Pensacola News Journal

For:  Saturday, Dec. 18, 2004

By:   Daniel E. Mullins

        Extension Horticulture Agent

        Santa Rosa County

 

Choose Fruit Tree Varieties with Care

 

            Gardeners’ thoughts often turn to fruit tree planting at this time of year.  Catalogues describe and illustrate bountifully bearing trees containing luscious fruits of many kinds.  It’s almost enough to make us believe that we can grow any kind and variety of fruit just about anywhere.

            Though we can grow many kinds of fruits in Gulf Coast landscapes, variety selection is extremely important.  We are in a special climatic zone where selecting the particular varieties for our conditions is absolutely necessary.

            We receive 400 to 600 chill units on average, during each winter.  This refers to the amount of accumulated exposure to cool temperatures during winter dormancy that is necessary for the resumption of normal growth the following spring.  Deciduous fruits for this climatic zone are therefore bred or selected to match these conditions.  Varieties that are adapted to more northern climates – some require 1,000 or more chill hours, usually fail to flower and set fruit properly following our relatively mild winters.

            There are also fruit trees being bred for growing in Central and South Florida that require fewer chill units.  When these varieties are planted along the Northern Gulf Coast they tend to have their dormancy requirements met too early.  They then produce flowers and young fruit which are killed by winter frosts or freezes.

            Apples serve as a good example as to how selective the gardener should be when choosing varieties.  First, don’t waste your time by attempting to grow some of the nationally known apples such as Delicious, Winesap and Rome along the Gulf Coast.  These and many of the other northern varieties would rarely if ever receive enough chilling to bear this far south.  Even if they happened to bear fruit following an unusually cold winter, these are long season apples and the fruit would probably rot before ripening during the following wet, humid summer.  

            There are only three apple varieties that can be recommended for our area.  These are Anna, Dorsett Golden and Tropic Sweet.  More than one of these varieties should be planted to aid in pollination.

            It’s a similar story for another dozen different deciduous fruits that can be grown in Gulf Coast landscapes.  These include grape, blueberry, persimmon, fig, pecan, peach, plum, nectarine, pear, blackberry and chestnut.

            The fruit variety issue is so critical that no fruit tree planting should be considered without a North Florida recommended variety list in hand.  I have talked with enough frustrated gardeners who have unfortunately begun by just purchasing whatever was easily available when the urge to plant was upon them.

            Your local Florida Extension office can provide a publication that is very helpful when planning a home orchard or just establishing a few plants.  It is Circular 611, “Deciduous Fruits for North Florida.”  The same publication is available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG211.  This 17 page document is in a format that can be easily printed.  It includes recommended varieties, plant spacing and cultural practices.

Question of the Week:  I have noticed some evergreen shrubs that are blooming now.  Some are white and some are pink.  What are they?  I would like to have some in my landscape as they flower at an unusual time.

Answer:  These are most likely cultivars of the Sasanqua Camellia.  This is a well adapted species of Camellia.  It is generally very cold hardy and blooms during the fall and early winter, well before the better known japonica cultivars.

It would be a great addition to any landscape where late season color is desired.  Some local nurseries and garden centers offer Camellia sasanqua plants.  They are available in white, pink and red flower colors.  There are also a few dwarf types.