What fruit trees should I grow?

Good afternoon Marc Saade,

I hope you are having a great weekend. I finished tilling all my homemade compost into the soil in my garden, and I planted a few carrots and turnips.

We are very lucky to live in California. Since we grow over 80% of all the vegetables in the United States, our state is a gardener’s dream. We can almost plant anything we wish.

http://localfoods.about.com/od/searchbyregion/a/CA...

Still a little knowledge and folklore does help. This is the reason I plant with the moon. Every little bit helps, plus I just enjoy gardening without tasting all the pesticides.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/vegetable/planting...

If you are short on room, why not grow dwarf trees? They yield tons of fruits. I have nine (9) fruit trees. Be careful about planting a Pomegranate tree. I love Pomegranates, but it is very hard a pick one that is sweet.

I would not touch a Mulberry Tree. They have way too many insect problems and birds love them.

I have seen many people including my neighbor grow apples, but they never turn out that good. In fact, she always ends up making apple sauce. I am always surprised because Julian, near San Diego, grows some great apples. So do areas in the local mountains. I always blame it on the “chill factor” in my area. Remember it gets very HOT in your area.

I would recommend planting a “Dwarf Satsuma Mandarin Orange Tree”. It is my favorite citrus tree. My dwarf tree is twenty (20) years old. You will love this tree. It is very easy to grow. The dwarf will save you room and the yield will shock you.

The oranges are small, sweet, and almost seedless. Go to the grocery store and check out the prices (very high) of mandarin oranges in the can. Your family will love the fruits which ripen before the Christmas Holidays. I can sometimes eat ten (10) oranges a day, not all at the same time (smile).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_(fruit)

http://www.ehow.com/how_5620207_grow-satsuma-orang...

I also highly recommend my favorite tree, a STRAWBERRY GUAVA TREE. My Guava tree is thirty (30) years old. They are slow growers. They do not grow too big. I eat ten (10) a day. Guavas are called the “superfruit”. Guavas contain four (4) times more vitamin C and more nutrients (potassium and magnesium) than an orange. That is why I planted my guava tree. They come in many difference favors. I like the Strawberry. Again, they are easy to grow. You will also get two (2) crops per year. I highly recommend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guava

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/plant/Strawberry-Che...

http://www.thefind.com/garden/info-strawberry-guav...

Because we do live in a great state, I try to grow rare fruits you cannot find in the grocery stores. Always do the research before you plant them. Right now I am researching and thinking about planting a “Peanut Butter Tree”.

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/fruit%20pages/peanut...

Your list of fruit trees looks great. I hope I have helped with a few pointers. I have also included a list of rare trees you may want to take a look into planting. Remember Marc Saade, take your time and do the research. Pick the right variety for your area than plant. Nothing like working for years only to find out your fruits are bitter.

http://www.fruitlovers.com/fruittreedescriptions.h...

I hope you and your family have a beautiful week. Peace, from Los Angeles.

If you choose dwarf varieties, you can get quite a few trees into a small space. There are "patio" peaches, that only grow about 5 feet tall, and several "columnar" apple trees that basically look like flag poles covered with leaves and apples hugging them all the way up. They're a conversation piece as well as very very functional! You could plant them three feet apart with no problem!

You also might consider trying your hand at "espaliared" fruit trees - which is training the tree to grow flat against a fence or wall - also a big space saver.

Hello Marc,

My name is Gardengail and I work for the Home Depot in the garden section.

If you still have bare root trees in your local stores, there are 4 in one apple trees that you can find, also 3 in one citrus trees.

If you just want one apple try Beverly hills or Banana apple, neither one needs to be pollinated and they grow in warm winter areas. There is a dwarf peach that will grow in your area, but it needs a pollinator, so it may not save you much space. Try a 'utah sweet' pomegranate, it will not stain .

See if dwarf cavandish bananas will grow there, they only grow 6 feet tall.

Put them up against a south or west facing wall if your area is a little cool for them, or in a pot.

Hope this helps,

Gardengail