Fruit tree recommendation

[vette-kid]

Some of you will have seen my thread about a rotting redbud. That tree is now gone and we are looking to replace it. We have a small garden patch, about 20 x 20 that it will go in the corner of. We want something relatively small that does not grow out too wide. Any recommendations? Area gets good sun with part shade until mid morning and again late afternoon. Although with the redbud gone it's probably a little sunnier. I was thinking some sort of dwarf citrus or apple.

We will also have a California gold and a dwarf ornico banana tree going in the other end. Anything to be concerned with here. The banana trees will be about 20ft from where this will go. Only other items in there are 2 bushes (begonia?) And some ginger that I might relocate.

Soil is a bit sandy but I will be tiling up most of it and adding a layer of good soil in.

 

[Chuck]

If I were you I would go to a local Mom and Pop nursery (not a Big Box Store) and find out from them what grows best in your area.

 

[vette-kid]

If I were you I would go to a local Mom and Pop nursery (not a Big Box Store) and find out from them what grows best in your area.

I did just that...the guy talked my ear off! The problem is, Im not really sure what he said! Lots of words, few points! Sounds like they are going to start getting restocked here in the next week, so I may try again. Maybe I can find someone else that can stay on point and not lose me in the first few sentences.

 

[Chuck]

I did just that...the guy talked my ear off! The problem is, Im not really sure what he said! Lots of words, few points! Sounds like they are going to start getting restocked here in the next week, so I may try again. Maybe I can find someone else that can stay on point and not lose me in the first few sentences.

Go to a different store if he cannot or won't answer your questions. You should know what your asking. Like what fruit trees grow best in this climate. Like what are the climatic problems I might have etc. It sounds to me like you have stumbled upon a person who doesn't know what he is talking about. If he won't slow down and explain just tell him or her to stuff it where the sun don't shine. I have never heard of a Mom & Pop employing anyone who cannot explain basic questions.

 

[vette-kid]

Yeah, I suspect he knows a thing or two (and either way he is the owners son ),he is just one of those guys that talks so much your answer gets lost in the words. It was probably in there somewhere, but he went on so many tangents I could not keep up. I basically had to just walk away from him. Nice guy, poor social skills.

 

[MaryMary]

Is there a different store you can go to? (Did he seem to be the only one there?)

I think it would be a good idea if you took a small notebook with your list of questions in it. If you get stuck with the same guy, get out your notebook, and make sure he answers all of them, before you buy anything!! If he sees you are taking notes, it might encourage him to stay on point, also.



Make sure you tell the person that you want the tree to fruit, and that this will be the only tree!! I just took a quick glance at Wiki, and this is what they said about apples:

Most apples are self-incompatible, that is, they do not produce fruit when pollinated from a flower of the same tree or from another tree of the same cultivar, and must be cross pollinated. A few are described as "self-fertile" and are capable of self-pollination,...(snip...)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_tree_pollination

 

[vette-kid]

All good advice. I will probably go back with more direct questions and hopefully a better idea of what my wife wants (she won't make up her mind). I'm looking for another option but the next one is actually in a different grow zone. I have seen temperature differences of almost 30 degrees from the coast to about 40 miles north. In my limited knowledge, zone 8 is difficult but can also be fortunate. 8 seems to be the cutoff for a lot of tropicals, but if we have a cold winter here we could lose it all. At the same time the limited chill time (350 or so hours I believe) means things like peaches and apples have a harder time so I have to be note careful with the selection.

I may end up ordering a dwarf lime (there was one that does well here supposedly) and try a columnar apple.