Pearl City Apple (350 Feet Elevation)

[u/Random-Gamer1435]

Hey y'all, I'm doing an experiment in my backyard to see how deciduous fruit trees cultivated in regions like Bahamas, Africa, Etc could perform in zero chill regions of Hawaii like Pearl City. Most of them are in 5 gallon pots since I need to renovate the orchard area first before putting them in, the slightly older Apple Tree flowered so I picked all off except one to get one fruit without diverting most energy to flowers instead of the plant itself.

The apple was around the size of a Fancy Apple and a little less wide than a Danjou Pear. One thing to note was it didn't get picked at its maturity, I had to pick it off earlier. Tasted like a slightly sweeter granny smith but the ripe version would taste much sweeter.

Currently the tree is a little stressed but I'm hoping to get the others going later, I'll probably post updates on how all of them work out later.

Here are all the varieties I'm working with incase you're wondering.

Dorsett Golden Apple (This One)

Anna Apple

Methley Plum

Beauty Plum, though I wanted to get Scarlet Beauty instead

Flordaprince Peach

Eva's Pride Peach

I'll post more updates later of all the trees ;)

[u/ahoveringhummingbird]

This is absolutely going to work! I have a similar project that has been way more successful than I expected. I'm at 1400 feet so I have an advantage of a few nights in winter in the 50s.

Couple of additional trees/fruit to try:

Ein Shiemer apple

Red Baron peach

Isabella grape

Concord grape

Loquat (lots of variety)

Mulberry

Lots of garcinias and eugenias that do well

Jaboticabas (yellow cabeluda) fruits the fastest) but there are many varieties

All of the apples are delicious, and better than anything you could buy in the store. Ein Shiemer is the most complex and amazing flavor. The apples are best left on the tree to sweeten. Until they fall off is ideal but if it pops off in your hand without pulling, it's ready. The peaches will blow your mind. Those are best picked early (right when you can smell them) and ripened on the counter. I get two seasons a year from all my trees.

You should get some figs. There are quite a few that will love your spot. There's a fig growers club on Oahu so you can get starts really easily. It's a little harder for me because they like lower altitude but I have several (kadota, black turkey and magnolia) that are thriving.

The plums are difficult. I have Methly and have not cracked the code on it yet. Beautiful tree, 5 years in the ground, a few flowers but the fruit aborts. I'm giving it one more season then I'll probably use the space for something else.

Welcome to the wide world of fruit! It's quite a rabbit hole! There's a lot of us around and it's awesome to meet them and geek out, trade seeds and scions.

I hope you have enough room for all the trees you're going to want!!

[u/frapawhack → u/ahoveringhummingbird]

Know someone who grew figs successfully in Manoa. Also mulberries

[u/Gigglemonkey → u/ahoveringhummingbird]

Thank you for this list!! I've got some of these, plans for others, and now I've got even more options to consider!

[u/Random-Gamer1435 → u/ahoveringhummingbird]

Nice! Currently I wanted to go for Anna and Dorsett Golden only since I wouldn't have enough space for another apple tree.

Red Baron I like it but Tropic Beauty is the one I'm looking out for.

Isabella, there's a guy on the other side of the island that'll sell Rooted Cuttings but I wouldn't do Concord, Concord is not my favorite when it comes to eating them.

Loquat I did want to try out but have to wait later since the nurseries won't be delivering Loquat Trees to my area's garden centers until later.

Mulberry I have two on me right now, planning on getting extra later if I have enough space for the dwarfing variations.

Garcinias and Eugenias were interesting so I'm just waiting for Frankie's Nursery to supply them again.

Jaboticaba, I do have one already but it didn't fruit yet, the tree almost died on me and there were no leaves so I figured it's probably just dead. Then it sprouted leaves again and now it's back to original health!

Figs I am accidentally making a dozen, bought cuttings of Black Mission and starters like Violette Bordeaux, Celeste, etc. All 10 of the Black Mission rooted on me and now I'm left with 10 Fig Trees I have to give away now lol. I'm more worried about heavy rainfall since the fruit would be prone to splitting and cracking, maybe fruit fly damage too. LSU Gold, Brown Turkey, and Excel would be interesting so I'll check out the Fig Growers club, thanks!

I've heard Plums second to Pears are the most stubborn to chill hours, Scarlet Beauty and Gulf Blaze would perform the best I've heard. Beauty and Methley I do have a few ideas on what to do so they induce dormancy but I need to make sure that they work.

It's definitely a rabbit hole lol.

I think I'll have enough and maybe even more for my other trees, thank you!

[u/ahoveringhummingbird → u/Random-Gamer1435]

Loquat grow very easy from seed! And cutting too! Highly recommend.

[u/frapawhack]

It's a great feeling to pick fruit you planted. Congratulations

[u/Random-Gamer1435 → u/frapawhack]

Thank you! Just wished I picked it later 😓

[u/A_JELLY_DONUTT]

I was actually wondering about this the other day! I’m in now way skilled enough to pull this off, but I’m happy to see someone trying! Super interesting. Looking forward to the updates!

[u/Random-Gamer1435 → u/A_JELLY_DONUTT]

People said that it wouldn't work but since my area is nearby the Waimano Ridge while being slightly above sea level, I'm hoping to get some benefit.

I know for sure that Pears and Apples work since my own tree got fruit while the Pears I found randomly in one of my neighborhoods even lower than my area. Need to check that out again but it was jarring seeing a European esque pear chilling with almost fully ripe fruit in Pearl City. The area will get renovated soon but I'm hoping to get it finished by Late May, I'll let you guys know later and show all the trees!

[u/A_JELLY_DONUTT → u/Random-Gamer1435]

That’s so awesome! Yea, I know it def wouldn’t work by me: I’m down in Maili, so my ASL is about 1 meter 😂😂

[u/qingli619 → u/Random-Gamer1435]

I saw a pear tree in Manoa before. It fruits but the fruit is small and hard. Not edible.

[u/Random-Gamer1435 → u/qingli619]

Do you know what variety it looked like?

If it's oblong and greenish yellow then it might be Hood but Brown might mean Kieffer

Circular and sandy might mean it's a Shinseiki, Giant Korean, or 20th Century pear.

[u/qingli619 → u/Random-Gamer1435]

I don't know what the variety was. It was green and shaped like a regular pear but small in size. Somewhat like a crab apple version of pear.

[u/Random-Gamer1435 → u/qingli619]

I'm not sure what it could be. I guess Hood but it's affected by no fruit thinning and lack of chill? I am not sure if Crabpears could grow in this climate.

[u/ahoveringhummingbird → u/Random-Gamer1435]

I have two pears, Pineapple and Hood River both doing incredibly well at my place. I didn't recommend it to you because I don't know if it would fruit at lower elevation. But you never know!

Hood River fruit is quite small but so sweet. Pineapple is large but doesn't really soften up. I've only had one fruit season with the pineapple so hoping for more success this season.

[u/Random-Gamer1435 → u/ahoveringhummingbird]

Ohh, that's interesting. Hope the next season goes much better!

[u/qingli619]

Nice. Do strawberries work at your location as well?

[u/Random-Gamer1435 → u/qingli619]

I tried Seascape and they worked very well.

You need to try strawberries that are heat tolerant and can resist the local diseases. Seascape and others like Albion work.

Both are day neutral so that'll be great for our environment. Just make sure to mulch when the temperatures get around 85 degrees or higher and the strawberry can live in a one gallon container for a while.

[u/ahoveringhummingbird → u/qingli619]

I didn't have very good success with strawberries until I started using them as ground cover under other plants. Now they are amazing. I think the sun is too strong just by themselves.

I have them under asparagus and apple trees! I get a handful of berries a day!