FOR NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
Drs. Nancy Roe, Calvin Lyons and Larry Stein
Extension Horticulturists, Texas Cooperative Extension
Cultivar selection is one of the most important steps in successful fruit
growing. A cultivar may perform very well in one area of Texas yet be a
complete failure in another area. For this reason, the Texas Agricultural
Extension Service has prepared this list (based on 800-900 hours of chilling)
to identify those cultivars which have demonstrated outstanding performance
in this area of the state for several years.
It is a good idea, if space allows, to include at least two cultivars of
each crop in the home fruit planting as one may do better than another in
certain years. In other words, put your eggs into more than one basket
as one cultivar may survive a late freeze better than another, etc.
Remember, fruit trees do not grow "true" from seed. Instead,
the desired fruit-bearing cultivar is budded or grafted onto a particular
rootstock which is well adapted to the soils of our area. Example: buds
of the peach cultivar known as 'Ranger', an outstanding fruit producer,
should, if planting in an acid sandy soil, be purchased already grafted
onto a 'Nemaguard' rootstock which has built-in resistance to certain nematodes.
The correct rootstock is just as important as the recommended fruit-bearing
cultivar.
Although fruit trees are traditionally planted during their dormant season,
healthy, well-rooted trees (except figs) grown in containers can be planted
all year.
APPLES (Malus pumila):
Cultivars: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala, Holland, Jerseymac,
Mollie's Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith
Rootstocks: mature tree size of any of the above cultivars can be regulated
by grafting onto one of the following:
Cross-pollination: to ensure adequate cross-pollination and thus good fruit production, plant at least 2 cultivars
Planting dates:
APRICOTS (Prunus armeniaca)
Note: Due to their early bloom date, most apricots are subject to spring freezes. Many apricot trees produce fruit as infrequently as one of every 3-5 years.
Cultivars: Bryan, Hungarian, Moorpark
Rootstock to request: 'Lovell' for alkaline clay soils, 'Nemaguard' for acid sandy soils
Planting dates:
BLACKBERRIES (Rubus sp.)
Cultivars whose canes are thorny:
Planting dates:
Cultivars whose canes are thornless:
Planting dates:
CHERRIES, SOUR (Prunus cerasus)
Cultivar: Montmorency
Planting dates:
CITRUS, SATSUMA (Citrus reticulata)
Note: satsumas are not winter hardy in north central Texas. Thus, they should be grown as patio or terrace container plants, in containers of 20 gallon capacity or greater. Move plants into a sunny location indoors when temperatures drop below 26 F. When temperatures exceed 26 F., move plants back outside into full sun.
Planting dates:
FIGS (Ficus carica)
Cultivars: Texas Everbearing, Celeste
Planting dates:
GRAPES, AMERICAN (Vitis sp.)
Cultivars: Black Spanish, Champanel, Golden Muscat (These are resistant to Pierce's Disease)
Planting dates:
GRAPES, HYBRID (Vitis sp. - French x American hybrids)
Cultivars: Seibel 9110, S.V. 12-375, Aurelia, S.V. 12-309
(These cultivars are susceptible to Pierce's Disease; however, they have lived for several years in many areas of the state where occurrence of this disease is quite common)
Planting dates:
GRAPES, HYBRID SEEDLESS TABLE (Vitis sp.)
Cultivars: Flame, Reliance, Himrod, Glenora, Venus (seed remnants)
Note: these cultivars susceptible to Pierce's Disease
Planting dates:
JUJUBES (Zizyphus jujuba)
Cultivars: Li, Lang
Planting dates:
PEACHES (Prunus persica)
Cultivars categorized by period of the growing season in which they ripen:
Rootstock to request: 'Lovell' for alkaline clay soils, 'Nemaguard' for acid sandy soils
Planting dates:
PEACHES, DWARF (Prunus persica)
Note: these are genetic dwarfs; they produce full-sized fruit on very dwarf plants
Cultivars: Bonanza II, Early Golden Glory
Planting dates:
PEARS (Pyrus sp.)
Cultivars: Orient, Moonglow, Kieffer, LeConte, Ayres, Garber, Maxine, Warren
Rootstocks to request: 'Calleryana', 'Old Home'
Planting dates:
PEARS, ASIAN (Pyrus pyrifolia)
Note: Asian pears are susceptible to fire blight.
Cultivars: Shinseiki, 20th Century, Hosui
Rootstocks to request: 'Calleryana', 'Old Home'
Cross-pollination: to ensure adequate cross-pollination, plant at least 2 cultivars; or one Asian plus one regular pear cultivar
Planting dates:
PECANS (Carya illinoensis)
Cultivars: Moderate to intensive management situations:
Low management situation: seedling (ungrafted)
Planting dates:
PERSIMMONS, ORIENTAL (Diospyros kaki)
Cultivars with astringent fruit: Eureka, Hachiya, Tane-nashi, Tamopan
Cultivar with non-astringent fruit: Fuyu (Fuyugaki) Note: this cultivar is more susceptible to cold; top of tree may sustain freeze injury during some winters in north central Texas
Planting dates:
PLUMS (Prunus salicina)
Cultivars: Morris, Methley, Ozark Premier, Bruce
Rootstock to request: 'Lovell' for alkaline clay soils, 'Nemaguard' for acid sandy soils
Note: 'Bruce' requires cross-pollination
Planting dates:
RASPBERRIES (Rubus idaeus)
Cultivars: Dorman Red
Planting dates:
STRAWBERRIES (Fragaria x ananassa)
Note: plants must be completely covered with mulch (straw, dry leaves, etc.) when temperatures drop below 15 F. When, in a few days, temperatures exceed 15 F., pull back mulch to again expose foliage.
Annual system (replant each fall):
Cultivars: Chandler, Douglas, Sequoia
Planting dates:
Perennial system (matted row):
Cultivars: Sunrise, Cardinal, Allstar (all of these cultivars are everbearing)
Planting dates: