SELECTING TROPICAL FRUIT FOR YOUR YARD
There are many factors to consider before purchasing your fruit bearing plants, your temperature zone, your soil Ph, available water, and your budget for fertilizer, mulch, pots and tools for planting, picking and pruning.
Zone All plants are effective by the temperature some trees need some cold time to flower and set fruit. Some will die at temperatures that you would consider pleasant. For example, Coco plants die at 40 degrees. If you live close to another zone you can sometimes push a tree to grow out side it normal zone. This will require more effort from you to protect it from the weather. Placement of your tree is important, to protect it from the cold, plant it on the South side of your house, if this is not enough; put it near your kitchen window for the extra heat released though the window. Needing more cold is a bigger issue. Some trees require a number hours of cold temperature, Asian Pears require 150 to 250 chill hours to set fruit. If you live close to a cooler zone helps. Try planting your tree on the North side of your house.
Ph In reference to plants, You may need to adjust your soil to suit your tree, depending where you live your soil will run anywhere between Acidic and Alkaline. Orange trees which are Alkaline require a Ph of 6.0 to 7.5. It is best to check your soil before planting.
Water Concerning water, it would seem to be a no brainer. Some plants require a lot of water. In some areas this can be an issue, if you live in the New Mexico or worse, California where there are water restrictions. Water quality can also be an issue, many fruiting plants do poorly near salt water. Even city water has an effect on plants. The best water for plants is rainwater. Which brings up the issue of rain barrels, all plants grow better with rain water?
Budget Growing your own fruit is not free, there are costs. If you want good fruit then you need to buy good fertilizer, they're the ones with trace elements, not cheap but worth every penny. Unless you want to spend all your time pulling weeds, you are going to want to put down mulch. You can spray poisons, but do you really want to be eating poison? Mulch is the best way and it also conserves water, you won't have to water as often. If you start your plants from seed you will need pots and potting soil, there is a difference from soil. Potting soil is designed for potting plants, some even come with fertilizer.
Tools you will need a shovel digging the hole for your larger plants, a spade for smaller plants, pruning shears, a bucket to cart in you produce and a picker of some sort for the fruit high in your trees.
Humidity and Altitude Two more factors to consider. Humidity some plants like more or less of it, consider Florida, high humidity and California, low humidity. Take the California Navel Orange, dryer segment easily, The Florida Navel Orange is wetter and does not segment as easily.
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