Hi, fellow gardeners,
I haven't been able to find good, solid information about how to grow fruit trees and bushes--or, rather, how to get them to form fruit. I have read many books and sites that give general information but nothing that actually helps me. I look in vain for details like specific pollination requirements or at what point fruit should be forming on a fruit tree or shrub. Does anyone know of a good, comprehensive book or books about growing fruit trees and shrubs in the South? Asking local extension agents won't work-- unless they are horticulturists, which few are.

Thanks!

Every tree and shrub will have its own specific needs. What fruits are you interested in growing?

I second what Daisy said. Every type tree will have it's own requirements. This web site can be an excellent resource of horticultural information.

I am almost as far south as you are, and I can tell you that the winters are too warm here for apples. Peaches, pears, figs, and plums will probably have possibilities for you.

Most likely you will have to irrigate the trees you plant. June-October or November, I have to water my garden, shrubs, flowers, figs, and pecans.

My suggestion is to start small with a few choice fruits and/or vegetables so it does not overwhelm you.

Thanks to you both for your input. I know that specific fruit trees and shrubs will have different needs. My frustration is that one site or book will say one thing and another site will say another. For instance, I've read that elderberry bushes need a pollinator but one place says it needs to be a different variety while another says it can be the same variety but it just needs to come from a different bush (not a cutting from the original). Meanwhile, the elderberry shrub is full of flowers in the spring, which later drop off. And our fig trees are doing great but they haven't formed fruit after five years in the ground. They're supposed to be self fertile but I think something must be missing. That's why I wanted to see if there's a good, detailed book that people have found to be reliable. We have low chill apples and also several varieties of pears that are doing well and producing fruit, so I feel like we're taking good care of our trees. I also wondered if there's a place that can tell you when the trees should start producing fruit. Anyway, thanks again.

Elderberry is self-pollinating but, the crop will be bigger with a pollinator. Figs are also self-pollinating (the only exception is the "Fig Newton" fig grown in CA) but it could take up to 6 years or more for the first crop.

Thank you Daisyl for that information! Those are the kind of details that I've been searching for. Knowing the figs may take a while to produce will encourage me to be more patient.