-
- Articles
Index : Citrus and Other Fruits
-
-
- 26. Fruits of the Desert - Top
- Well, maybe we can't grow apples like Washington State or peaches like Georgia, but with the right varieties, good fruit can be grown here in the desert. The key to success is choosing varieties of fruit that have a low chilling requirement.
Deciduous fruit trees; apples, peaches, apricots, pears, and plums need a minimum amount of cold during the winter to properly grow and produce fruit. Many varieties of fruit trees need more cold than we typically receive here in Tucson. The ones that require the least amount of cold temperatures (low chill) are the ones we can grow. They include; ‘Anna' or ‘Dorsett Golden' apple; ‘Desert Gold' or ‘Flordaprince' peach; ‘Orient', ‘Floridahome' or ‘LeConte' pear; ‘Katy', ‘Gold Kist', or ‘Castlebrite' apricot, and ‘Santa Rosa' or ‘Satsuma' Japanese plum.
For fruit to form, pollination of the flowers must occur. Some fruit trees will pollinate themselves and are termed self-fruitful. Apricots are self-fruitful, so only one tree needs to be planted to produce fruit. Other fruit trees will not pollinate themselves and are termed self- unfruitful. Therefore two varieties must be planted for fruit set to occur. This is called cross- pollination. Peaches, and pears are self-unfruitful and require cross-pollination. Apples and Japanese plums are also generally self-unfruitful, but ‘Anna' apple and ‘Santa Rosa' plum will set fruit fairly well without cross-pollination.
Choosing the right location to grow a fruit tree around your home is another important consideration. Fruit trees need full sun to grow and produce fruit. They also need a well drained soil. To check drainage, dig a hole about the size of a five gallon container in the location you intend to plant your tree. Fill it with water, and after the water drains out, fill it again. If after the second filling, water drains out of the hole in 24 hours, drainage is good. If it takes longer than 48 hours to drain, look for a new location.
Besides sun and drainage, pick a location that avoids cold pockets. These cold spots usually occur on the lower section of your yard. Cold air, being heavier than warm, tends to drain down-slope to low spots, such as along washes. Here it settles, and can easily freeze the flower buds and blossoms of fruit trees. Cold air flowing down slope can also settle in areas where it meets and obstruction, such as the house or a free-standing wall. Don't plant in these cold pockets.
Just as detrimental can be planting in excessively warm spots, such as near south or west facing walls. These areas are warmed by the winter sun and may cause fruit trees to begin flowering earlier than normal. A cold snap can then freeze these premature blossoms and eliminate the year's crop of fruit.
Now is a good time to plant container grown fruit trees. Purchase high quality trees from a reliable nursery. This is the best way to insure that your buying the variety advertised, and that it is a healthy tree. The cost of your fruit tree will be the smallest expense in the long run. Don't cheat yourself by purchasing a lower quality tree to save money.
If you can't find the variety of fruit tree you want in a container, wait till this winter. A better selection can usually be had when bare-root fruit trees become available in January. These should also be planted in January. This will allow enough time for the soil to settle and new roots to develop before spring growth begins.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161.
Material originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on October 31, 1999
- Updated: July 25, 2001
-
-
[e-Mail me
the Articles] - [Search
the Articles]
-
|
