Guavas?

I am posting a link to the interactive zone map. You can find your exact zone by putting in your zip code and zooming in. There are so many microclimates here, it's crazy!

Once you find it, go to your profile, and enter it into the zone field so members can be of better help to you.

We grow persimmon, figs, citrus, avocado, Anna apple, peaches, apricots, plums, Pakistan Mulberry, pistaschio, macadamia and many wine grapes.

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA Plant Hardiness Interactive Map

I'm in the hot, dry, interior valley, so I don't have much in the way of direct experience in your locale. But I have to say that you have the right frame of mind. Knowing that you need locale specific info, and you that you need to do your homework, is half the battle. Plan your plants, and plant your plans.

That said, I would start by talking to your neighbors and by finding a local nursery person. Not a big-box cashier, but a true pro working at a legit nursery. You're going to need to find that nursery any way.

Next, take a good long look at Tom's Picks - Winners for the Low-Chill Southwest Note: "TomâÂÂs top 21 picks were selected for their ability to produce quality fruit in Southern CaliforniaâÂÂs coastal and inland valleys,.." I can't vouch for all the choices in his list, but 'Pink Lady', 'Arctic Star', 'Burgundy', 'August Pride', 'Flavor Grenade', and 'Flavor King' are winners for me,

Thanks for the links and suggestions guys...I appear to be zone 10b -- of course, I'm in an extremely temperate 10b. Given that, I think the suggestion to just talk to the local legit nursery, gardening clubs, etc makes a lot of sense and I'll do that.

It all should factor into your plans. L.E. Cooke has an excellent SUGGESTED VARIETIES - FRUIT TREES chart for our area as well. I agree with a lot of these selections. As for matching chill data with chill calculators and such, I've found them to be less helpful than the Dave Wilson Nursery and L.E. Cooke recommendations.

Micro-climates are just weird! We live in the hills surrounding Hemet, CA. Hemet is in the valley (zone 9a) where there are a lot of citrus orchards. The temps in the valley are hotter in the summer, and colder (some freeze hours) in the winter. The farmers use turbines to keep the orchards from freezing.

Just a drive up the hill takes you from zone 9a to zone 9b! We have cooler summers and warmer winters and can grow many things that they can't in the valley below.

Go figure!

I'm in a foggy, extremely temperate zone 10b (Sunset 24) near the coast in San Diego. I've had great success with Anna apple, Monterrey pear, Florda Prince and May Pride peaches, and Bonanza II dwarf peach. I grafted some Dorsett Golden onto my apple tree and it has set fruit (not old enough to know how productive it will be). I had lots of fruit on a weeping Santa Rose plum, although I got rid of it due to recurring fungus on the leaves. Alpine strawberries do well. A neighbor has some variety of boysenberries.

I have had no luck with low chill apricots or blueberries.

Photo (if I uploaded it correctly) shows Anna apple and part of the May Pride peach, taken recently.

You can't get any more local than your county extension office. Look in you phone book under county offices. They are familiar with the micro climates, such as that caused by elevation. Al

SoCalGirl -- that sounds really promising if you can manage those fruit trees in san diego -- I should be able to do the same in La. How many miles are you from the coast? What do the 'official' stats say your chill hours are? Would like to compare on that basis... Thanks!

I'm in an area called Loma Portal. It is about 2 miles from the ocean and less than 1 mile from the San Diego Bay. The nearest chill hour station is #184 but it is about 4-5 miles away. I only remember one time in 25 years that we went below 32F. We don't have frost, although some neighbors do. Elevation about 100 feet.

The Anna apple blossoms and sets fruit three times a year, although the first harvest of the year is the biggest. The Florda Prince peach blossoms very early, before it could have received much chill.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chill hour station #184

This post was edited by socalgal on Mon, Feb 24, 14 at 9:05

Also ask your questions of your county's Extension Service office.

Locate that office with this interactive map
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

Jean,
who gardened in Long Beach,CA , for 30-some years

Here is a link that might be useful: locate your county's Extension Service office

I'll recommend Southern California Gardening by Pat Welsh. It's a month-by-month guide to gardening in our various micro-climates in SoCal. Hope you like it.