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

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

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.

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

Steve wrote:

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

Thank you Steve, so nice of you to try and help. I think it's a hopeless
thing here. If we ever get a real wet year , maybe I will try one ,
anyway. I did try two pear trees last spring. They just gave up . Seems
nothing does as well when we water things, as when God does. Hugs, Kate

Kate wrote:
Steve wrote:

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


Thank you Steve, so nice of you to try and help. I think it's a hopeless
thing here. If we ever get a real wet year , maybe I will try one ,
anyway. I did try two pear trees last spring. They just gave up . Seems
nothing does as well when we water things, as when God does. Hugs, Kate


Well, good luck. We tried. :-)
Enjoy your oranges, figs and all the other things that most of us can't
grow, but you can.

Steve

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, I did a little research.
Go to your local state ag extension service on line, and find out the
number of chilling hours in your area.
If they don't give a list of fruits with their chilling hours, go here
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0053-F/

hope this helps.

Pan Ohco

Pan Ohco wrote:

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, I did a little research.
Go to your local state ag extension service on line, and find out the
number of chilling hours in your area.
If they don't give a list of fruits with their chilling hours, go here
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0053-F/

hope this helps.

Pan Ohco





I appreciate your help so much. I will book mark the site, too. We are
not only in a drought here but the nights are still hugging 70 degrees.
About ten degrees higher than normal for this year. I believe I will
wait for a better time to venture into apples down here. Especially the
gravensteins, that are my favorite ones. Thank you again for taking the
time to check details and research for me. 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

"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.

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.

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).