Fruit & nut trees

[Steve McDonald]

Originally Posted by charlygal

Hi, I'm thinking about having 2 or 3 fruit & nut trees in my yard when I buy my new house.

I'm planning on a dwarf almond tree and a dwarf Rainier cherry tree. I can always freeze, dehydrate, or vacuum pack the cherries and almonds.

I'm also contemplating either a dwarf citrus tree or even a dwarf avocado tree. My question is, what to do with the extra citrus or avocados. There is some flexibility with the citrus. However, avocados don't last long or store well.

Any other suggestions for dwarf fruit or nut trees? Do any of you grow fruit or nuts in your yards?

Cherries have a very short fruit-bearing season and the weather often raises havoc with them. Any rain during the time when they're nearing ripeness, will split and ruin them all. I have several cherry trees and if I'm lucky, I get a good crop only about one year out of five. Sometimes, the rain will impair pollinating insects and there won't be many cherries on the trees. This year, we had steady rain during March and early April and there's only about 1% of a crop on the trees. Some years, even when the crop is good, starlings will come and clean them out in just a few hours. Apple, pear and prune trees, that have ripe fruit in the dry season during early fall, are a much better choice for fruit.

But if you can grow avocados, you must be in a more southerly region and perhaps my cautions and recommendations won't be so valid. We did have a large almond tree, that was a special variety for this region and it put on a huge crop. But when a major windstorm hit, it snapped-off at the base and went rolling away, like a giant tumbleweed.

[southernnaturelover]

I can barely get citrus to survive for more than a few years in 8b (except the inedible trifoliate orange), so I highly doubt you’ll be successful getting them to grow in 7b. Same for avocado.

You need to look at Asian persimmons, plums, apples, pears, and Brown Turkey figs.

[terracore]

Originally Posted by DougStark

OP, like marino760 said, there is NO WAY you will be able to grow Avocado trees outside in the ground in your zone--way too cold. Also, same goes for citrus. 7b is way too cold for them also.

Instead of buying fruit trees mail order, I recommend that you go to a local nursery. They will know what will grow and fruit in your area.

It wasn't outside, or in the ground, but I grew avocados, lemons, and limes in Alaska with both the lemons and limes fruiting. I didn't know anything about avocados at the time but gave the potted tree away when I left. Last I heard it's still alive and looks great. I don't expect it will ever grow fruit. Another thing you can grow inside with good results is dwarf coffee trees. A member of the gardenia family, their blossoms smell amazing. Indoors you have to hand-pollinate them if you want coffee beans. They actually make attractive house "plants".

[Heidi60]

Originally Posted by Arktikos

This post raises a couple obvious questions. Why does no one pick the cherries? In lieu of that, why not cut the tree down rather than spend thousands?

Thousands spent on rodent removal? Guess what-it won't work! I won't leave you hanging for a reason-it's because they will keep coming. Illegal immigration, you know?

My friend's neighbor may not appreciate her cutting down a tree which does not belong to her, obviously. Also, the cherries are smaller and harder to see on the ground than larger fruits so it is easy to miss a few, especially when you are in your 70's.