UF/IFAS
Okeechobee County Extension Service
458 Highway 98 North
Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578
Phone: (863) 763-6469
E-
mail: dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu
November 16 , 2005
Feature Article - for release the week of November 20, 2005
Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent
Say thanks with dooryard fruit plants
Happy Thanksgiving! Our calendar says its time to start thinking holiday decorations and gift shopping, and gardeners are out there with the rest of the crowds, looking for unique ways to say Happy Holidays. Considering that there are many landscapes with empty spaces, consumers may be wishing for an edible addition to their Florida Yard.
 Anna
Apple fruit photo
courtesy of Pacific
Groves
Flower photo courtesy of Desert Tropicals |
© Ian Maguire/UF TREC |
 'Bluggoe'
banana © Ian Maguire/UF
TREC |
 Navaho
Blackberry photo
courtesy Greenwood
Nursery |
 'Brown
Turkey' Fig photo
courtesy California
Fresh Fig Growers Association |
 Suwanee
Grape photo
courtesy Ty-Ty
Nursery |
 Maturing
guava ©
Ian Maguire/UF TREC |
Mauritius Lychee © Ian Maguire/UF TREC |
 'Hayden'
Mango © Ian Maguire/UF TREC |
 Papaya
©
Ian Maguire/UF TREC |
 Passion
Fruit ©
Ian Maguire/UF TREC |
A
low-chill Peach© Ian Maguire/UF TREC variety. |
Are you looking for new fruitful alternatives for dooryard citrus trees? Recent storm damage and the prospect of citrus diseases have many Florida homeowners concerned. Nurseries that produce and sell grafted citrus trees are gearing up to provide alternatives for our Florida Yards. Today’s column will highlight a few of these alternatives for our area.
Florida’s climate offers a unique place to grow a surprising variety of both temperate and subtropical backyard fruits. Many of them have strange names, odd shapes and exotic flavors. And too, many new Florida residents miss the familiar tastes and feels of those fruit that were left behind.
The University of Florida has a wealth of information on how to grow and enjoy these fruits. It is important to learn which varieties are adapted to our area, recommended cultural practices, pitfalls, and preparation techniques. Feel free to consult with our Extension office and our volunteer Master Gardeners who can supply you with research-based information. Computer users may also take a peek at our website (link below) which has more references to information about dooryard fruit production.
Here are a dozen different fruits that local residents might want to grow:
Apples - Currently, there are three Apple hybrids of northern varieties with very low chilling varieties. Look for the varieties 'Anna', 'Dorsett Golden' or ‘TropicSweet’ that are adapted to central Florida conditions. Other apple, pear, and quince cultivars are not well adapted to Florida because of their higher chilling requirements.
Avocado trees can be medium to large in size, easy to grow and can produce large quantities of fruit. Limbs can break in high winds or under the weight of a heavy fruit load. Mature fruit are generally green, although some cultivars may be black, red or purple when soft (ripe). Avocados do not ripen until they are picked or fall to the ground. Plant this tree in a well-drained site, as avocados do not tolerate flooding. Choose cold tolerant varieties such as Brogdon, Kampong, Marcus or Taylor for best results in our area.
Bananas are a true tropical favorite, perhaps the best known of the tropical fruits. There are many different cultivars available with a wide variation in fruit type and quality. Bananas are not cold tolerant - they grow fast during the very warm, wet summer months. A single plant can quickly spread into multiple trunks in a matter of months. Fruits develop in clusters on the end of flower stalks usually within 1-2 years. Shortly after bearing, the stem dies. While they will tolerate partial shade, Bananas like full sun and moist but well drained soil.
Blackberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow, thrive on virtually all soils and are widely adapted. Some blackberries are upright and require no support, but others are trailing types (dewberries) and require a trellis. Proper cultivar selection is important for successful production; ‘Arapaho’, ‘Brazos’ and 'Navaho' look good in our area. The flowers and fruits are produced on the previous year's growth. Shoots will die back after fruiting, and new growth springs up from below the ground in the next year. Since blackberries have shallow fleshy root systems, deep cultivation must be avoided. And because many new shoots grow from the roots, extra suckers must be removed to keep a patch manageable.
Figs - The edible fig is actually a fleshy, hollow stem with flowers produced on the inner walls. The opening or eye can allow disease and insects inside, causing souring and splitting. Cultivars best adapted to Florida include ‘Brown Turkey’, 'Celeste' and ‘Black Mission’ have eyes that are not open until near maturity. Some cultivars require cross-pollination by a special wasp: since it is not present in Florida, those varieties will not produce fruits here. Figs like full sun and near-desert conditions. In Florida's humid climate, fig rust can be a problem and will need spraying. On sandy soils, best results are obtained when trees are planted near a building or heavily mulched.
Grapes - Among several species of American-type grapes native to the southeastern United States are the Muscadine grape cultivars with tough skins and flesh with seeds. The tender-fleshed, seedless European-type grapes are not well adapted to our area. Hybrids of the Muscadine and European types appear to have the best of both for Florida. An example would be ‘Southern Home.’ Adapted cultivars tolerate a wide range of soils. Cultural practices, such as fertilizing, irrigating, and pest control are not unusually demanding. When grafted on to Florilush rootstock, grapes show more vigor and less damage from grape root borer.
Guavas are native to southern Mexico and Central America, and these trees and bushes are small and quite easy to grow. Fruit are produced throughout the year, but most ripens during the summer when flesh softens slightly and turns a light yellow. There are several different kinds of guava plants: Tropical Guava, Cattley (or Strawberry) guava, and a Pineapple Guavas (Feijoa). Depending upon the variety, interior flesh can be white, yellow, pink or red. Covering the fruit with a paper bag while small and green will prevent fruit flies from laying eggs which will damage the fruit – there are no legal pesticides for this problem. Maturing guava must be harvested quickly as birds and insects will readily attack ripe fruit.
Lychee trees are native to southern China and southeast Asia and may grow to 40 or more feet in height. Lychee is an excellent fresh fruit with a pleasant, sweet flavor. Fruit are about the size of a typical strawberry, round to oval, and borne in loose clusters. When fruit are ripe, the leathery skin develops an attractive pinkish red color. Lychee trees are attractive having a dense canopy of dark green foliage and may grow as high as 40 feet. Plant in sunny, well drained sites where they are protected from wind. Trees bear within 3-5 years of transplanting.
Mango Mango trees are native to Asia, but have been planted here for over 100 years. These trees are medium to large trees, and there are many cultivars available. Ask for our UF Mango bulletin to help you choose. Mangoes are ripe when the fruit softens slightly and takes on a yellow to orange or red color and carries a subtle sweet fragrance. Mangoes trees are readily available at local nurseries and garden centers. Trees are tough and relatively easy to grow. Most varieties of grafted trees will bear in as little as 3-5 years after transplanting.Papaya are native to southern Mexico, Central and South America, papaya plants are relatively short lived (1-3 years) and are grown from seed. They are relatively easy to grow in full sun with excellent drainage. Common throughout the tropics, papaya fruits grow on the stem of upright semi-herbaceous trunks. Fruit have orange to reddish-salmon colored flesh and contain numerous small black seeds in the interior cavity. They are peeled, sliced and consumed fresh. Papaya fruit fly is another problem solved by paper bagging, like guavas. Look for Hawaiian Solo varieties that will self pollinate.
Passion Fruit are native to South America, and grow on from beautiful passion flowers on vigorous vines. Purple, yellow, or reddish colored fruit containing seeds are surrounded by an orange, sweet, watery pulp. The juice is very aromatic and is commonly used to make juice or punch. Plant vines next to a fence or along a trellis in a well drained soil area with full sun. Vines begin to bear within 3-6 months of planting. Many are also good plants fro attracting butterflies.
Peaches called stone fruits because their seed is enclosed in a heavy pit or stone surrounded by soft flesh. Certain cultivars of these fruits can be successfully grown in Florida. Other stone fruits, such as apricots, almonds, and cherries are not well adapted here and should not be planted here. Choosing a low-chill cultivar is imperative: for our area, look for Flordaprince, and Tropic Beauty for best results.
On behalf of Pat, Debbie, Pat, Audrey and Jackie, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving holiday!
I’ve
placed more information on our Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu.
If you need additional information on dooryard fruit
alternatives to citrus, please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu
or call us at 863-763-6469. Local residents can stop
by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit
our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1
to 5 PM on Tuesday afternoons.
-30-
Trade
names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific
information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products
named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida
Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to
provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals
and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age,
handicap, or national origin. Florida
Cooperative
Extension Service / IFAS /
University
of
Florida.
Larry
A. Arrington, Dean Last update: 11/17/2005
. This page is maintained
by Dan Culbert
References
Fruitscapes - a UF/IFAS webpage that provides links to almost all of our bulletins and publications of non-citrus fruit production for Florida homeowners. It can take you to the selected publications listed below:
Andersen, Peter C. and Crocker Timothy E. Blackberry and Raspberry [HS-807]. UF/IFAS Florida Cooperative Extension Service, December, 2001 http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS104
ibid. Low
Chill Apple Cultivars for North and North Central Florida
[HS764]. UF/IFAS Florida Cooperative Extension
Service, December 2000. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG368
Crane,
J. H., Balerdi, C.F., and
Crane,
J. H., Balerdi, C.F. The
Banana in
Florida
[HS-10].
Gainesville
:
UF/IFAS
Florida
Cooperative Extension Service, January, 1998.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG040
Crocker,
T. E. and Rose, A. J.
Deciduous
Fruit for
Orfanedes,
Michael S., Crane, Jonathan H. and Balerdi, Carlos F. Tropical
and Subtropical Fruit Crops for the Home Landscape:
Alternatives to Citrus [HS-816].