| In live in Arizona in Zone 7 at an altitude of about 5,000 feet. Coldest winter temperatures are in the teens but it often gets over 100 degrees in the summer. Can I grow a pluot tree here? Any special care and are there any dwarf or semi-dwarf varieties? |
| Like other deciduous fruits, pluots need a cold winter dormant season followed by long, hot days and cool nights. If you can grow plums, apricots or apples where you are, pluots should be possible with similar care. Determine your average number of chilling hours, and choose a variety that requires less than that. For example, Pluot? Flavor Grenade is in the 200 to 300 hour range. Pluot? Flavor King has a chill requirement of 400 hours or less. A quick google search turned up a dwarf "plumcot" another grower's version of the Pluot, which is a trademarked name. Here is a link to more info on chilling requirements at your elevation, from Yavapai County Cooperative Extension. http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapa... You can also download a pdf file of Backyard Fruit Production at Elevations 3500 to 6000 feet from University of Arizona Cooperative Extension at http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs. I hope you grow some tasty fruit! |
