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radish4ever

How many and what kinds to plant in Fort Worth?

radish4ever
11 years ago

We are building a new home in Fort Worth and will be closing on it in February (hopefully!). We'll have a standard lot, and I believe it's 55 feet wide and will be sloped at a negative grade in the back, but will level toward the house, of course.
I've been thinking about planting some fruit trees in the backyard. The one I am sure on is a FIG tree as I love them and they're so hard to find at the store... My grandma had a few on her property growing up and they're such a delicious treat.
The others I am considering are pear, persimmon, pomegranate... I know that each variety is different, but I'd like to be able to get self-fruiting varieties for whatever I choose. How many are too many? What kind of a layout should I consider? How far from the house and how far from the fence do I need to plant?

I would love some tips and advice. :) Thanks so much! I'm very eager and excited.
-Jenn

Comments (2)

  • ericwi
    11 years ago

    I live in Wisconsin, but I have relatives in Fort Worth, so I know something about the weather & climate. There is a pretty good chance of late frost, after flowers emerge in the spring, so peaches are iffy, at best. Pecans thrive in Fort Worth. I know from experience that blueberry shrubs can survive a late frost, and still produce a good harvest in the summer.

  • maryhawkins99
    11 years ago

    If you have a spot with 7 or more hours of sun, I�d plant a Celeste fig. They like a fair amount of water, & you�ll need to use netting to keep the birds away, but they�re really easy to grow.

    Persimmons do well, are 0 maintenance, & are self fertile; so you only need 1. They need 6+ hours of sun. I�d plant a Fuyu for an eat while hard type; for a eat while soft type, my favorites are 1: giombo, 2: eureka, 3: hichaya.

    For 5+ hours of sun, I�d go with thornless blackberries.

    A Keiffer pear would do well, I really like them, but many people don�t. Im getting mixed results so far with my Asian pears. Hosui & 20th century are usually recommended.

    I really like my tomcot apricot; I have to spray once or twice; its self fertile, one will do

    Peaches are doable, but are a lot of work. Apples are a challenge, but are also doable. Jujube�s do well but they have an invasive root system, I�d keep them 30-40 ft away from flowerbeds & foundations. My persimmons have never been as good as store bought ones; but you have different soil so they might work better for you; sweet &desertnyi, show the most promise for me; texas a&m recommends wonderfull; eversweet does well but seems bland to me; Poms are a pretty bush in any event

    My favorite nursery is Womack�s. Doan's in Irving is pretty good too. Beware of nurseries that don�t tell you the rootstock, those plants often are on rootstocks that don�t do well in Texas.

    Some interesting reads can be found by googling "neil sperry tamu radio fruit north texas", and "dallas fruit grower".

    If you haven�t bought by next fall, you might want to visit a pick your own place in Mexia. Lightsey�s farm; you could taste what you�ll eventually be harvesting in 3-4 years; they have most everything I�ve mentioned