Growing Fruit in Texas Clay
- AlittleSalt
- Reactions:
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:55 pm
Growing Fruit in Texas Clay
Yesterday we looked at some fruit trees at the local nursery. $25.99 each so not too high, but still...
We found:
Texas Everbearing Fig
Elberta Peach
Harvester Peach
Santa Rosa Plum
Methley Plum
Do any of you have experience and/or opinions on these varieties? They will be growing in zone 8A Texas in clay of every color you can imagine - full sun - close enough to drag a water hose to. Temperatures can be as cold as -2F up to 114F.
Any help will be nice even if it's discouraging.
We found:
Texas Everbearing Fig
Elberta Peach
Harvester Peach
Santa Rosa Plum
Methley Plum
Do any of you have experience and/or opinions on these varieties? They will be growing in zone 8A Texas in clay of every color you can imagine - full sun - close enough to drag a water hose to. Temperatures can be as cold as -2F up to 114F.
Any help will be nice even if it's discouraging.
Texas Zone 8A
- worth1
- Reactions:
- Posts: 14827
- Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
- Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas
Re: Growing Fruit in Texas Clay
Look up chili hours for the peaches and plums.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.
You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.
You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.
- karstopography
- Reactions:
- Posts: 7317
- Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 7:15 am
- Location: Southeast Texas
Re: Growing Fruit in Texas Clay
https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ext ... /fig1.html
Chill hour map of Texas.
Elberta is listed at 850 hours
Harvester at 750
Methley 250
Santa Rosa 350
Texas Everbearing fig cold tolerance is 0-5 degrees F
Chill hour map of Texas.
Elberta is listed at 850 hours
Harvester at 750
Methley 250
Santa Rosa 350
Texas Everbearing fig cold tolerance is 0-5 degrees F
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”
- AlittleSalt
- Reactions:
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:55 pm
- Shule
- Reactions:
- Posts: 2779
- Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
- Location: SW Idaho, USA
Re: Growing Fruit in Texas Clay
[mention]AlittleSalt[/mention]
Elberta is a fantastic peach for SW Idaho. I would guess you might want a different kind for Texas, though, but I could be wrong.
In our garden, it was extremely prolific, tasty, juicy, sweet, and wasn't bothered by the frost like our apricots were. Freestone. Big peaches. Ours was a semi-dwarf (not sure what the rootstock was). It got a disease that made the pits rot, but it didn't rot the fruit, and the foliage was fine. No worms. Occasional mild leaf curl fungus after moisture.
Elberta is a fantastic peach for SW Idaho. I would guess you might want a different kind for Texas, though, but I could be wrong.
In our garden, it was extremely prolific, tasty, juicy, sweet, and wasn't bothered by the frost like our apricots were. Freestone. Big peaches. Ours was a semi-dwarf (not sure what the rootstock was). It got a disease that made the pits rot, but it didn't rot the fruit, and the foliage was fine. No worms. Occasional mild leaf curl fungus after moisture.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet
- AlittleSalt
- Reactions:
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:55 pm
Re: Growing Fruit in Texas Clay
Thank you Shule, Our Elberta peach looks great. The Harvester peach tree still doesn't show signs of life. I've been monitoring it like an ICU nurse. It was only $25.99, but still.
Texas Zone 8A
- wildcat62
- Reactions:
- Posts: 297
- Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:51 pm
- Location: Northern Kentucky
Re: Growing Fruit in Texas Clay
Fruit trees here in a Northern Kentucky big box store were 35.00 each. I planted both a Elberta & Belle of Georgia tree a couple of days ago. We already had one peach tree in our yard that has been there for at least 40 years but I'm not sure what type they are. Small, yellow flesh & delicious.
Now we have 3 peach & 2 cherry trees.
Good luck Robert.
Now we have 3 peach & 2 cherry trees.
Good luck Robert.
- AlittleSalt
- Reactions:
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:55 pm
Re: Growing Fruit in Texas Clay
Wildcat, that 40 year old peach tree might be the real thing instead of an F1. It's hard to tell, because manmade F1s started centuries ago. I personally would save seeds and learn everything possible.
Texas Zone 8A
- worth1
- Reactions:
- Posts: 14827
- Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
- Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas
Re: Growing Fruit in Texas Clay
Probably got room for a few trees now that I think the freeze killed off a bunch of stuff.
Apricots are my favorite but hard the grow here.
To much of a fluctuating temperature from warm to cold.
Causes them to bloom too early.
Apricots are my favorite but hard the grow here.
To much of a fluctuating temperature from warm to cold.
Causes them to bloom too early.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.
You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.
You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.
- karstopography
- Reactions:
- Posts: 7317
- Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 7:15 am
- Location: Southeast Texas
Re: Growing Fruit in Texas Clay
I have two ancient pear trees in my yard, in the coastal clay, they both bloomed like crazy this year. Not sure what type. They might have produced 5 pears since I lived here and the squirrels got, but this may be the year.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”