1. Urban Harvest Fruit Tree Sale January 13, 2018 Berries & Grapes

2. How to use this program
Download & print the 2018 Urban Harvest Fruit Tree Sale Catalog at
Mark the catalog with your choices as you watch the slide show - this will help you make your selections at the sale
Include a second choice option in case your first choice is sold out

3. Sale date & location January 13, 2018 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Houston Community College, Southwest Campus
5601 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77081

4. Event Highlights Green Thumbs Education Pavilion Ask the Experts Booth
Nutritional and environmental education for children of all ages
Ask the Experts Booth
Vendors
Food trucks
Music

5. Why buy at the Urban Harvest Fruit Tree Sale?
Proceeds benefit the services & programs of Urban Harvest
Youth & Adult Education
School gardens
Farmer’s Markets
Selections are all suited to local growing conditions
Climate
Soil
Chill Hours Requirements or Hardiness
Selections are provided by local nurseries
Supports the local economy

6. Additional Resources The Urban Harvest website provides:
Planting instructions
Tip sheets for each type of fruit
Articles about growing fruit
Classes calendar
Volunteer opportunities
Volunteering in an affiliate garden can provide hands-on experience

7. Upcoming Fruit Classes
Basic Fruit Tree Care
Jan 20; 9:30 am – 12:00pm, Univ. of St. Thomas
Growing Fruit Trees in Small Spaces
Feb 10; 9:30 am – 11:30 am, HMNS
Pruning Fruits
3-part series begins Sat. Feb 10; 10am – 12:30pm, Univ. of St. Thomas
Feb 17 & Feb 24 are field training
Vegetable gardening, permaculture, and fermenting classes are also available
For more information, see the Class Calendar at

8. Houston’s Edible Handbook
Year Round Vegetables, Fruits, and Flowers for Metro Houston
Dr. Bob Randall, PhD
Local gardening advice
Local climate information
Local resources for gardeners
Varieties known to be successful in local gardens
Available at the plant sale, through Urban Harvest, and at Urban Harvest classes

9. Maximize your experience
Review the slide shows & catalog before the sale
Read the Tip Sheets for the varieties you would like to plant at
Make a list of your fruit questions & visit the Experts Booth for assistance
Bring your own wagon if you have one
Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
The sale is a “rain or shine” event, come prepared!

10. Keys to Success with Fruit
Selection of appropriate varieties
Proper site selection
Adequate sunlight exposure
Excellent soil drainage
Soil preparation, building raised beds
Best to complete well ahead of planting
Proper planting (
Care & maintenance 10

11. Thornless?? Seedless?? Choose varieties for fruit quality FIRST
Some of the best flavored varieties have thorns or seeds
Pruning and training can minimize exposure to thorns
Thorniness can be an advantage to protect fruit or provide property security
Seeds can be removed but excellent flavor cannot be injected into bland fruits

12. What are chill hours?
Some fruits require a minimum number of “chill hours”, or “chill units” to break dormancy, bloom and produce fruit
Chill units are based on high and low temperatures during winter dormancy
Accumulation of hours between 32°F and 45°F
Hours below 32°F do not count toward the total
Hours above 60°F are deducted
Does not apply to citrus and tropicals 12

13. Some local average chill hours
Gulf & Bay Areas
300 or less
Hobby area
Inner city
Harris County – other than above
Fort Bend County
Counties north of Harris
600 – 900 13

14. Kiowa Blackberry Sweet, large berries when fully ripe
Heavy producer over a very long period
Top canes at 4’ +/-
Prune laterals to 12”-18” long to increase berry quality
Do not allow them to form a “bramble” 15

15. Prime-Ark Freedom Blackberry
Thornless
Primo-Cane Type; produces two crops per year
Large berry
Disease resistant
Self-fertile

16. Caroline Raspberry Large, firm, sweet berries Primocane bearing
Berries on fall wood of the current season’s growth, followed by a spring crop lower on the same cane
Shows promise for our area
More tolerant of heat & humidity; provide filtered afternoon shade

17. Blueberries Two main groups are suitable for our area
Southern Highbush
Rabbiteyes
Each variety in a group requires a pollinizer within its own group
Plant at least (2) different Rabbiteyes and (2) different Southern Highbush for the longest, most bountiful production
Southern Highbush ripen 1 – 3 weeks earlier than Rabbiteyes even if the Rabbiteyes bloom earlier

18. Rabbiteye Blueberries
All Rabbiteye blueberries bloom at about the same time but ripen at different times depending on the variety 19

19. Rabbiteye varieties
CLIMAX – Medium sized with sweet flavor; tendency to ripen all at once; 450 CU
PINK LEMONADE – Ripens to bright pink; delicious berries; 200 CU
PREMIER – Excellent flavor but not as heavy a producer;
550 CU
TIFBLUE – Most outstanding flavor & berry size; 550 – 600 CU 20

20. Rabbiteye blueberry ripening times
May is the “early” benchmark
Climax – Early (May)
Pink Lemonade – Early to mid-season
Premier – Early to mid season
Tifblue – Mid to late season 21

21. Southern Highbush Blueberries

22. Southern Highbush varieties
EMERALD – Largest berries, large crops, mild & sweet; 250 CU
MISTY – Excellent landscape value, medium to large, very sweet berry; 300 CU
SUNSHINE BLUE – Showy, semi-dwarf; delicious, dime-sized berries; 150 CU

23. Southern Highbush ripening times
April is the “early” benchmark
Emerald – Mid-season
Misty – Early
Sunshine Blue - Late 24

24. Blueberries – beauty & fruit!

25. Blueberries in Containers

26. Sunshine Blue ‘Dwarf’

27. Pink Lemonade Blueberry

28. Pink Lemonade Blueberry
White flowers tinged with pink in early spring
Pale green fruit ripens from dappled pink to bright pink
Fall foliage is gold and orange, and winter twigs are a mahogany color
Upright habit
Self-fruitful, but better when pollinized with any other Rabbiteye
Chill hours: 200 chill

29. Bunch Grapes Pierce’s Disease is our limiting factor
Resistant varieties only will be successful over a long period
Site in full sun with good air circulation to prevent mildew
Insecticidal soap if bothered by grape flea beetle

30. Black Spanish Grape Blue-black Table, juice, jelly, port wine
Ripens Aug - Sept
Heirloom variety
Aka ‘Le Noir’
Long history in Texas

31. Blanc du Bois Green-white
Table, juice, jelly, best variety for white wine
Ripens July
Heat & humidity tolerant

32. Favorite Grape Blue-black Table & wine Flavorful, juicy
Good in warm climates
Seedling selection of ‘Black Spanish’ – do not confuse with ‘Favorita’ which is a white-green Italian grape

33. Red Flame Grape Medium-sized, red-skinned seedless
Table and wine grape
Very sweet, crisp
Will produce well over the season
Vigorous vine
Very drought tolerant

34. Muscadine Grapes Hardy, healthy and long lived
Later ripening than bunching grapes
Fresh eating, juices, jellies, wine
Underused, deserves have a more widespread use
NOT the wild “mustang” grape 35

35. Muscadine Pollination
Some muscadines are self-fertile, others require a pollenizer.
Self-fertile varieties are called “males”
Self-infertile varieties are called “females”
The general rule is to plant one “male” for every two “females”

36. 15-1-1 Muscadine Black Requires pollenizer 21% sugar 1.1/4” fruits
Large clusters
High yield
Mid-season ripening

37. Darlene Muscadine Bronze Requires pollenizer 22%-24% sugar
Large, consistently sized fruits
1.1/4” berries
Best of the bronze varieties

38. Dixie Red Muscadine Bronze Self-fertile 18% sugar Large clusters
Large berry
Vigorous
Mid-season

39. Early Fry Bronze Requires pollenizer 18% sugar Large berries
Edible skin
Disease resistant
Cold hardy

40. Ison Black Self-fertile 19% sugar
Very productive, ripens uniformly in large clusters
Early to mid-season
Best pollenizer
1-1/8” fruit

41. Sugargate Muscadine Black Requires pollenizer
Earliest ripening black muscadine
Excellent flavor, large berries, edible skin
Vigorous and disease resistant
1.1/4” fruits