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PostPosted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 11:32 am 
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Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:47 am
Posts: 102
Location: Alvarado,TX
Hello all. I am considering adding a fruit tree to my garden. I just wondered what types of trees people had success with in the DFW metroplex.

I saw a Bonanza dwarf peach tree. Tag said it would get up to six feet tall. From what I found online, many people had success with this tree producing nice fruit. But would it do well in North Texas?

I've also heard that you have to pay attention to Hours of Chill per winter, for your area, in order that tree sets peaches.

So tell me, what kind of fruits are you growing?

Thanks,

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...Heather


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PostPosted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 5:38 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 20, 2003 4:33 pm
Posts: 526
Location: parker county, texas
I have had good luck with Ranger peach trees, and the type of soil on our property is not usually supposed to be good for growing peaches. I have also had great success with Santa Rosa and Methley plums. I have planted numerous pears, but none have survived since I first started planting about ten years ago. Sorry, but I've never grown any apple varieties, so I can offer you no help there.


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 Post subject: What about peaches?
PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 7:47 am 
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Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:47 am
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Location: Alvarado,TX
Personally I'm leaning toward a peach. I'm glad to hear that it is possible to grow peaches here. Thanks Dragonfly!
Lowes has dwarf peach trees. Bonanza and I think Empress. I suppose if your peaches get enough "Chill hours" then these would too?

Thanks for the help.

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 10:56 am 
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Location: Alvarado,TX
Ok, I found out that Bonanza peach trees require 250 to 500 chill hours (below 45 degrees) to fruit.

I suppose we could say that the DFW area manages that many hours below 45 degrees in a winter?

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...Heather


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 11:53 am 
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Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2003 2:57 pm
Posts: 182
Location: Saginaw (NW Fort Worth), Texas
I found the F6 climate data search page for north texas at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/f6.htm and my eyes are crossing from spending the past hour searching noaa's website looking for chill hours for ya. This only provides daily highs and lows but I will keep looking for you - been fun!


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 12:01 pm 
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Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2003 2:57 pm
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Location: Saginaw (NW Fort Worth), Texas
OH OH OH!!! I found it! According to TAMU at Overton we have had a cumulative of 651 hours between 32 and 45 degrees. If you want to know the hours below 45 degrees that is 839 hours. :) Overton is about 125 miles east of Dallas I think so hopefully these numbers are viable for where you are. You can see this data at http://overton.tamu.edu/Wx/chill.htm

Happy Fruit Tree Growing!
Christina


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 5:21 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:47 am
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Location: Alvarado,TX
WOW!!! Christina, thank you! That is above and beyond the call of gardening friendship!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 5:49 pm 
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Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2003 2:57 pm
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Location: Saginaw (NW Fort Worth), Texas
Heather, you are more than welcome! I don't know much about gardening but internet research I can do! :)

Hugs,
Christina


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 10:37 am 
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Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:47 am
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Location: Alvarado,TX
Well I did it! I went for the Bonanza peach tree. I am going to plant it on the North end of my vegetable garden, so it doesn't inadvertently shade my plants. I'm excited!

I'll let you know if and when I manage any fruit.

Thanks for all your input and help Dragonfly and Christina!

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...Heather


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PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 11:01 pm 
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Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 8:00 pm
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Heather,
I know you have already purchased your tree but I thought I would add my experience with peach trees. Four years ago I bought what I thought were 2 'Belle of Georgia' peach trees from Lowes. I had an uncle in southern MO that had a commercial orchard full of Belles. They are by far the best tasting peaches I've ever had. Large, white fleshed and very juicy. I swore that one day I would have some of my own. Anyway, last year was the first time I let them produce. I was surprised to find that one of them was not a Belle of Georgia. It ripened about 2-3 weeks after the Belle and produced a very different...good but different peach. The Belle absolutly explodes with beautiful vibrant pink blossoms in the spring and produces very well. So far I have not seen any problems with adaptabilty for this region. Again, it's only been in the ground for 4 years so the jury is still out, but so far so good. Baring any nasty surprises, I highly recommend that anyone who is interested try a Belle of Georgia. The tree itself is gorgeous and the fruit is too die for.

Jim
Fort Worth


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PostPosted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 11:31 am 
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Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2004 10:54 am
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Location: Denton
'Belle of Georgia' peaches eh.. hmmm

time to figure out what to do with the back yard anyway.. :)

mark


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 10:37 am 
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Location: Alvarado,TX
Jim,

You've seen the Belle of Georgia peach full grown then?

How big around do they get?

How tall?

Thanks.

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...Heather


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 7:21 pm 
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Location: Alvarado,TX
I have peaches! Little, bitty, tiny peaches! I'll let you know when they get big enough to pick...

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...Heather


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 Post subject: Dogs!
PostPosted: Tue Apr 27, 2004 7:07 am 
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Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:47 am
Posts: 102
Location: Alvarado,TX
Or, more specifically, Dog! I have one dog. Who would've thunk it? She likes peaches! I now only have two peaches on my tree. I guess a dwarf tree was just taunting her.

She's been in this yard three years, and the only things she ever ate were my 1015 onion sets. (Which was kinda funny. She selected out the 1015's to pull out and chew on; she ignored my red onion sets)

And this spring she chewed off my wisteria blooms. Only two. I had about six blooms. The wisteria is only a foot tall, and was just planted this winter. Another plant within reach of a small dog I guess.

The good news is that she's very smart. After being told off about the peaches, I still have two. And she didn't chew on anymore wisteria blooms.

To be honest, I'm not one-hundred-percent sure she ate my peaches. We have a lot of squirrels running around. There were bite marks, and I couldn't positively identify the teeth pattern as hers. Better call in CSI!

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...Heather


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