I live in south Texas and would love to grow some graventastein apples.
Could any of you tell me if its possible in the part of the country ? I
have been here en years and have never seen nor heard about any grown
here. Would love to have them growing in my back yard. Thank you kindly,
kate

Kate wrote:

I live in south Texas and would love to grow some graventastein apples.
Could any of you tell me if its possible in the part of the country ? I
have been here en years and have never seen nor heard about any grown
here. Would love to have them growing in my back yard. Thank you kindly,
kate

I'm a looooong way from south Texas so I have no first hand experience
with growing there.
I do know that most apples require a prolonged time of cold weather to
do well. They need the cold to go dormant but they also need a certain
number of hours (days) of cold weather so they know when to wake back
up. Apples grown where it stays too warm don't go dormant properly and
then they try to stay dormant, finally starting to grow with one branch
leafing back out but others not yet. Each variety of apple has it's own
requirement for chill time. There are a few low chill varieties that can
do well pretty far into the south. Maybe some southern apple grower will
offer some advice on which ones are worth trying.

Steve in the Adirondacks of northern NY

Steve wrote:
Kate wrote:

I live in south Texas and would love to grow some graventastein
apples. Could any of you tell me if its possible in the part of the
country ? I have been here en years and have never seen nor heard
about any grown here. Would love to have them growing in my back yard.
Thank you kindly, kate


I'm a looooong way from south Texas so I have no first hand experience
with growing there.
I do know that most apples require a prolonged time of cold weather to
do well. They need the cold to go dormant but they also need a certain
number of hours (days) of cold weather so they know when to wake back
up. Apples grown where it stays too warm don't go dormant properly and
then they try to stay dormant, finally starting to grow with one branch
leafing back out but others not yet. Each variety of apple has it's own
requirement for chill time. There are a few low chill varieties that can
do well pretty far into the south. Maybe some southern apple grower will
offer some advice on which ones are worth trying.

Steve in the Adirondacks of northern NY
Thank you Steve,
I was afraid I'd hear that. Oh well, I guess I will have to be happy
with my oranges, lemons, figs, papaya and tangerines. All new to me .
I am also, from the north. An apple would make a fine salad though.
Can't have everything. I would love to grow some nuts. Maybe I'll settle
for that next. I haven't heard of anyone growing apples around here. The
reason I decided to check with you good folk. many thanks, Kate

Probably not Kate, it would be too hot for apples. just like here it is too
cold to grow oranges and lemons (Nova Scotia). I guess we have to be
grateful for what grows well in our areas and buy from other areas.

--
Lynn
"Kate" wrote in message
...
I live in south Texas and would love to grow some graventastein apples.
Could any of you tell me if its possible in the part of the country ? I
have been here en years and have never seen nor heard about any grown here.
Would love to have them growing in my back yard. Thank you kindly, kate

Lynn wrote:
Probably not Kate, it would be too hot for apples. just like here it is too
cold to grow oranges and lemons (Nova Scotia). I guess we have to be
grateful for what grows well in our areas and buy from other areas.



Right you are . But people like me move to a different climate and right
away try to grow things we have had our whole lives and mess up the
humidity in the new area . Thank you kindly, for the come back, Lynn.
hugs, Kate

On Sat, 05 Nov 2005 10:18:42 -0600, Kate wrote:


Thank you Steve,
I was afraid I'd hear that. Oh well, I guess I will have to be happy
with my oranges, lemons, figs, papaya and tangerines. All new to me .
I am also, from the north. An apple would make a fine salad though.
Can't have everything. I would love to grow some nuts. Maybe I'll settle
for that next. I haven't heard of anyone growing apples around here. The
reason I decided to check with you good folk. many thanks, Kate


Kate, depending on how far south you live you may be able to grow
Gala's and Granny smith apples.
Some catalogue (stark bro's) say that Granny's will grow in northern
zone 9 and Galas to southern zone 8.

I'm going to try them next year.
I'm on the border of 8 & 9.

Pan Ohco

"Kate" posted:
I will have to be happy with my oranges, lemons, figs,
papaya and tangerines.

Hi, Kate.

What about an avocado tree instead of an apple tree?
They grow to approx. 30 feet high. There seems to be
2 different varieties of avocados and they seem to do
very well in hot humid environments.

Also, if you're into smaller plants, belle peppers,
jalapenos, serranos, and others could do pretty well for
you.

What's it take to grow papayas and figs?

--
Jim Carlock
Post replies to the newsgroup, thanks.

Kate, be adventurous. I sorely miss the figs growing in my parents'
yard, but I came to admire the quality of Michigan apples. Maybe you
can grow figs for me (and persimmons, and lemons).

Pan Ohco wrote:
On Sat, 05 Nov 2005 10:18:42 -0600, Kate wrote:



Thank you Steve,
I was afraid I'd hear that. Oh well, I guess I will have to be happy
with my oranges, lemons, figs, papaya and tangerines. All new to me .
I am also, from the north. An apple would make a fine salad though.
Can't have everything. I would love to grow some nuts. Maybe I'll settle
for that next. I haven't heard of anyone growing apples around here. The
reason I decided to check with you good folk. many thanks, Kate



Kate, depending on how far south you live you may be able to grow
Gala's and Granny smith apples.
Some catalogue (stark bro's) say that Granny's will grow in northern
zone 9 and Galas to southern zone 8.

I'm going to try them next year.
I'm on the border of 8 & 9.

Pan Ohco

I hope you will let us know how it goes. I am not sure we could grow
them here. But would love to try. We are in a severe drought. I
wouldn't try growing apples this year. If the drought lets up , maybe.

Jim Carlock wrote:

"Kate" posted:

I will have to be happy with my oranges, lemons, figs,
papaya and tangerines.


Hi, Kate.

What about an avocado tree instead of an apple tree?
They grow to approx. 30 feet high. There seems to be
2 different varieties of avocados and they seem to do
very well in hot humid environments.

Also, if you're into smaller plants, belle peppers,
jalapenos, serranos, and others could do pretty well for
you.

What's it take to grow papayas and figs?

--
Jim Carlock
Post replies to the newsgroup, thanks.


We have not been able to aquire the taste for avocados. They are a
pretty tree. But don't really need just a tree. Thanks, though for the
suggestion.

simy1 wrote:

Kate, be adventurous. I sorely miss the figs growing in my parents'
yard, but I came to admire the quality of Michigan apples. Maybe you
can grow figs for me (and persimmons, and lemons).

Figs are a real treat for us. We hadn't seen them grow before planting
three trees. They do great here. And produce at a very early stage.
Surprised us. Persimmons , haven't tried either. I have two lemon trees
though.

Kate wrote:
I live in south Texas and would love to grow some graventastein apples.
Could any of you tell me if its possible in the part of the country ? I
have been here en years and have never seen nor heard about any grown
here. Would love to have them growing in my back yard. Thank you kindly,
kate


We grow Anna, Winter Banana, Beverly hills, Fuji in So. California

Search for low chill Apples.
Apples for North Florida
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG368

Hi Kate,
My references show Gravenstein growable in zones 2 to 9. Northern Texas is in
zone 7, central zone 8, and southern zone 9. Seems like you should be able to grow this apple,
unless you are at the very southern most tip of Texas which is in
zone 10. I think it is worth a try.

Sherwin D.

Kate wrote:

I live in south Texas and would love to grow some graventastein apples.
Could any of you tell me if its possible in the part of the country ? I
have been here en years and have never seen nor heard about any grown
here. Would love to have them growing in my back yard. Thank you kindly,
kate

Kate wrote:
.............
...........................
Thank you Steve,
I was afraid I'd hear that. Oh well, I guess I will have to be happy
with my oranges, lemons, figs, papaya and tangerines. All new to me .
I am also, from the north. An apple would make a fine salad though.
Can't have everything. I would love to grow some nuts. Maybe I'll settle
for that next. I haven't heard of anyone growing apples around here. The
reason I decided to check with you good folk. many thanks, Kate


I would love to be able to try all the things you can grow there, but
don't give up on the idea of apples yet.
Check this web site (actually, I see that Doug beat me to this one but
I'll post it anyway: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG368
Take note of table one, near the bottom of the page.

Here is a way to estimate the chill hours you receive at your location:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/s...ages/Chill.jpg
That chart probably only works for southern areas. In the north, several
months would be off the chart and temperatures too cold don't count
anyway because the tree is so dormant, it stops "counting".
To make that work, you will have to figure out the mean temperature of
your colder months. It looks like you need some months with mean
temperatures in the low 60s to start accumulating chill hours. There are
weather sites that will give information on climate (including mean
temperatures) for any location in the country. For example, here is a
chart for my area:
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USL...prodna v=0406

From there I see our mean temperature for April is 39 degrees. Plug in
your own zip code and check your coldest months.

Steve

sherwindu wrote:

Hi Kate,
My references show Gravenstein growable in zones 2 to 9. Northern Texas is in
zone 7, central zone 8, and southern zone 9. Seems like you should be able to grow this apple,
unless you are at the very southern most tip of Texas which is in
zone 10. I think it is worth a try.

Sherwin D.


There's more to it than the hardiness zones. Hardiness zones go mostly
by the coldest single day you have all winter. (they use some other
factors to determine the zones)
Hardiness zones are excellent for figuring out which plants will survive
the winter and which may not. Hardiness zones are not good for
figuring out chill hours. For example, zone 9b is what? 25 to 30
degrees? A location that reaches that temperature dozens of times would
accumulate quite a few chill hours. Another location might only go that
low once all year and be much warmer on the other days. It would still
be zone 9b. The farther away from a large body of water the more likely
there will be an occasional night much colder that normal to put you
into a colder hardiness zone.

Steve