cherry trees southeast texas

[Galapoheros]

I researched to find the varieties able to withstand the heat and that require the least amount of chilling hours. I bought 5 and planted them around March, they are still alive but the deer almost killed them before I finally caged them. Man that'd be cool, ...cherries. If they make it to next Spring, I think they will be good to go, will report later.

 

[The Snark]

Aren't all fruit producing cherry trees grafted? I know the Japanese have hybrid zillions of different kinds, primarily for appearance.
Looking forwards to seeing pictures. Don't forget deer can get desperate, literally crawling on their knees under fences to get at the yummy saplings.

 

[Galapoheros]

I don't know but when researching I came across a native California cherry tree that produces fruit, go look it up, Prunus ilicifolia . The seed is big and not much around the seed but what is there is edible. I ordered some of those seeds and grew them but they all died when 5 inches tall, something wrong with the potting soil imo because I sprouted PawPaw trees and they started dying at 5 inches also until I changed the soil they were in. Prob a micro organism that caused the prob imo. The heat tolerant I bought are grafted. Will the seed be true to the variety(?), I talked to a seller, he said you never know so if I get any production I will try some seeds, unless I die first, just sayin. Also I'd guess that "no", not all other producing cherry trees are grafted unless you're referring to commercial/worth producing to sell. I've grown peaches from seed and they often produce great tasting fruit, but they look bad, often green, usually smaller than commercial varieties. So yeah, there was a producing cherry to begin with but probably small, not worth shipping and selling, maybe considered survival food in the wild. I've never looked up the original cherry tree species.

 

[mickiem]

Most but not all cherry trees are grafted. I just bought 3# of sweet cherries at the farmers market. They are so good.

 

[Galapoheros]

Hey mickiem, do you know the variety you bought? I have Royal lee, Mini royal and one other I don't remember but I could find it.

 

[mickiem]

I'm in the Midwest where growing cherries is pretty easy. I bought these sweet ones at a farmers market. Just about any of them grow here. I have limited space in my city lot so I rely on the markets. I do have a huge garden; mostly flowers and pollinator plants. It's a triple city lot but still limited.

Hope you can get the pawpaws to go. They are such a cool tree.

 

[Galapoheros]

I had never heard of a pawpaw tree, just came across them on the internet so I ordered some seeds, my biggest one is only about 2 feet tall now. I think we don't hear about them because they are soft, don't last long and so they are hard to ship, therefore hard to make it a commercial fruit. I put a Stapalia there and it got down to 25F last year there, no damage at all.

 

[schmiggle]

This is a great project, good luck on both trees! The thing with grafting is that it's a method to achieve reliability in the fruit--I'm sure you can get cherries that are at least reasonably good pretty consistently from seed (the first sweet cherry has to have been a seed, but of course you would need a lot of luck to end up with one that good from a non-selected batch of seeds). Pawpaws seem fantastic--as soon as I have space for them outside I'm going to try them if I have an appropriate climate. For you I have one concern--are you sure your winters get cold enough?

 

[The Snark]

Had a native cherry tree where I grew up in So Cal. So little meat on the fruit it wasn't worth trying to eat. It struck me those shrub like trees would make an ideal hedge. The foliage is fantastically dense. Us kids couldn't penetrate through the tangle.. But it is also pretty slow growing.

 

[mickiem]

I live in USDA Zone 6 and pawpaws are native here. I'm not sure how far at either end they are hardy. I thought they were fairly specific to this area. We have groves if them. They taste a little like a banana with a little mango and peach mixed in. They make amazing soap, etc. you're right about them being soft and easily bruise.

 

[schmiggle]

Pawpaw is hardy for zones five to eight, not sure why it doesn't grow in the northeast, honestly. It needs winter to exist to do well, I believe.

 

[Galapoheros]

I too read the California cherries aren't worth trying to eat and looks like animals aren't real interested in them either. I saw a range map of pawpaw trees, they are native to east tx also, just type in 'Asimina triloba range map' and click "images". I think they should do well at the little hillbilly place, it's just west of Houston, between Navasota and Hempstead. I think there are several fruit trees that are under the radar just because of shipping problems, no money to be made so not advertised. I planted three loquat trees there also, I really like those. I planted those from seed also but they are about 5 feet tall already, had them in pots for a few years. I also planted two mandarin orange trees(a variety developed by A&M) that should be able to handle a freeze but not real low. A pear tree, apple tree, Two peach trees. I have 3 more peach trees to plant I grew from seeds. I have two corn plants lol, about 10 strawberry plants hoping they will spread, asparagus(supposed to wait 2-3 to harvest that), turmeric plants, ginger, some cacti, jostaberry plants I found at Tractor supply. The goji berry plants didn't make it, I've only been going there once or twice a month, not enough water. I have some weird cycads I grew from seed also, Cycas petrea, I have about 6 of those to plant there and I have Kiwi vines I grew from seed too that I'm going to put there in Fall. But that place is only supposed to be a temp place for me. I plan to sell this place I'm in, move to the hillbilly place and look for a place with more land around Brenham I will buy with the $ I get from this place. But I only paid $50K for the hillbilly place, I may keep it as a backup for whatever reason.

 

[mickiem]

I too read the California cherries aren't worth trying to eat and looks like animals aren't real interested in them either. I saw a range map of pawpaw trees, they are native to east tx also, just type in 'Asimina triloba range map' and click "images". I think they should do well at the little hillbilly place, it's just west of Houston, between Navasota and Hempstead. I think there are several fruit trees that are under the radar just because of shipping problems, no money to be made so not advertised. I planted three loquat trees there also, I really like those. I planted those from seed also but they are about 5 feet tall already, had them in pots for a few years. I also planted two mandarin orange trees(a variety developed by A&M) that should be able to handle a freeze but not real low. A pear tree, apple tree, Two peach trees. I have 3 more peach trees to plant I grew from seeds. I have two corn plants lol, about 10 strawberry plants hoping they will spread, asparagus(supposed to wait 2-3 to harvest that), turmeric plants, ginger, some cacti, jostaberry plants I found at Tractor supply. The goji berry plants didn't make it, I've only been going there once or twice a month, not enough water. I have some weird cycads I grew from seed also, Cycas petrea, I have about 6 of those to plant there and I have Kiwi vines I grew from seed too that I'm going to put there in Fall. But that place is only supposed to be a temp place for me. I plan to sell this place I'm in, move to the hillbilly place and look for a place with more land around Brenham I will buy with the $ I get from this place. But I only paid $50K for the hillbilly place, I may keep it as a backup for whatever reason.

Sounds like an awesome orchard starting up for you!

 

[spotropaicsav]

@Galapoheros
"I too read the California cherries aren't worth trying to eat and looks like animals aren't real interested in them either."- not sure if the same species we have around here, but will tentatively agree- they are sour and rarely sweet with enough meat. The dark red purple leaves are very beautiful however

 

[schmiggle]

Expect me at your door as soon as they start fruiting. What did you say the address wa?

That's very impressive, I wish you luck with all those fruits. What's the rain like? I think for some of them you might want to irrigate (it sounds like you have small enough plots that drip irrigation, which is most efficient, could work really well for you). However, if they've been mostly doing well there's definitely no need to complicate things.

 

[Galapoheros]

I've been desperate to plant things, it's so hard around the Austin area with the bedrock, deer and the black alkaline clay. "That ain't worth dirt?", that cliché is not very well used here, good dirt has value here. I like it here but I need a place with dirt. Right now, since I'm living in two places, I turn the water off when I leave the A-frame along with turning off the water heater. I don't quite trust the plumbing there yet so I'm not using any irrigation there when I'm not there. I plan to end up with a place I can plant a fruit tree forest, I want there to be water on the property, a creek or pond. And I can't forget the unicorn in the backyard. I'd like a small volcano in the backyard too, maybe around 3 feet high that erupts with chocolate, milk chocolate most of the time but sometimes dark chocolate, doesn't really matter, I'm not picky.

 

[schmiggle]