Author Topic: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?  (Read 2269 times)

850FL

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Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« on: November 27, 2020, 12:54:58 PM »
What subtropical fruits able to take some degree of frost are the most worthwhile to grow in Florida? Adaptability to climate & soil, high price value (for fruit or saplings), rarity, landscape looks, and disease resistance are all factors involved..

Galatians522

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2020, 03:31:20 PM »
That is quite the list of requirements. Loquat would probably be great for your area and is a highly valued fruit in other countries that is ornamental, adaptable, and resistant to many Florida pests. The main issues would be fire blight (often linked to over fertilization) and fruit flies (which tend to be more problematic the further south you go in the state). Other fruits that you might consider are pomegranite, muscadine grape, persimmon, fig, select avocado varieties, and possibly white sapote. I have not tasted white sapote, but Wayne Cliffton spoke highly of it and gave us a Smathers before he passed away.

Mike T

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2020, 03:37:33 PM »
23 to say 28 latitude is great for a lot of species including lychees mangoes and avocadoes.

Ulfr

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2020, 03:48:02 PM »
Add sapodilla, canistel, atemoya, bananas, dragonfruit, jaboticaba, all guavas and even star apples depending on what *some degree of frost* means.

I get Minor frost most years here and those all do well. I have jackfruit too and they are mostly ok after the first 2 years.

I protected a lot of it for the first year.I did have some losses of small trees one bad year when I didn’t (coldest recorded temp ever here).
« Last Edit: November 27, 2020, 10:21:11 PM by Ulfr »

Mike T

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2020, 04:12:56 PM »
It would be easier to list the tropicals you cant grow like durian and mangosteen but innovators are trying.

bsbullie

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2020, 04:35:06 PM »
The OP is in the Florida panhandle.  That climate "can be" iffy for some things as its not out of the realm to get a decent freeze now and then.  I spent many years in Gainesville and endured temps between 10-15 degrees F.  Saw snow and ice storms as well.  Things may be a bit different now with the global warming but chances "could" still be out there.

As Mike said, options are numerous.   Unless you have large acreage to plant, you should focus on what YOU like.
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Jaboticaba45

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2020, 05:05:40 PM »
Well, zone 9a is considered "cursed" cause there are not enough chill hours for most of your temperate fruit trees to flower, and too cold still to grow the "tropicals" due to those hard freezes every couple years. Loquat, pawpaw, muscadines, jabos?, citrus, fejoa, and persimmon would all do well there like mentioned above.

MorroBay

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2020, 08:03:17 PM »
Passion fruit?

Gulfgardener

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2020, 03:13:55 PM »
I'm just down the road from OP and happy I came across this thread. I have a canistel in a pot and hope to put it in ground come spring. My loquat and figs seem to be doing great so far (I just moved here last year.)

I'd like to try growing White Sapote if anyone has experience with it in a colder zone. Fortunately, I'm on a hill right across from a bay so hopefully that will help a bit with frost. This year I'll be glued to my thermometer to find out more on my micro-climate.

I tend to agree with the cursed zone. 9a seems to be either right on the limit or pushing the boundaries for a lot of great fruit. Growing mangos in ground would be a dream come true.

forumfool

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2020, 10:17:40 PM »
If you can keep your fruiting trees small they will be easy to tarp and stick some c9 Christmas lights under for the minimal heat you’ll need

850FL

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2020, 11:48:59 AM »
That is quite the list of requirements. Loquat would probably be great for your area and is a highly valued fruit in other countries that is ornamental, adaptable, and resistant to many Florida pests. The main issues would be fire blight (often linked to over fertilization) and fruit flies (which tend to be more problematic the further south you go in the state). Other fruits that you might consider are pomegranite, muscadine grape, persimmon, fig, select avocado varieties, and possibly white sapote. I have not tasted white sapote, but Wayne Cliffton spoke highly of it and gave us a Smathers before he passed away.
Well they’re not all necessarily requirements what I stated in the original post, but more as a guideline..
yeah loquats do just fine here, almost no problems. I guess sourcing the better varieties more cheaply is the biggest concern..
I have had problems with fire blight but normally just on pears.. Floridahome btw is quite resistant..
Pomegranates- they grow easy with almost no irrigation and root up easily from cuttings, But I heard only certain varieties fruit very well in Florida.. and I don’t think I have those varieties as of yet..
Muscadines/scuppernongs- very adapted and most bear well, just seedy
I have most of the cold hardy avocados..
I am experimenting with a white sapote, bout a year old in the ground. Not sure what variety.. I haven’t tasted it either lol


850FL

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #11 on: December 03, 2020, 11:50:10 AM »
The OP is in the Florida panhandle.  That climate "can be" iffy for some things as its not out of the realm to get a decent freeze now and then.  I spent many years in Gainesville and endured temps between 10-15 degrees F.  Saw snow and ice storms as well.  Things may be a bit different now with the global warming but chances "could" still be out there.

As Mike said, options are numerous.   Unless you have large acreage to plant, you should focus on what YOU like.
Wow it hasn’t gotten under the upper teens here in a few decades..

850FL

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2020, 11:54:23 AM »
Well, zone 9a is considered "cursed" cause there are not enough chill hours for most of your temperate fruit trees to flower, and too cold still to grow the "tropicals" due to those hard freezes every couple years. Loquat, pawpaw, muscadines, jabos?, citrus, fejoa, and persimmon would all do well there like mentioned above.

In these parts one must source the coldest of the cold hardy subtropicals and of temperate species, the ones with the least chill hours.
I used to consider this place cursed and still kind of do, but at the same time I can actually just barely grow more things than most other zones, outside.. still scratching my head on that one
Pretty much hit the nail on the head with Loquat persimmon feijoa pawpaw muscadines and most citrus being the main reliable fruit tree crops here.. there’s some other obscurities too.. mulberry, kousa dogwood etc..
Javoitcabas I will be ordering as many seeds of different varieties as I can, but for now am experimenting with a few sabaras

LycheeLust

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2020, 03:25:43 PM »
Lychee, litchi, and lichi

skhan

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #14 on: December 03, 2020, 03:39:37 PM »
Persimmons, Low Chill Stone fruit, Loquats, Paw Paw, White Sapote maybe even Cherimoya.
Most of those don't really grow to do well this for south. We either have one or two varieties or the flys destroy the crop.
Jabos may be able to work in that climate too

Galatians522

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #15 on: December 03, 2020, 09:49:38 PM »
What about Che? We grew some seeds for a while and they bloomed (male) but tore them out because there were too many root suckers to control. We never got to taste the fruit. Thornless blackberries would be easy, too.

roblack

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #16 on: December 03, 2020, 10:51:37 PM »
Parfianka pomegranate might do well in your area.

AndrewAZ

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #17 on: December 04, 2020, 01:31:05 AM »
I would put guava in the list.  Live in 9b AZ and we have hit 27 and the guava only had minor die back.  Much hardier than mangoes.
Google low chill stone fruit.  I have an Anna apple that gets loaded with fruit and makes incredible apple pies.  Sun red nectarine, beauty plum, burgundy beauty plum, methely plum, Asian pears many low chill peach varieties should do great.

850FL

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #18 on: December 04, 2020, 03:30:00 PM »
What about Che? We grew some seeds for a while and they bloomed (male) but tore them out because there were too many root suckers to control. We never got to taste the fruit. Thornless blackberries would be easy, too.

I have a seedless Che grafted on Osage orange.. I was successful in rooting seedless cuttings from online as you would a mulberry. I haven’t tasted the fruit yet

Francis_Eric

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #19 on: December 07, 2020, 11:08:03 PM »
Looking at Greenman62 posts he is Close by New Orleans He mentions Star fruit or also known as carambola
It is in the oxalidaceae Family so it does have oxalic acid like Rhubarb (in the knot weed family) ,
 and should not be ate in large amounts at one sitting
I am not sure on that fruit , but reading here looks like if fully ripe not as bad .

Greenman62 profile http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1113

Also have recently saw a Southern Fruit club
Might not be best that far south , but I am not certain
(edit posted quickly, but I do see It was held in South Carolina ,
 but saw events in FLorida as well so see Events not certain how often though.


https://crfg.org/?s=carambola

Southern fruit fellowship
https://southernfruitfellowship.wordpress.com/gallery/
« Last Edit: December 07, 2020, 11:30:58 PM by Francis_Eric »

Tropheus76

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Re: Most worthwhile subtropical fruits to grow?
« Reply #20 on: December 08, 2020, 08:27:03 AM »
Starfruit might need protection in the coldest of weather.
Jaboticaba might work, Adam certainly has proven it in his cold location(relative to me 10 miles south)
Look at Pecans- there are some that will do well there but you will have to research them. I am doing that now.
Peaches, apples,  and plums of the low chill variaties should be fine for you
Olives
Obviously avocados
loquats<yawn>
bananas