal for them especially combined with warmer days. Highland tropical stuff, southern Brazilian species, southern Chinese stuff are worth road testing if you maximums are modest.

[Epicatt2]

Moro,

How about checking out some of the Passiflora species like maybe P. ligularis which doesn't react well to our south Florida summer heat but at 70ºF like you have they should do okay if you can also provide them with enough humidity.

The vines will need somthing to run on like a chainlink fence, etc. but they won't get huge and tall like a tree would.

Just a thought.

Paul M.
==

[MorroBay]

Great ideas so far.  It’s kinda weird to research plants in reverse.  Most info is geared towards lowest growing temp instead of ideal temp.  So searching by similar region is a much better idea. 

I really like the passiflora suggestion!

[spaugh]

To start off I’d look into mountainous South American fruits. Cherimoya definitely comes to mind when you say ambient ‘cooler’ 60-70 F averages.. a lot of my seedling cherimoyas and even atemoyas started to succumb above 85-90F in the sun.. not all but quite a few..  also they can take freezes down somewhere in the 20s F

Cherimoyas and atemoyas can take 90F easily.  They will need the heat to ripen properly like most fruit.

60-70F is quite cold, I think you will have trouble growing much of anything that's a sweet fruit. 

What will grow well is lettuce, cilantro broccoli, that type of thing.  I really wish I could grow those things year round.  It's way too hot here, the just bolt immediately. 

[850FL]

To start off I’d look into mountainous South American fruits. Cherimoya definitely comes to mind when you say ambient ‘cooler’ 60-70 F averages.. a lot of my seedling cherimoyas and even atemoyas started to succumb above 85-90F in the sun.. not all but quite a few..  also they can take freezes down somewhere in the 20s F

Cherimoyas and atemoyas can take 90F easily.  They will need the heat to ripen properly like most fruit.

60-70F is quite cold, I think you will have trouble growing much of anything that's a sweet fruit. 

What will grow well is lettuce, cilantro broccoli, that type of thing.  I really wish I could grow those things year round.  It's way too hot here, the just bolt immediately.

Well.. I know what you’re saying.. most of my sugar apples and atemoyas really do need a lot of sun (and fertilizer too). But I’ve noticed that the cherimoyas I have in dappled or edge-of-the-woods lighting situations (at least in this Florida climate) tend to do better than many of the ones in more full sun (at least for veg growth... I have yet to see any fruit, and you’re right I know they’ll need better light for good yields). But I’ve had this weird unexplained problem with quite a few of the cherimoyas (and also a few cherimoya-dominant atemoya) where a large branch will suddenly die, or half the plant will die, or it’ll almost completely die down to a stump for absolutely no visible reason.. and no it isn’t from lack of Nitrogen. I could only deduce it was the heat doing that to them, like in the dead of summer with 90-100F temps 80-100% humidity, but still...
(I have seen boring beetles kill off a branch or two but there is always sap and an entry hole as indicators, and there weren't many of them this year anyway)
Also, all my annonas are from seed, and maybe my seedling varieties are just not as well suited to heavy heat (I do get most of my seeds from Asia market fruit)

[Bush2Beach]

Grow all the “cloudforest “ fruits.
Lulo, tree tomato, cherimoya, Babaco papaya, Pepino Dulce, Cape Gooseberry,etc..
All of these fit a small backyard or can be fruited in comtainers.
These will do well for you in Morro Bay as they thrive in foggy, coastal CA where it doesnt get inland hot temperatures.
Your climate is sub tropical and not hot enough to grow tropical fruits.
I am in Santa Cruz so fairly similar climate . I am familiar with Morro Bay weather too.

[MorroBay]

I looked at Cape Gooseberry and they seem a good fit.  Don’t get me wrong I’ve worked out a few tricks to get a little heat to my plants.  Most are full sun on the deck where it gets pretty toasty and some corrugated tin along the fence isn’t just to look artsy, it retains and radiates heat to the plants next to it.  The deck runs about ten degrees hotter than the rest of the yard so I’m able to have upper 70’s if the sun is out.

We are fairly similar to Santa Cruz so you know my struggles, lol.  I’m like 300 yards from the surf so it’s an interesting micro climate to work in.

[Bush2Beach]

You could also run some suntuf panels off your house over the deck for a little more heat and That would keep the rain off in the winter to mitigate root rot and blossom rot in some fruits.

[BoBiscuit]

Any area you can protect from the onshore breezes is going to be several degrees warmer than the temps shown in the chart, especially near a wall facing the sun. So that can help you. Also those numbers are probably for the immediate coast. I've spent some time in Morro Bay, and it seems like even half a mile inland is considerably warmer than the beach. So lets be optimistic....maybe in the warmest parts of your yard you could try some eugenias? If you have a shady protected spot coffee might be OK. Definitely try cloudforest plants like tamarillo, as other posters suggested.

My first thoughts were white sapote and cherimoya, but those grow into huge trees unfortunately.

[Bush2Beach]

HoneyHart Cherimoya is self pollinating , naturally dwarfed and can be fruited well in a pot in foggy coastal climates. My in ground tree’s are 6’ max and very productive.

[MorroBay]

I’ll check out the cherimoya.