Central Florida food forest ideas.

[Empoweredandfree]

I’ve been trying to compile a list of reliable central Florida (Orlando area) fruit tree food forest. Based on my reading it seems not all that different in terms what will survive from zone 7. By survive I mean guaranteed, not being knocked off by a relatively common winter freeze in the area. I’m not planning to build tents or set up micro-climates, just looking for trees I can count on.

I’m shocked at the nurseries selling soursop, a tree that has absolutely no chance to survive outdoors in the area.

 Here is a list I compiled, please let me know if I’m missing anything...

Low chill peaches

Low chill apples

Persimmon

Pawpaw

Pomegranate

Loquat

Citrus

White sapote (maybe)

Atemoya (maybe)

Mulberry

**I was dreaming of a fig forest but my understanding is nematodes all but ruin that possibility so I’ll keep my fig collection above ground**

[shpaz]

I have been planning a FF for years, and from the data I compiled so far (for low desert weather), you can also plant Eugenia dombeyi, Myrcianthes pungens, Psidium cattleianum, Syzygium cumini, Passiflora edulis, Ziziphus jujuba, Litchi chinensis, Dimocarpus longan, Acca sellowiana.

These should be good down to 27F. I tried to leave out the ones that like dry weather.

[Tropheus76]

I will add even in my cooler area of Orlando, Jaboticaba does well here at least the standard one. Adam at Flying fruit has a whole grove of reds as well. Lychee as well. Apples are marginal in my experience. I keep trying because I am too stubborn to replace them but very slow growth and not very productive. For example, bot my Tropic Sweet and Ein Shimers are about 5 years old and might be 7 feet tall.

[Empoweredandfree]

Thank you both for the suggestions. Lychee, Jaboticaba , Longan....very cool, I would think a bad Orlando winter would wipe them out but I’ll give it a try if others are having no issues.

Avocados I’m sure would do well too.

 I was thinking about putting in pecan trees for the tremendous yields and market potential but they get absolutely huge and would take up the entire 3 acres.

[Botanicus]

My jaboticaba has been surprisingly cold hardy, with only minor leaf burn at around 23 F.

The University of Florida has bred some quite good low-chill peaches, plums, & nectarines. Grapes, both muscadine & bunch should do well too.

Blueberries, blackberries & raspberries also.

[Empoweredandfree]

My jaboticaba has been surprisingly cold hardy, with only minor leaf burn at around 23 F.

The University of Florida has bred some quite good low-chill peaches, plums, & nectarines. Grapes, both muscadine & bunch should do well too.

Blueberries, blackberries & raspberries also.

 As much as I love berries they are too invasive and the food forest will be overrun with them in a few years.

 Do the low chill stone fruits require the continuous sprays like the traditional varieties up north?

Along the fencing I’ll probably grow passion fruit and grapes.

[pineislander]

As much as I love berries they are too invasive and the food forest will be overrun with them in a few years.

Please try some of the erect thornless blackberries they stand up with maybe just a little support. They aren't invasive and thornfree. Look for one with low chill hours, some are 200-300. They bear the second year much faster than your fruit trees will.

Also, a fall planting of strawberries will make you happy by spring. You may have to replace every year.

[Empoweredandfree]

As much as I love berries they are too invasive and the food forest will be overrun with them in a few years.

Please try some of the erect thornless blackberries they stand up with maybe just a little support. They aren't invasive and thornfree. Look for one with low chill hours, some are 200-300. They bear the second year much faster than your fruit trees will.

Also, a fall planting of strawberries will make you happy by spring. You may have to replace every year.

 I’ll investigate. I was planning to do strawberries for sure but don’t nematodes attack them fairly consistently?

[pineislander]

I would set up a raised bed and build a compost pile inside so the strawberries were in pure compost, not just growing in native sand.
If you suspect nematode infestation there is a bio-control for that beneficial nematodes also works against grubs, ants, etc.
https://biologicco.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BioLogics-Nematode-Application-Directions.pdf

[bradflorida]

LSU purple fig should do fine. Supposedly nematode resistant.  Mine has done very well in the ground for the last few years.

Brad

[Coach62]

My jaboticaba has been surprisingly cold hardy, with only minor leaf burn at around 23 F.

The University of Florida has bred some quite good low-chill peaches, plums, & nectarines. Grapes, both muscadine & bunch should do well too.

Blueberries, blackberries & raspberries also.

I’ll second the UF peaches. They are excellent. I have UF Best and they are great trees and EXCELLENT fruit.

[Tropheus76]

LSU fig is not resistant enough. Mine lasted three years in the ground before dying as opposed to two. The only method of planting that has promise is the 5 gallon bucket method where you cut the bottom of a buck out and plant the fig inside that since the nematodes apparently don't go lower than 18inches or so.

That hard freeze we had last winter didn't mess with my lychee or my in the open regular jaboticabas. It did kill my red jabo though and it was under an oak tree for protection from frost. Did kill all my sugar apples, Barbados cherries, and Annona aside from freeze a mountain annonna down to the roots. Cheriyoma did fine. Surinam cherry in the open in a low spot didn't care about the cold either.

[SeaWalnut]

Feijoa would be nice if you like them and Ugni if you have acid soil.One nice thing about Ugni is that they can grow really well in the shadow.Kiwi vines are also nice.Walnuts or pecans are valuable trees but they poison the soil around them.Almonds are verry drought tolerant and they like alkaline soil.Texas persimmon ,D. Texana,also likes high ph.

[Empoweredandfree]

I would set up a raised bed and build a compost pile inside so the strawberries were in pure compost, not just growing in native sand.
If you suspect nematode infestation there is a bio-control for that beneficial nematodes also works against grubs, ants, etc.
https://biologicco.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BioLogics-Nematode-Application-Directions.pdf

Ok the raised bed i will def do. You grow them in pure compost?

Thanks for the info on the control product!

[Empoweredandfree]

LSU purple fig should do fine. Supposedly nematode resistant.  Mine has done very well in the ground for the last few years.

Brad

 That’s awesome to hear. I wonder if the other southern figs such as Smith and Col Littmans also have some resistance?

[Empoweredandfree]

My jaboticaba has been surprisingly cold hardy, with only minor leaf burn at around 23 F.

The University of Florida has bred some quite good low-chill peaches, plums, & nectarines. Grapes, both muscadine & bunch should do well too.

Blueberries, blackberries & raspberries also.

I’ll second the UF peaches. They are excellent. I have UF Best and they are great trees and EXCELLENT fruit.

 That’s excellent to hear because peaches are one of my favs

[Empoweredandfree]

LSU fig is not resistant enough. Mine lasted three years in the ground before dying as opposed to two. The only method of planting that has promise is the 5 gallon bucket method where you cut the bottom of a buck out and plant the fig inside that since the nematodes apparently don't go lower than 18inches or so.

That hard freeze we had last winter didn't mess with my lychee or my in the open regular jaboticabas. It did kill my red jabo though and it was under an oak tree for protection from frost. Did kill all my sugar apples, Barbados cherries, and Annona aside from freeze a mountain annonna down to the roots. Cheriyoma did fine. Surinam cherry in the open in a low spot didn't care about the cold either.

That sucks, central Florida is a real tricky climate. It can get downright brutal in the winter, even though not for long , just enough to wipe out tropicals. So it looks like lychee, Surinam cherry, and the normal Jaboticaba I’ll put up higher on this list. I’ll keep my sugar Apple, mangoes and such in a pot.

[Empoweredandfree]

Feijoa would be nice if you like them and Ugni if you have acid soil.One nice thing about Ugni is that they can grow really well in the shadow.Kiwi vines are also nice.Walnuts or pecans are valuable trees but they poison the soil around them.Almonds are verry drought tolerant and they like alkaline soil.Texas persimmon ,D. Texana,also likes high ph.

 I def want to plant an American persimmon. Even if it is more food for wildlife I love the trees! Especially the Magic Fountain weeping persimmon

[WGphil]

Start with your trees and plant smaller things around them for protection

I have a coffee plant for about fifteen years now that has froze back a couple times and came back out and is about 12,ft at the moment

Some things like moringa is cut to the ground to over winter and comes back out

There is a lot you can grow here when you start understanding your land

[johnb51]

If you were a little farther south (say, Sebring), would you try mango trees in the ground?

[Empoweredandfree]

Start with your trees and plant smaller things around them for protection

I have a coffee plant for about fifteen years now that has froze back a couple times and came back out and is about 12,ft at the moment

Some things like moringa is cut to the ground to over winter and comes back out

There is a lot you can grow here when you start understanding your land

 I’m going plant things that don’t need much protection but would the larger trees be better on the outer edges to protect from wind but far enough away to allow light for the smaller stuff?nIm thinking of putting White sapote and perhaps Jamaican cherry for example closest to the edge of the forest. On the fence I’m think passion vines. Interplanted with flowers and berries . Moringa I’m def going to do!

[Empoweredandfree]

If you were a little farther south (say, Sebring), would you try mango trees in the ground?
[/quote

 If I had more ambition to create micro-climates and so forth I def would, but otherwise I wouldn’t bother unless I was near the coast and much further south where I wouldn’t have to worry about a bad winter killing my tree. I see mangos growing around Orlando doing great but always next to walls or structures. My food forest will be in an open setting. I give lots of credit to those who experiment and zone push but I’ll go with the proven survivors. I’ll keep my mangos and ultra tropicals in pots and build a greenhouse. I’m still debating if atemoya is worth putting in the ground?

[WGphil]

Depends on what type trees

You may want to protect them first

Got lots of in ground mango here

[Empoweredandfree]

After consulting those on the citrus forum it looks like HLB contraction is 100% guaranteed given enough time so citrus is off the list....

 I may try to plant a mango if I feel a spot is appropriate. I’ve seen papaya fruiting in the area too so if papaya can survive I can’t see how mango wouldn’t

[SeaWalnut]

Legume nitrogen fixing trees like Inga or Guamuchil.Mesquites.