# What fruit trees grow well in SE Texas?



## captnickm

I would like to plant a few fruit trees in my backyard this spring. What have you all found grows and produces the best. I would like a Pear tree and a Citrus tree, maybe small orange tree. What has don't well for you? 
Also, I don't want a tree that is going to be to big like a satsuma....


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## Meadowlark

In my experience, pear trees are very productive and long lived in our climate. I have two that are loaded every year and they are at least 35 years old. Unfortunately, the deer and coyotes love those pears and get most of them before I do. 

The next most successful fruit tree for me would be plums...they make terrific jellies.

Then I'd rank figs as the third best for our climate. 

Some that I don't recommend include apples and peaches and nectarines....sometimes I have gotten peach crops, but fail more often than not....and apples and nectarines have been total failures. 

Grapes, although not a fruit tree, are highly successful, very easy to grow along with blackberries and blueberries. Might try some of those.

Satsuma oranges worked well for me in Clear Lake for years, but when moved north of town, not practical.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim

Since you are in Kemah, I recommend you go to the Galveston Master Gardener Fruit Tree sale on Saturday Feb 1.

They are having a class on fruit trees on Saturday Jan 18 and a Citrus class Jan 28 at the extension center in LaMarque. If you want to do well, I highly recommend these seminars taught by very experienced local gardeners. These are top- notch seminars for free.

http://galveston.agrilife.org/events/

Have fun
RFA


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## captnickm

Thanks for the great advise guys!
Meadowlark...... that's great to hear that the pears and plums do well in our climate. We love both in our house. Those will be at the top of my list.

RFA..... thanks for the heads up on the local seminars and big sale. I will try to make it for sure! 

Is there anything you have found that would be good for me to go ahead and do for preperation...... like fertalize the area I am going to be planting the trees?


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## Paul Marx

Plan on planting the citrus so they have protection from North winds . Always use the dirt you dug out of the hole to replant . To many folks dig a hole and fill it with fluffy potting soils . This just creates a bowl of cereal affect that won't drain properly and rot the roots. They had to sprayed , but we had peaches that were out of this world. We still have a lot of citrus trees . What neat about citrus is you can graft any variaty onto one tree . We have a couple trees dad grafted and called his citrus cooler trees . They have lemons , satsumas, grapefruit , and naval oranges on the one tree. If anyone want some native root stock to try their hand at grafting come dig it up you can have it . Get them growing in your yard , come back next year for some graft wood . I'm in Santa Fe


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## Meadowlark

captnickm said:


> ...
> Is there anything you have found that would be good for me to go ahead and do for preperation...... like fertalize the area I am going to be planting the trees?


Capt,

Don't fertilize until next spring, if at all, when the tree(s) are growing and then only very lightly. You don't want to burn the roots on the fragile plants.

Next winter, then you can add fertilizer around the drip line, if you wish....but those 35 year old pear trees I mentioned...never have had a lick of fertilizer. Plums do benefit from fertilizer...and pears might also but ours produces so many we don't ever fertilize.

p.s. by the way, you probably know...but avoid weed and feed fertilizers anywhere near the area of your trees. They are death on young (and old) fruit trees.


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## peckerwood

Peaches are my favorite,but from now on will leave them to the big boys.I'm not to high on pears,but they really are good for anywhere in Tejas,and plums do extra well too.Where my Grandpa was born and raised on Red River,there is a pear orchird that had grown trees in it before he was born,and that was 1906.It had 2 varieties the old folks called canning pears,and a big yellow with red blush they called sugar pears.I need to go dig me up a few in a couple weeks.I'm on the look-out for some pomegranit trees this spring too.Real low maintance and very drought resistant.


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## Meadowlark

PW, 

Those pears seem to go on forever. I also have two different types a canning pear and an eating pear. I don't know their specific names and they were here and producing when I bought this place in 1984....still going strong.

I've got a pomegranate but its mostly for show....the fruit isn't much quality.


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## Lab7

Great stuff guys! I recently bought a property that has NO trees. So I've been educating myself on what to plant. This definitely helps.


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## wet dreams

Whatever you get be sure and check the 'chill hrs' most big box stores sell fruit trees that will NOT produce or produce very little....


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## captnickm

Thanks again guys! I am also looking at my yard to see where I want to plant them. Is it best to plant them in the spots that get the most sun or do they need some shade? 
Thanks


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## salth2o

I have a peach tree that produces well.


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## Meadowlark

captnickm said:


> Thanks again guys! I am also looking at my yard to see where I want to plant them. Is it best to plant them in the spots that get the most sun or do they need some shade?
> Thanks


 Full sun...at least all those I'm familiar with.


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## cva34

plum/grape /(satsuma/meyer lemon/citrus/ hard freeze can kill) /pear/pecan thats my list of success.Havent tried it all..A friend between BC and Maty has bananas that do well most years (go figger it)


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## txjoker

My brother just planted a 4 in 1 fruit cocktail (peach, plum, nectarine and apricot). I'd never heard of such a thing. I think he said it was around $45 at his local nursery. Amazing what can be grown nowadays


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## cva34

txjoker said:


> My brother just planted a 4 in 1 fruit cocktail (peach, plum, nectarine and apricot). I'd never heard of such a thing. I think he said it was around $45 at his local nursery. Amazing what can be grown nowadays


Its a Graft thing lilke a citrus with lemon/navel orange /Ruby red grapefruit..Or a pecan with several varities grafted to diff limbs


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## peckerwood

My new Burgess catalog has 6-in-1 dwarf fruit cocktail trees,2-3' tall trees for 19.99 each,2/$37.50,3/$53.99.Grows to about 10'. A person in Keller planted one several years back that was the first,or only one I've ever seen.When it bloomed in March,there was always someone parked in front of there house taking pics.I don't know if it ever produced fruit,but it didn't need too.Most beautiful tree I've ever seen in my life.I have an order filled out for 2 that I need to get mailed today.Burgess also has 5-in-1 apple,pear,and peach trees.The have a dwarf 3-in-1 citrus tree too.


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## Dick Hanks

cva34 said:


> plum/grape /(satsuma/meyer lemon/citrus/ hard freeze can kill) /pear/pecan thats my list of success.Havent tried it all..A friend between BC and Maty has bananas that do well most years (go figger it)


 It's amazing how large of temperature range some fruits can handle. Of coarse, it is usually a different variety at each end of the temp range. I have plums, blueberries, and had a pear that I pulled out. Been thinking about adding grapes at some time. All need to be able to handle 30 degrees below zero. Who is growing blueberries down here?


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## w_r_ranch

I've tried blueberries 2X, with limited/no success... in spite of using a southern variety & amending lots of peat into the soil. I finally gave up on them & planted blackberries, which do really well here.


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## Meadowlark

Same here W_R_... I tried blueberries more than once that were specifically for my area and never could get them past our hot/dry summers. 

Blackberries are my choice now...much less care, much better results.


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## Txsouthernman81

Other than size is there a big difference between blackberries and dewberries? I picked about 5 gallon size baggies worth of dewberries last year and felt really good about it because i didn't have to plant, water or fertilize, just go out to the woods in the backyard and go get them. And of course my blackberries that I did plant, water and fertilized gave me nothing .


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## locolobo

*Citrus in Texas*

My new Burgess catalog has 6-in-1 dwarf fruit cocktail trees

Texas has a law that prohibits bringing citrus from out of state. This is to protect, mainly the citrus industry in the valley, from imported diseases. Most catalogs will not ship citrus to Texas and should say so in the cats.


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## Possum I

*The Citrus Guru for our area*

Captn,
Google John Panzarella citrus. This guy is amazing. He has over 250 fruit trees in his back yard. He sells trees, gives grafting classes in Lake Jackson.


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## Muddskipper

Possum I said:


> Captn,
> Google John Panzarella citrus. This guy is amazing. He has over 250 fruit trees in his back yard. He sells trees, gives grafting classes in Lake Jackson.


Sat., Mar. 8: Growing Citrus in Containers by John Panzarella, 10am, Enchanted Forest, 10611 FM 2759, Richmond. Details: 281-937-9449. Repeated: 2pm, Enchanted Gardens, 6420 FM 359, Richmond. Details: 281-341-1206. http://myenchanted.com/


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