planting a little fruit orchard and need advice

16 years ago

I am searching for fruit trees that will do well in North Orange County, CA.

I have enough space to plant between 6 and 10 trees.

My contractor says I can easily plant 12 trees, my friend who has a landscape business says between 6 and 8.

I called the nursery that my contractor recommended by the name of LaVern Nursery, but the girl I spoke to had absolutely zero knowledge about fruit trees..

I've tried to search this site to see if the answer to my question already exists, but have not been able to find it.

The types of trees I would love to have are apricots, a pink lady type apple, plums, nectarines, satsuma tangerines, oranges, pear, persimmons ... (I already have a haas avocado tree that is amazing... yay! I's love to grow some red flame seedless and thompson seedless grapes too... any suggestions?

I printed out a list of all the different types of each tree I mention but am clueless about the differences. I also do not want the trees to get to big because I need to respect the view of my neighbor above. He will not be a happy camper if I block his view.

Persimmons seem to grow very well around here. I have stopped at homes that advertise the sale of their fruit and they look more like bushes than 60 foot trees that I have been reading about. I al interested in the little pumpkin looking ones.

Thank you in advance!

marym

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Comments (3)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
16 years ago
Marym:

There are people on this site who live in your area who know what varieties to plant. I used to live in CA and can offer some advice. Dave Wilson Nurseries website has info about backyard fruit culture and recommended low chill varieties of stone fruit. This is a great starting point. They will show you how to grow many varieties in a small space and how to keep the trees short.

You can grow many varieties of apples including ones that say they are high chill. Pink Lady is a great apple and one you can grow. Artic Star is a great early nectarine that is low chill.

As to grapes. You can grow Flame and Thompson but they would not be my choices. They, esp Thompson, need growth regulator sprays and girdling to reach the size you see in stores. I love Summer Royal as an early grape. It has better flavor and doesn't need all the sprays to reach good size and color. Crimson Seedless and Autumn Royal are later grapes that are better than Thompson IMO.

You can probably grow any type citrus. Washington navel, Chandler pummelo, and Clemenules tangerine are my personnel favorites.

I would recommend a minimum spacing of about 8ft by 10ft for all of these plants. You can keep the height to 8ft by regular pruning. You really don't need over 10ft by 12ft max per plant because that doesn't make sence at 8ft height.

The Fruitnut
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1canyongirl
16 years ago
Hi Marym,

Fruitnut has provided you with some great ideas and advice. Dave Wilson site is excellent for fruit growing info along with nurseries that carry those plants in your area. They are continually researching and experimenting with new varieties for SoCal.

TheRegister had a nursery article that I will provide a link.

A nice place for common citrus and a few other fruit trees 15 gallon size is Anaheim Wholesale over in Orange.

Another place for good priced and wide variety trees right now is Yorba Linda's Home Depot for 5 gallon size. Their buyer in the spring purchases a great supply of both common and uncommon varieties.

The most knowledgeable retail fruit man I have met so far is Gary Matsuoka and Laguna Hills Nursery over in Foothill Ranch. If you have questions or need advice, he is the man and it would be well worth the drive. He is both a fruit grower at home, and continuously keeps up with current research and development.

I completely agree with fruitnut about the grapes. So many preferred varieties other than red flame and thompson. My personal favorite is the good old Concord; we have about 10 different varieties of grapes here. This year trying the perlette that Trader Joes sells.

Another suggestion would be come to the California Rare Fruit Growers meetings; a group of backyard orchardists in Orange County that meets monthly at the Orange County Fairgrounds. We meet the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm. Have an educational one hour program (this month on Figs (Jon Verdick from Encanto Farms), next month on citrus (Larry Rose from Brokaw's Nursery), no meeting in July, then August is Tom deHotal who will talk on deciduous pruning (teaches pruning techniques at Southwest College); then a fruit tasting. A great number of members are North County and you will learn what has worked and are favorites. You will be surprised at what has been grown in North Orange County.

Our Royal Rainier cherry is a great producer (Dave Wilson has two nice new varieties Minnie Royal and Royal Lee, I believe it is and you need both), passion fruit does great (I make sorbets), have been unsuccessful with pears but I think there are a lot of Asians grown here. You can have a few citrus and learn to graft others onto it. Almonds (AllinOne) and Macadamias have been successful in zone 10. Pluots, Apriums, Plums, Nectarines...and we are lucky to have so many avocado varieties in addition to the commercial Hass. Dragon fruit, coffee. There are so many possibilities.

Best of growing.

Pam

Here is a link that might be useful: OC Register Nurseries
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Thanks for the replies folks - keep them coming - let's have some fruity brainstorming! I've realised that the idea I had in mind was poorly conveyed in the posting (and especially the diagram.) Here's goes with another attempt... and another poor diagram! My standard tree idea was to have the clear stem out of the light and the top branch sytem (leaves & fruit) to be in sunlight. This may encourage some fruit to form and possibly ripen. The stem section may be wasted, but it does not get enough direct sun to allow fruiting from low down to high up, as most trained fruit has (cordons, fans espaliers.) However, the idea of a tree trained to be like a tall step-over (one tier espalier) might work, but it wastes a lot lot of space and would need some training! A big T - tall stem and long laterals. It will also look "ahem" bizarre (no laughing please.) I would ideally like the overall height of the tree to be around 4m and pruned so that most of thefruiting branches hang over my side of the fence. Don't mind climbing a ladder. I used to go up an old apple bush tree that had an open goblet shape that had a 1m tall stem in my old garden. That tree would do well in this situation if I removed the brances that would push into the fence. Regarding varieties I've tasted and enjoyed: Apples - Sunset, Egremont Russet, Discovery, Scrumptious, Spartan, Fiesta, Red Falstaff. Pears - Comice, Concorde, Beth, Conference, Williams. Plums - Jubilee, Opal, Victoria, Green Gage, Ouillins Gage. Currently I'm thinking of 2 apple trees, 2 pear trees and forgoing plums for lack of space and ripening conditions. As I don't want any culinary only varieties, and if desert varieties are difficult in semi-shade or sun for only half the day, then how about dual purpose variety as a compromise. Then it could be left to ripen for longer and eaten as a desert. Or maybe planting early varieties and just leaving them to get sun for longer and picking later. Suagrs may have developed by then.
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applenut_gw
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I put my vote in for 12-15 trees and lots of apples. On the apples you can ignore the chilling hours (GoldRush is a must); but pay careful attention to the chilling requirements of stonefruit however.

Laguna Hills nursery is a great place to go, as is the CRFG meetings. They are hosting the statewide Festival of Fruit this August at Cal State Fullerton.

Here is a link that might be useful: Orange County CRFG
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planting a little fruit orchard and need advice

Comments (3)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

1canyongirl

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applenut_gw

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