Cool climate fruit trees?

[Rivera]

We're growing a couple of dwarf citrus trees and passion fruit vine in San Francisco's oft-chilly Sunset District.

My wife is a real fruit-hound, and I'd like to plant something else for her. Fig is an easy grow in warmer parts of the bay area, and I'm considering a couple of fig varieties that can supposedly still be productive here on the coastal fringe. Being fast growers, I can just remove them if the fruit is no good.

Loquats grow pretty well, but are really better suited to the warmer districts. 

I have a spot in all-day sun, but my proximity to the ocean makes for cool overcast conditions much of the time. The planting area is also subject to salty wind, but protected from the very worst of it.

Though my friend grows lots of apples (for cider) just down the coast from me, the trees suffer a bit in his roughly comparable micro-climate. Having a touch less sun and being even closer to the ocean, I'm just not interested in bothering with deciduous fruit trees like apples or pears.

Though we had a few light frosts this past winter, generally our garden is frost-free and just fine for any subtropicals that do not require substantial heat to grow. We do not get the seasonal cold that some fruit trees require to be productive. 

This is a very niche question, but I thought I'd throw it out there to see if there if anyone has any recommendations.

[Xenon]

Cherimoya sounds perfect for your conditions, maybe some atemoyas too. There are some more Andean fruits that might do well....naranjilla, tamarillo, babaco, pineapple guava, Chilean guava, etc. I've always thought your conditions would produce some of the best coffee in the world if the real estate wasn't so $$$. 

[Rivera]

40 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Cherimoya sounds perfect for your conditions, maybe some atemoyas too. There are some more Andean fruits that might do well....naranjilla, tamarillo, babaco, pineapple guava, Chilean guava, etc. I've always thought your conditions would produce some of the best coffee in the world if the real estate wasn't so $$$. 

Thank you for these suggestions Jonathan!

[Darold Petty]

Chris is not kidding about the cool temperatures.  I live in the same neighborhood, but about 1 mile further inland from the beach. 

My high temperature for the last 10 days has been 54F, or 12C. 

[Tracy]

19 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

Chris is not kidding about the cool temperatures.  I live in the same neighborhood, but about 1 mile further inland from the beach. 

My high temperature for the last 10 days has been 54F, or 12C. 

Your summer arrives in September as I recall?

[Darold Petty]

Tracy,

Yes, September is the best weather, also February can be really nice.  My wife and I love the Sonoran desert and once thought to have a vacation casa there.  However, we realized the best time to be away from SF is the worst time to be in southern Arizona !    

[aztropic]

17 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Best time to be away from SF is the worst time to be in southern Arizona !    

We just set a new record for metro Phoenix yesterday. 119F daytime high,97F morning low... 😅 Toasty!

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[Silas_Sancona]

10 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Tracy,

Yes, September is the best weather, also February can be really nice.  My wife and I love the Sonoran desert and once thought to have a vacation casa there.  However, we realized the best time to be away from SF is the worst time to be in southern Arizona !    

Depends on which part of S. AZ you're speaking of..  ( " Southern Arizona " often = An overly broad term  too many people apply which could encompass everything from Phoenix or Tucson, to Green Valley, Nogales, Patagonia, Sonoita, Sierra Vista, Portal or Hilltop in the Chiricahuas   ...or Douglas )  In truth, pretty much anything south / southeast of a line running from Ajo to Tucson is considered the southern portion of the state.

Aug- October / November,  and March - May would be the best time to be down there, though i've been told it can be quite breezy in the spring.   Rains often enough in those areas Aug- October.  Is also AZ's " Wine country ", Sonoita, Elgin, and Canelo esp. 






 

[PlantMorePalms]

My neighborhood (Nopa) is a bit warmer than yours, but babaco has been growing pretty well for me (been in the ground for one year). Mine is still small but I've read that they can produce 60 lbs of fruit per year...

[epiphyte]

there was a guy in the bay area, but perhaps somewhere warmer than you, who tested quite a few rarer fruit trees outdoors...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVv9I_Se6fg

it's been a while since i watched it so i can't remember who the winners were, shucks.  

[Rivera]

20 hours ago, PlantMorePalms said:

My neighborhood (Nopa) is a bit warmer than yours, but babaco has been growing pretty well for me (been in the ground for one year). Mine is still small but I've read that they can produce 60 lbs of fruit per year...

Thanks Trevor, worth looking into.

Actually a bit of sun here this afternoon. 👍

[Rivera]

16 hours ago, epiphyte said:

there was a guy in the bay area, but perhaps somewhere warmer than you, who tested quite a few rarer fruit trees outdoors...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVv9I_Se6fg

it's been a while since i watched it so i can't remember who the winners were, shucks.  

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

Yeah, while Los Gatos isn't far off it's quite a different climate in the foothills. I grew up on the SF peninsula, but the coastal fringe here is a climatic anomaly relative to the surrounding areas.

If plants can handle the year-round cool temps and salty wind, I can provide seasonal water and build soil fertility in the dune sand. Even in the sand, I don't find it very demanding to keep summer growers moist because of the cool and humid conditions. I just can't make it warmer.