San Diego (coastal) apple tree suggestion

[Lisa]

Good morning,

I am in need of some good tree suggestions for my area. I live 2 miles from the coast on a hill in San Diego, CA. We do not get a freeze here. I would like suggestions for where I can get an apple tree and which varieties are best for my area. I would like to cook as well as eat the apples raw. I dislike mealy varieties.

Oh, and this is my 4 year anniversary gift to my husband. The traditional gift is flowers and apples have beautiful flowers.

Thanks for your help.
-Lisa
rebelette@aol.com

[jbclem]

I lived for many years in Malibu, about 1/4 mile from the beach. I tried lots of apples, Fuji did real well, Braeburn was just starting to produce when I moved, also had Anna, Dorset Golden, Gordon, Mutsu, Winter Banana, Pettingil, Gala. There are lots of low chill apples and some (like Gala) that will work even though they aren't supposed to.. I was even trying Golden Delicious because I lived at the mouth of a canyon and some cold air would come down to my area in the winter. Of all of these I'd say the Fuji was the most successful, and my first Anna tree produced two crops a year (best to use Dorset Golden as a pollinator for Anna, but not absolutely necessary). Braeburn and Gala were too young to produce much, Gordon did ok. You will probably have to figure out how to keep the squirrels away from the fruit, I tried everything, but what works best is to catch them with a Hav-a-Heart trap and relocate them. At my new home I caught 9 the first year and they stopped coming, this year I've only caught two and haven't seen any more.

jc

[Lisa]

Hi JC,
Thank you for your suggestions and insight. I have gotten a Dorset Apple tree and it is doing wondefully. I was told flat out that nothing but Anna and Dorset would work in my area.

I have a big dog and have never seen a tree squirrel in my yard-ever. So, no worry on that front :).

Hope you have plenty of apples this year.
-Thanks,
-Lisa

[haeveingridseyn]

Hi jbclem...

This is haevein from San Diego CA.

I also need some good suggestion for apple tree.I have found that you have better knowledge about this.

My friend's Birthday is near and I would like to give him a good gift means any fine apple tree.

I need your suggestion that which gift is good for him.Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[taylorlove]

I lived for many years in Malibu, about 1/4 mile from the beach. I tried lots of apples, Fuji did real well, Braeburn was just starting to produce when I moved, also had Anna, Dorset Golden, Gordon, Mutsu, Winter Banana, Pettingil, Gala. There are lots of low chill apples and some (like Gala) that will work even though they aren't supposed to.. I was even trying Golden Delicious because I lived at the mouth of a canyon and some cold air would come down to my area in the winter. Of all of these I'd say the Fuji was the most successful, and my first Anna tree produced two crops a year (best to use Dorset Golden as a pollinator for Anna, but not absolutely necessary). Braeburn and Gala were too young to produce much, Gordon did ok. You will probably have to figure out how to keep the squirrels away from the fruit, I tried everything, but what works best is to catch them with a Hav-a-Heart trap and relocate them. At my new home I caught 9 the first year and they stopped coming, this year I've only caught two and haven't seen any more.

jc

I live just half a mile from the beach in San Diego... you said Fuji worked really well there in Malibu... would you reccomend the same for SD?
(I hope too, theyre my favorite)

[jbclem]

When I had the Fuji tree I lived at the foot of Topanga Canyon, a five minute walk to the Topanga Beach. At that location (25 years there) on a really cold night the temps would get down to the low 40's. I never figured the number of chill hours I had there, but I had a Royal Apricot tree (needs 300 hours chill) and it didn't have fruit very often (probably not cold enough for the fruit to set). I've seen Fuji listed as needing 350-500 chill hours and I've seen it listed at 100-400 chill hours. By deduction you could figure that I must have been getting less then 300 hours, yet the Fuji, which had just started to produce fruit, had some really good and large fruit one year, and the next year I don't remember, and then I moved and tried to transplant it but it didn't survive at it's new home.

The thing about apples is that they are more adaptable that people used to think. There are also tricks you can try if you have really warm years, such as stripping the leaves from the tree at wintertime. This apparently fools some trees into setting fruit even without the required chill.

Based on my experience, I'd say try a Fuji. But first do some research to find out which rootstock might give you the best chance...I think I've heard that M111 rootstock will make apples more adaptable climate wise, and it certainly is the strongest and best rootstock for hot summers, and dry areas. I'm getting all my apples on this rootstock now, they are supposed to be more vigorous, more precocious, more drought resistant...the only tradeoff is that you probably will be pruning them for size more because they tend to be large trees(85% of standard size). But personally I'm not worrying about that, survivability is much more important to me.

Also, if it turns out the weather is too warm for the Fuji, just learn how to graft and turn part of it into an Anna, Dorsett, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Gala, Gordon, or whatever other low-chill varieties are available. If you don't know how to graft, simple...join the local CRFG and go to their winter scion exchange where you can learn to graft (watch demonstrations) and also get scionwood from other varieties. Scionwood are the cuttings from other trees that you would graft onto your tree.

Hope all this wordiness helps...

jc

[GiGiJeffries]

I live just half a mile from the beach in San Diego... you said Fuji worked really well there in Malibu... would you reccomend the same for SD?
(I hope too, theyre my favorite)
Kristina

[size=150]I think it's too hot in the summer for the Fuji--maybe the Fuji would work for coastal San Diego areas but not inland. If inland, I would go with the Dorset. I have two in my yard (in Poway) and they are healthy and fruitful!

Good luck!

[plumfan]

There is a fellow in Riverside, CA that grows about any apple he wants. And you know how hot it can get there!

Go for it, just plan on a pollinator or two as well.

[marco05]

There is a fellow in Riverside, CA that grows about any apple he wants. And you know how hot it can get there!
Go for it, just plan on a pollinator or two as well.

I agree and definitely do NOT forget the pollinators!
good luck

[kcamisado]

I'm hoping to plant an apple tree in the yard of my new house, but I live in San Diego and obviously its not the absolute greatest place to plant. However, I recently took a San Diego Tour through the hills (Very beautiful by the way) and saw quite a few healthy fruit trees growing wonderfully in the hottest part of San Diego. It was pretty far inland and seemed to have minimal effect on it's growth, So i am going to give it a try. I also recommend taking one of those San Diego tours! Truly amazing.

[jbclem]

I don't know, is it? Have you tried reading this thread?