1. Urban Harvest Fruit Tree Sale January 13, 2018 Temperate Fruit Trees

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. Anna Apple Sweet, crisp Large crops Ripens late June Stores (2) months
Self-fruitful, but better results when pollinized with Dorsett Golden
200 CU

15. Dorsett Golden Apple Golden Delicious type Fruit is large, firm, sweet
Self-fruitful
Pollinizer for Anna
Chill Hours:

16. Multi-grafted Apples
Multiple low chill varieties grafted on one root stock trunk
Improved pollination
Saves space
All varieties suited to our area
Self-fruitful

17. Thinning tip The “king” blossom is usually the center bloom
Opens first
Usually produces
the best apple

18. Celeste Fig One of the best for our area – the heirloom “sugar fig”
Purple-brown skin, pink flesh
Medium fruit with excellent flavor
Closed eye
Very cold hardy 18

19. Japanese Green Fig (Verte)
Medium sized, thin-skinned fig with strawberry red flesh
Skin is green when ripe which partially camouflages the fruits from the birds
Stocky, rounded fruit with a short neck
Small tree even when mature making it a good choice for containers and smaller yards
Mid- to late-season, long harvest
Small, closed eye

20. Little Ruby Fig
Natural dwarf habit; suitable for containers and patio gardens
Mature height approx 4’
Ruby-red fruits are bite-sized and sweet
Produces a strong breba crop on the previous season’s shoots

21. LSU Gold Fig Gold skin, pink flesh
Large fruit with excellent, sweet flavor
Small open eye, but resistant to splitting & souring – harvest as soon as it matures
Ripens in June 21

22. LSU Purple Fig Glossy reddish to dark purple skin
White flesh with light strawberry pulp Medium size
Closed eye
Very cold hardy
Nematode resistant

23. Olympian Purple skin Red to purple flesh Very sweet
Huge fig - as large as a tangerine
Can ripen as early as May
Hardy into the teens; root hardy to 0°F once established

24. Texas Ever-bearing Fig
Reddish-brown skin and reddish-pink flesh
Medium to large, plump fruits
Upright habit
Moderately closed eye
Will bear two crops per year in good growing conditions

25. White Marseilles Fig Lemon-colored, thin-skinned
Tender, white to light amber flesh
High sugar content
Very small eye
Heirloom variety

26. Dwarf Mulberry Firm, deliciously sweet fruit
Fruit used fresh and for pies, jams, and jellies
Ripens in early summer
Can be grown as a large shrub
Takes pruning well
Suitable for container culture 26

27. Spice Zee NectaPlum
Spicy, sweet flavor with hints of both plum and nectarine
Soft, white flesh
Highly ornamental tree; dark red leaves in the spring mature to green-red in late summer
Self-fruitful
Chill hours: 400 . 27

28. Spice Zee NectaPlum

29. Panamint Nectarine Red-skinned
Intensely flavored, nice acid-sugar balance, freestone
Long time favorite
Self-fruitful
Chill hours: 250

30. Snow Queen Nectarine Sweet and juicy, white flesh
Most satisfying taste of any nectarine
Abundant harvests
Ripens in June
Self-fruitful
Chill hours:

31. August Pride Large size, all-purpose yellow freestone peach
Sweet, aromatic and richly flavored, considered one of the best
Ripens late July through August
Self-fruitful
Chill Hours: 300

32. Donut (Stark Saturn) Distinctive flattened shape
Freestone; tender white flesh
Mild, sweet flavor
Heavy crops of 2.1/4” – 2.3/4” fruits
Self-fruitful
Chill hours:

33. Eva’s Pride Large, delicious, yellow freestone Ripens in mid-season
Self-fruitful
Chill Hours:

34. May Pride Large, showy blossoms
Large, delicious, yellow-fleshed fruits
Ripens early
Self-fruitful
Chill Hours:

35. Mid-pride Yellow, dessert quality, freestone fruit
Ripens in mid-season
Breaks dormancy late for a low chill peach, so it produces well from Galveston to Conroe
Self-fruitful
Chill Hours: 250

36. Tex-King Peach Large, red-skinned freestone with firm, yellow flesh
Ripens May-June
Self-fertile
Chill Hours: 400

37. Tropic Snow Large, white flesh fruit with superb flavor, freestone
Ripens in early May
Self-fruitful
Chill Hours: 150 – 200

38. Multi-Grafted Peaches
Multiple varieties grafted onto one rootstock trunk
Improves pollination
Saves space
All low chill varieties
All varieties selected for our area
Self-fruitful
Chill Hours: 200 to 450 depending on variety

39. Pears, Asian
Asian pears comprise a large group of pears that are crisp in texture. They are often called “apple pears” because they are crisp and juicy like apples but with a different and distinctive texture.
Asian pears do not change texture after picking or storage as do European pears. When mature, Asian pears are good to eat as soon as harvested or for several months after picking if held in cold storage.
Most Asian pears listed are semi self-fruitful and will fruit sufficiently for the average home gardener. Fruit yield will be greater if you plant multiple Asian pear trees.
Pear trees need full sun and do not like standing water.

40. Hosui High-scoring in taste tests; perhaps the tastiest Asian pear
Large, juicy, sweet, flavorful
Refreshing texture, crisp like an apple
Chill Hours: 450

41. European Pears

42. European Pears – varying habits

43. European Pears Acres Home - very large sweet soft pear; 300 – 350 CU
Southern Bartlett – outstanding soft, sweet pear; 450 CU
Tennosui – crisp and delicious, combined flavors of Asian and European pears; 400 CU

44. Persimmons

45. Chocolate Persimmon
Small to medium, oblong fruits with bright red-orange skin
Sweet, spicy flesh with a chocolate-brown tint
Superb flavor sought by persimmon connoisseurs
Astringent until ripe
Ripens Oct – Nov
Self-fruitful
Chill Hours: 200

46. Fuyu Persimmon Non-astringent Sweet tasting, flat-shaped fruit
Hardy, attractive tree
Ripens early November 46

47. Saijo Persimmon Vigorous, upright and spreading tree
Bears consistently each year
Small, elongated, conical fruit
Skin is dull-yellow when mature
Flavor is sweet; ranked among the best by gourmets
Astringent
Cold hardy to -10° F

48. Tanenashi Persimmon
Astringent when first picked - soft, sweet pulp when ripe
Medium to large, cone-shaped, nearly seedless fruits
Ripens in October
Very productive variety that bears at an early age
Chill hours:

49. Weeping Persimmon Sport from Tanenashi Highly ornamental variety
Medium to large, cone-shaped, nearly seedless fruits
The brilliant orange-skinned fruits ripen in October
Astringent when first picked - soft, sweet pulp when ripe
Bears at an early age
Chill Hours

50. Beauty Plum Sweet and flavorful Amber-red streaked flesh
Ripens in late May
Excellent pollinizer for Mariposa
Harvest when red blush deepens over the amber skin
Self-fruitful
Chill Hours: 250 50

51. Burgundy Plum Maroon-colored skin Semi-freestone
Sweet, with little or no tartness and a very pleasing, mild flavor
High taste test scores
Prolonged harvest
Narrow, upright habit
Self-fruitful
Chill Hours: 400 51

52. Hollywood Plum
Delicious, medium-sized plum with deep red skin and flesh
Fresh eating, jelly and preserves
Highly ornamental tree with deep purple-red foliage, showy pink blooms, and a naturally upright habit
Ripens early in the season
Chill Hours: 300 – 400