Alright, listen up, y’all. Gonna tell ya ’bout growin’ some fruit trees down here in Southern California, the kinda place where the sun shines most of the time, but things still need a bit of know-how to get ’em growin’ right.
Now, I ain’t no fancy expert, but I’ve seen enough trees grow to know a thing or two. First off, you gotta think about what kinda fruit you like to eat. Makes no sense growin’ somethin’ you ain’t gonna enjoy, right? Lemons and oranges, them’s the easy ones. They like it here, the sun makes ’em sweet, and they don’t need too much fussin’ over.
- Citrus Trees: Like I said, lemons and oranges are good. But don’t forget about grapefruits and limes too. Just make sure you plant ’em where they get plenty of sun, and water ’em regular, ‘specially when they’re young. You don’t want them babies dyin’ on ya.
- Stone Fruits: Peaches, plums, apricots…them’s the ones that got pits in the middle. They grow good here too, but you gotta watch out for them squirrels. Them critters love a sweet peach as much as I do! Give ‘em a good prune every year.
- Avocados: Now, these ain’t fruit to everyone, but folks around here sure do like ’em. They take a bit longer to start producin’, but once they do, you’ll have more avocados than you know what to do with. And they need lots of water mind ya!
Plantin’ the tree is the easy part. Dig a hole, not too deep, not too shallow. Put the tree in, fill it up with dirt, and give it a good waterin’. That’s what my old pappy always said. But keepin’ it alive, that’s where the work comes in. You gotta water it, gotta fertilize it, gotta protect it from them bugs and critters.
Waterin’ is important, ‘specially in the summer when it gets hot and dry. But don’t drown the thing, you know? Just give it a good soak every few days, dependin’ on the weather. And them fertilizers? Don’t go overboard. A little bit goes a long way. Too much and you’ll burn the roots right off. Just like cookin’ a good stew, slow and steady wins the race.
And then there’s the bugs. Them little fellers can ruin a whole tree if you let ’em. So, you gotta keep an eye out for ’em and spray ’em if you gotta. There’s all kinds of sprays you can get at the store, but I reckon the best way is to just keep the tree healthy. A healthy tree can fight off them bugs better than a weak one.
Prunin’ is another thing you gotta do. Cut off them dead branches, shape the tree a bit, let the sun get in there. It ain’t hard, but it makes a big difference. My husband he always took care of the pruning before he passed. I still do it though, keeps me busy.
Now, I know some folks like to get fancy with their fruit trees, tryin’ all kinds of exotic stuff. But me, I stick to the basics. Them tried and true varieties that grow good here and don’t need a whole lot of fussin’. That’s the key ya know. Oranges, lemons, peaches, avocados. Them’s the ones that’ll keep you in fruit all year round.
So, if you’re thinkin’ ’bout growin’ some fruit trees in Southern California, go for it. It ain’t rocket science, but it takes a bit of work and a bit of patience. But when you’re bitin’ into a sweet peach or juicin’ a fresh lemon, you’ll know it was all worth it. Just remember to give them trees some love, and they’ll give you plenty of fruit back. That’s the way it always been and always should be.
And one more thing, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Go down to the local nursery, talk to them folks there. They know more than I do, that’s for sure. They can tell you what varieties grow best in your area, what kinda soil you got, and all that other stuff. It’s always good to get a second opinion, especially from the youngsters.
So that’s it really. Go get yourself some trees, plant ‘em, and watch ‘em grow. You’ll get good eats, I tell ya. Good eats.
Tags: Fruit Trees, Southern California, Citrus, Stone Fruits, Avocados, Gardening, Growing Fruit, Easy to Grow, Backyard Orchard, California Gardening
