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Tropical Fruits

Will any of my plants do well in this low-sun spot

10 years ago

I live in Arizona (so, summer highs above 100, not much humidity, and it only occasionally dips below freezing in the winter).

I have a baby lychee sapling, a baby mango sapling (both from seed, both 1' tall or less), and a decent-sized young pomegranate tree (maybe 3' tall).

I have a spot in front of my house that's... maybe 2'x3'. There is a wall directly to the south, my carport is about a foot to the east, my house is maybe 4' to the north, and there's a ~5' wall, then another house, a bit to the west. And my house is kind of tall (1 story, just tall) So I don't think the spot ever gets more than a few hours of sun a day, and a tree will have to be pretty tall to get where there's decent sun.

Any of those trees that don't go there will instead be in large pots in my back yard, where there's plenty of sun during the summer, but absolutely none during the winter.

Are any of my little trees likely to thrive, or at least survive relatively cheerfully, in that spot? Will any of them at least do better there than they will in my back yard? Anything else edible that would do well there if none of those will cut it? Any other advice?

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Comments (5)

mangodog
10 years ago
hmmmm....I'm in Palm Springs, CA so similar climates....well....The Mango will grow in that spot straight up I think until it hits more direct sun, which at that point it should then begin to produce fruit...but maybe even a little before that. Would you mind it reaching and cresting the roof line before fruiting? If so, it will be not the greatest life, but it should survive.

I mean south exposure is great for protecting it from frost but I worry about the meager (if not spindly) growth. Could you post a picture of the spot, pulled back a bit so we could see the scene with some perspective?

I don't know anything about Lychees...also, mangoes in pots in the back yard would probably be OK even with no direct sun in the winter, ONLY if you could cover them or move them into m0re protected spaces when it does get cold....

MD
tamtrible
Original Author
10 years ago
Here's the front area, the grass is in the spot where I'm thinking of putting one of the little trees. There's no roof directly above the spot, but there is a roof just to the west, just to the north (you can see the edge of that), and at the top of the wall that's on the south side of the plot of dirt. You can see the roof a bit to the east, it's maybe 3 yards away.

This post was edited by TamTrible on Tue, Oct 29, 13 at 3:50
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mangodog
10 years ago
Tam - if it's the spot on the right side of the picture, just above the hood of the car, I would say YES to a mango! That it's worth a shot cuz it does seem pretty bright in there. Also, it would have GREAT frost and cold protection.

I would try to train the mango vertically, too, so it does eventually clear the roof line....I don't know lychees, so don't know what to tell you on that front....

good luck!

mdog
tamtrible
Original Author
10 years ago
So the mango would like it there, at least. The lychee gets the spot if it would like it too, but...

When do you think I should transplant it? Right now, it's... maybe a foot tall, has half a dozen or so leaves, and it's in a 1-gallon pot.
mangodog
10 years ago
Well, Tam, since the mango is so small, I would think it better to keep it in the pot and give it the nicest place around your yard to grow - a south facing section might be best, when it is warm or at least reasonably nice outside and then bring it in on nights where it threatens to get, say, below 45. Do you have the time, desire and ability to do that? The idea would be to see if you can get it to put on a bit of growth between now and springtime, THEN transplant it.

Or if you can't do all that, keep it in a sunny window till it warms up.....I don't know, just some general ideas to ponder....as far as the lychee, like I've said, I don't grown them or know about them....

good luck....MD

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