Thanks to our year-round warm and moderate climate, many Floridians take pleasure in planting and looking after fruit trees around their residential or commercial property.
Fruit trees offer lots of benefits, from included visual appeal, fruit production, and wildlife sustainability. One of the most common questions prospective fruit growers ask is when is the very best time to plant fruit trees and which fruit trees grow well in Florida.
Florida may be known most for its orange groves, but lots of types of fruit trees flourish well in our location and produce abundant fruit.
When to Plant Your Fruit Trees
When choosing fruit trees for your central Florida home, it is necessary to pick ones that have a low chill time requirement as they fare much better in our mild, somewhat warm winters. The chill requirement, or “chill time”, refers to the amount of cold temperatures a fruit tree needs to have the required amount of dormant time and produce new growth in the spring.
You’ll have a few options when buying trees to plant. You can start from seed but since trees take so long to reach maturity most people choose to buy tree starts instead. These will be bareroot trees, burlapped trees, or potted trees.
Bareroot trees are trees that have been collected from the ground when they’re inactive. These trees are usually uprooted in the fall and their roots are shaken totally free of all soil. Typically, bare-root trees establish themselves quicker and grow more strongly than other transplants. You’ll want to plant them as soon as you receive them soon after they’ve been uprooted.
Burlapped trees have their roots with soil wrapped in burlap to keep them moist. Burlapped trees might be planted year-round in Florida, thanks to our moderate and warm climate.
Although potted trees can technically be planted year-round, the very best time to plant these trees remains in the fall and winter season, as this time of year is perfect for promoting root development. A tree that is planted in fall or winter goes into spring with a vast stretch of strong, healthy roots.
When you purchase burlapped and potted trees make sure to plant them right away. Preferably the same day after bringing your new tree home. If you are unable to plant your tree the day you get it, make certain to keep the roots moist till you can plant it.
Normally fruit trees that are not as resistant to the cold and are lost quickly during cold weather like banana, pomegranate, and citrus, ought to be planted in early fall so they can establish themselves prior to winter. These trees can also be planted during late spring and then have plenty of time to get established before any cool weather develops. Fortunately, Florida doesn’t see much winter, making it easy to plant these trees during the fall and winter with a ton of success.
Which Fruit Trees Grow Well in Florida?
Some fruit trees that thrive well in Florida include apples, avocados, bananas, citrus, figs, guava, mangoes, mulberries, papayas, peaches, and tamarind.
Deciduous fruit crops require a specific number of cooling hours and temperatures below 45 degrees to initiate blooming. Take for example Red Delicious apples, which need 400 chill hours. We might never get fruit from a Red Delicious apple tree.
So, it’s important to read up on the specific tree you want to plant before you put it in the ground. Make sure they are heat tolerant and don’t need a long chill dormancy and they should produce readily for you. Most trees labeled as tropical do very well in our humid and warm weather.
Whichever You Choose Make Sure to Take Good Care of Your Fruit Trees
With proper care, pruning, and tending you’ll have an abundant harvest year after year.
Let the care of your fruit trees be handled by the professionals. Here at Warner Tree Service, we will happily take care of all your tree trimming needs.
Contact us now to find out more.
