Top Five List Of Fruit Trees For San Diego

We are so fortunate in San Diego to have the ability to grow year round. We have climate balmy enough for citrus and avocados, but still have the ability to grow gobsmackingly tasty stone fruits...that is, if you choose the right varieties. We also live in a very good area to raise grapes for the table or for a little wine.

As a garden consultant, landscaper, and grower, one of the saddest things I hear usually goes something like this. "We have had this _________ (fill in the blank) tree for the last (5,6,7,8,9,10, 12) years, and we have never seen a piece of fruit. I cringe when I hear that; it saddens me so. Trees in a landscape, and fruit trees in particular, are a huge investment of money, time, care, and water. When I hear of people's failures and melancholy about their disappointing results, I want to say "I feel your pain."Sometimes these failures are self-imposed. The fault lies in poor cultural practices: too much or too little water, poor placement, bad feeding, lack of proper pruning, or poor dormant season care. Tragically, some trees never had a chance from day one; someone picked a tree totally unsuited to our climate or picked a tree that required a pollinator and none was planted simultaneously.

In my home of thirty-two years I had forty six fruit trees. In thirty two years I certainly had my share of hits and misses. In fact, there were a few trees in the garden that were in my cross hairs to be removed from the collection in the next season. In the new garden, there were a few mature fruit trees that were salvageable, and a few that met the blade of the chain saw. In the new place I am now up to thirty trees; seven that made the cut to stay, four that made the cut in the opposite manner- they met the sharp blade of my Husqvarna. Twenty-three new trees were added; tried and true performers proven by experience, and a couple of experiments. In forty years in the green industry, I would estimate I have easily grown over two-hundred varieties for myself, or my clients. Let me save you a lot of time in your selection process of the best trees for your garden.

I am going to make several lists, according to category. I will give you my top five choices among three groups: citrus, stone fruits,and "other fruits", and grapes. I know, I know, grapes aren't trees. But for our purposes, I am including them in this group. Over the next couple of weeks, I will count down the top five, one per day, in each group. I hope you enjoy the list, and start your own orchard or vineyard.