no offense but you r comparing artichokes to mangoes, lychees et al? no comparison- south florida, hands down

All I know is that most if not all the jackfruits, lychees posts I see are from south FL. I visited northern FL (Orlando) last October, not too many tropical trees to see.

No, but I was thinking, with some protection during a freeze it isn't too hard to grow lychees, mangoes, etc in zone 9, right? But it's impossible to try growing (well to try getting fruit from) something in south Florida that can't receive sufficient chill hours there.

I've never been to south FL, I've always lived in north FL, so I'm not certain on this, but it seems that there's barely a noticeable difference between the two except that in the winter when there's a freeze north FL can get about 10 degrees cooler.

Lots of people don't want to grow many tropicals in the ground anyway if they don't have the space. I plan on having several acres, though...and kind of think longingly of huge tropical fruit trees like Harry has. Just not sure where I really want to live...

South Florida hands down, 20 ft outdoor mango trees loaded... I would not worry about the lack of chill because there are many low chill varieties out there.

I have lived in both (Gainesville, Sunrise/Coral Springs/Margate in Broward County and now Boynton Beach in Palm Beach County). There is a world of difference between North and South Fla. No, you can notm in all reality, grow mangoes and lychees in North Fla. Yes, it gets hot in North Fla, temp-wise probably even hotter than South Fla. Hell, it gets hotter in the summer time in many cities as compared to South Florida (I have also lived outside of Philly where we grew sour cherries, peaches, apples, strawberries along with a load of almost every vegatable imaginable). Difference is when talking about tropical fruits, South Fla is subtropical to tropical. North Fla may have a similar climate in the summer but when talking about the winter, forget about it. Way too cold for these fruit trees/plants. SFla has a longer "summer" period, higher humidity, and an overal average warmer low temp.

Also, you talk about a wider variety of trees, have you seen the extensive number of tropical fruits that can be grown in Sfla but will not produce in NFla ?

Newgen - fyi, Orlando is Central Fla :)

Rob

newgen, yeah, I guess it's because tropicals need protection in north FL. Most people aren't willing to protect their trees. My neighbors have nothing more "exotic" than bananas, loquats, and citrus here, and they don't even protect their tiny banana plants.

It would be cool to live where people all have lots of tropicals and, assuming they were like my current neighbors, be uninterested in the fruit so I could have it all, lol. Not to mention, all the good nurseries are in south FL. Every one I want to go to is like 5+ hours away! No fair.

Yeah, I guess south is better. Just not at the very bottom where there's like 0-50 chill hours because there are a lot of fruits that need chill hours that i'd like to grow.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, but it's way overcrowded, and real estate is ridiculously expensive! But that's a fruit-growing paradise with perfect Mediterranean climate. (I was born in L.A.)

Yep - Southern California has the advantage of being able to grow all the temperate fruits in addition to some of the tropicals.

Real estate in socal has come down quite a ways, and there are some really nice areas (that are not smoggy and crowded like L.A.) Ventura County was always my favorite spot. Cities like Fillmore, Santa Paula, and Piru are essentially rural, surrounded by miles of greenbelt, yet they are only an hour's drive from L.A.

Jeff

bsbullie, as far as I know, most tropicals can be grown here but they need to be container grown so they can be moved indoors/in a greenhouse when it gets cold. Or grown in the ground but short enough to make a "tent" around on cold nights. Definitely not as easy as south FL but it can be done.

Ultra tropicals that get very big like coconut palms, durian, breadfruit, or very sensitive tropicals like rambutan aren't easy to grow here, if not impossible. But there's loads of stuff that can be grown that responds well to pruning or that naturally stays small.

I thought FL was better for tropicals than California? Because of our high humidity.

I would go with Miami I lived there 18 years ( born there)... but the for the best climate Orange County California, eternal spring.

JF

Hi Gryffindor4,

I have lived both in Jacksonville (North tip of Florida) and now in Delray Beach. It was really tough to grow tropical and subtropical plants in Jacksonville. I much more enjoy it here in the south. However, more pesky bugs and fungus down here to deal with.

Tomas

Considering you're asking this question on a tropical fruit forum you can be assured that South Florida will come out the winner.

There was a discussion in the Fruit/Orchards forum about the best place in the country to grow fruits. Someone said the best place is "your backyard". I agree with that (FWIW I'm in a zone where we grow citrus and other sub tropicals in ground, so it's easy to say this).

South florida is a really good place to grow tropicals, orlando also isn't that bad because it is in central. If i could buy property i would buy tropical property in Hawaii or in the Carribean islands. Haha i wonder how much prperty costs in hawaii?

Hehe, thanks for pointing that out for me. Central, North, I guess when it comes to growing tropical stuff, north & central is similar. I would also consider Hawaii if I could afford it. Southern Florida can get cold in the winter, whereas Hawaii never does.

Its simple, South Fla. because what you can grow down here is "Exotic" and what grows up north is available in the supermarket.

Its also about quality, so far I have not bought a Mango from a supermarket ( in the US ) that I thought was good. yet I have had plenty of good Apples and Pears.

Hello:
As many of you might remember, I live in Jacksonville FL (z 9a). Here I grow or have grown bananas, mango, pineapples, key limes, sapodillas, guavas, Barbados cherries, other random tropical fruits, lots of citrus, plus some orchids and other random plants.

While my experience has been mostly positive (trees usually produce well), the amount of planning and work involved is not for the average person. You have to take everything into account, growth rate, tree height, flowering time of year, fruit development time, fertilization, very careful and calculated pruning, and the list could go on forever. Of course, that is only the preparation for the real pain, successfully protecting your trees during a freeze event.

The one thing that can be said about growing tropical fruits up here versus Dade County is that the soils in my area are typically better suited for most trees. The fertility is not great, but they are well-drained, the PH range is just about perfect (little nutrient deficiencies), etc. Other than the soil and maybe some reduction in some types of pests, the rest is painful.

Conclusion:
Unless you have some personal necessity to live in north FL, you have a need for a yearly challenge, or you're outright masochistic, do yourself a favor and spend the money on a chunk of land down in south Florida. Trust me, I've been there done that got 100 t-shirts...

Hey, I live in Jax too :)

Yeah, after hearing of the difficulties I probably will live in south FL when I'm in the position to buy a house. Most of my family is in north FL though...Ah well, they'd probably rather move south too.

Anyone know a good area? What I'd be looking for is somewhere that gets sufficient chill hours for low chill fruit, on the east side since I like the Atlantic Ocean, where houses aren't so expensive because I want to have as many acres as I can afford, where there are lots of retention ponds because I want one in my yard.

And preferably not too far from Orlando and Tampa since I want annual passes to theme parks. Although, Jax is like 2.5 hrs away from Orlando so any closer than that is considered "close" to me, lol. Wow, that was a much longer list than I thought!

I LOVE Hawaii, just the thought of living there excites me, but sadly Hawaii has more cons for me than Florida. Maybe one day....

I also live just outside Jax,FL which is northeast. I grow tropical fruits and other decorative plants. I have a makeshift greenhouse that is made from a 10x12 carport with 12 mil plastic that I use in the winter and heat with a propane heater. It comes down in the spring. It is certainly possible to grow stuff here but must have winter protection. It is sort of a Pain in the u know what though. It is true we have good soil..just a little sandy and lots of composted hard wood leaves etc since it is very wooded.
I am planning to move to S. FL next year because it seems to have more of what I am looking for in a place to live. Not sure yet if I will go east or west (in S. FL) but am leaning towards the gulf coast :) I guess it will depend on who's hiring nurses LOL when the time comes.

Mangoes are what made me move to Deerfield Beach from NJ in my college days. I am forever grateful to the mango. It changed my life in so many ways. I love South Florida. I could live other places but I would horribly miss all the wonderful tropical fruits I have growing in my yard!

sultryjasmine,
you'll probably find the cheapest real estate in SW FL (on the Gulf), plus it's less crowded. I would rather have moved there, but for family reasons we're here in Broward County.

Neither. As a life-long resident of the NYC/NJ Metro area, it would be Miami--NYC's 3rd borough. Beside that, ex-patriat Cubans KNOW how to PARTY! :)

I grew up in broward with my grandpa, an acre of land, and 70+ varieties of rare fruit trees. I now live in an apartment in Orlando, I still grow plenty of veggies, but miss the fruit (and if I want to eat tar, I'll go to a construction site, not buy a supermarket mango).
You can grow "some" rare fruits in north or central Florida, but they already require so much work that I would not want to add to it: South Florida.

johnb51: That's what I have heard: that SW side is more economical and less crowded but it probably depends on 'where' exactly lol. I would have to be zoned agriculture and away from the larger cities a little bit since I have chickens and loud roosters. They do make good fertilizer! :P I was also born in L.A. but later moved to Phx AZ.
I love it in FL. The humidity took some getting used to compared to the Southwest. I've been out here 3 years now.

marinfla: I like your mango story. Its funny how little things can change our lives. Your yard sounds like paradise. I can't wait until I can put my fruit trees in the ground and not worry about freezes so much.

Bob1016: Sounds like you had quite an education in fruit trees since you were very young. What a nice environment to grow up in! I can imagine that you miss it and your grandfather quite a bit.

njoasis: Sounds fun! I just bet they do! Can you make a good mojito? lol

>>Anyone know a good area?

Some spots recommended in order:

1. SouthWest Ranches, Located in Broward County, premium!

SouthWest Ranches website

2. Homestead, Located in Miami-Dade County

3. Horse Country, Located in Miami-Dade County

I recommend a 1-10 acre lot in Homestead if you are looking for the most economical lot. Buy a lot with a house on it, you dont want to build, its too expensive for hurricane zone. I am sure the other folks can come up with other areas.

Another thing to keep in mind: The more land, the more taxes, if you zone agricultural then you can keep your taxes down.

Adiel

Definitely look into the agri zoned areas, you'll have to keep records of everything, but the tax breaks are great. Miami is a good place, but it is decisively hotter (and more humid) than broward, you'll have to keep an eye on certain species. I am biased towards broward county, but not without reason: less root rot issues with soil, less heat and humidity, and you can grow a mix of things (mangos next to rolinia and cherimoya which require a little bit of cool weather). but there is less space in broward unless you go out west.
sultryjasmine - I definitely miss it, and the education was invaluable, not many people can say that they have experience growing 60+ fruit tree varieties, or that they know how to grow they're own food.

South of L Okeechobee ...Erickson Farms grows lychee, mangoes, etc. Its a warm spot because the lake releases heat on those cold winter nights. Looks a lot less populated too.

http://www.ericksonfarm.com/home.html

Any Florida is better then living in this frigid ice box.

I've been successful growing avocados,mangos,papayas and the list goes on (in N Fla). Many varieties of tropicals will grow in Jax but they take a little more care to protect from some of the cold nights. Coconut palms? I'll let you know. I've lost several of them but I've learned how to nurse them in the winter too. When mine get to 10' I'll bragg a little. Most dont think you can grow sensitive tropicals in Jax but thats because they havent tried or are too lazy. When I first moved to Jax I was told this or that palm wouldnt survive, fortunately I didnt listen and have Queen palms(5)over 50' high. Foxtails too! I live at the beaches of Jax where we get slightly warmer winters.