I'm not positive on the zones, but I live in 10b in california and my local place has the pineapple guavas and he only stocks what will grow here. So if you are near that climate range you might be in the clear.

Also, you could try chilling if you want but it probably won't help too much since the soil is a good insulation and you would need a lot of ice/dry ice before it would chill the soil enough.

I've tried the ice on the ground around the plant...didn't work for me with pears, apples, peaches and nectarines. I didn't try dry ice.

Harry

I don't quite understand the discussion of chilling hours on the Tropical Fruits forum. I don't have chilling hours where I live.

lmao....sorry but i couldn't help it!!!!

Tim

Good question, now that I think about it, Johnmerr. However, just as many northeners like to ignore their temperature zones to try to grow something tropical, for me, as a sub-tropical/tropical fruit grower, I would do anything to grow some good temperate cherries or other fruit. So the stretching of the horticultural rules is the common thread that makes this a relevant posting and worthy of consideration in this forum.

Harry

Hum... as opposed to a greenhouse....maybe a walk in restaurant type of fridge with some grow lights for potted temperate zone fruit trees, Just a thought.

Don't think I didn't give consideration to the walk in freezer set up. I couldn't get any of the three restaurants I inquired with to allow potted plants in their freezers.....something about the health department not allowing it. Imagine.

Harry

hmhausman-

In Israel they have gone so far as to transport potted peach trees up into the mountains to get adequate chill hours and then back down to the low elevation areas (hot) to get them to flower and fruit. All so they could get ripe fruit very early in the year. They also have used large coolers to get adequate chilling hours. I'd have to dig around to find the research paper I read this out of, but it was pretty crazy.

If the soil itself needs the chilling hours (as opposed to the leaves and trunk) you could try something like an ice water circulation unit and run tubing throughout the soil (sealed off) that way it would send chilled water through the soil, absorbing heat, and returning to a bin of ice water. You won't risk root rot since it is a closed system as well.

Wizzard,

Now that's an idea... I suppose the same principle could be applied by using chilled water or air around a pot? Perhaps something as simple as a window AC unit beside it?

Aim some of the air upwards at the trunk and canopy, and the rest at the pot, Hmmm :-)