Fruiting Vines & Edible Berries for Regions of San Diego County                                                            2008/08/12

Chill hours are the duration of hours some deciduous plants require to produce a significant amount of fruit year after year.  The hours listed for a particular fruit are an approximation, usually obtained by trial and error.  To compute chill hours in your yard:

      Between Nov. 1 and Jan. 1, the # of hours below 45 °F minus the # of hours above 65 °F.

Note that this date range only contains a total of 61×24 = 1464 hours.

Here is a listing of chill hours for some areas of San Diego County:

The immediate coastal areas (e.g., Imperial Beach, Solana Beach) rarely exceed 100 chill hours.

The coastal bluffs (e.g., Chula Vista, Kearny Mesa, Western Penasquitos) rarely exceed 250 chill hours, with the exception of ravines that receive cold air drainage from surrounding hills.

The coastal interior valleys of Otay Lakes, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, Santee, Poway, and San Marcos contain various terrains.  The slopes rarely exceed 350 chill hours, while the valley and streambed bottoms have 400-500 chill hours.

Julian achieves 1200 chill hours.

Fruit plants with low chill hour requirements generally also do well in colder areas.  For more information, contact a local nursery

Thornless berries come in two categories: genetically-bred thornless vs. hormone-induced thornless.  The “genetic thornless” berries will be true to type when propagated by pure-bred seedlings, root suckers, or cuttings.  The “hormone-induced” varieties remain thornless due to enzymes in their roots – and hence seedlings, cuttings, and sometimes root suckers contain thorns.

To plant your vine in a pot: Choose at least a 15 gallon pot and use Kellogg’s Patio Mix, Uncle Malcolm’s Potting Soil, or 1/3 washed sharp sand + 1/3 .25” pumice + 1/3 ground coir / dry hardwood.

To plant your vine in the ground: Excavate a hole at least 2 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep.

· If your local soil is pure sand, remove all of it and refill the hole with Kellogg’s Garden Soil or Patio Mix.

· Otherwise:

o Fill the hole with water.  If the water does not drain out naturally each time in 10-15 minutes:

§ construct one to three “French drains” with a 2-3” gravel (not pipe) bottom.

o From the excavated soil, remove all rocks larger than a golf ball.

o If your remaining soil is pure clay, remove half of it too.

o Replace volume lost from rock and/or soil removal by mixing in ONE of the following:

Kellogg’s N’Rich, or 4 parts Sunshine All Purpose Soil Mix + 1 part .25” pumice.

· Fill the hole back up so that the soil is 2 inches above the old soil line.

· The soil line on the plant should be maintained when placing plant in the hole.

· Under all circumstances keep the graft union well above the soil level.

· Apply mulch:

o 3 inches thick under plant to the furthest extent of branches or 3 feet, whichever is farther.

o Keep the mulch about 5 inches away from trunk of plant so insects won’t eat the bark.

Water your vine no more than twice per week.           

· A newly planted vine from a 1 gallon pot needs about 2 gallons twice per week.

· Plants 1+ years old need about 10 gallons / week. 

· After at least a quarter inch of rain, you need not water for one week.

· If the leaf veins are somewhat green but the leaf body is yellowing, you are over watering.

· Use soaker hose (not laser cut) for slow delivery that soaks in.

o Create a loop around the plant about 8” from the trunk.

o Insert 4 to 6 pressure-compensating emitters in the circle, the 4 gallon per hour variety.

· Measure your loop output rate in a large barrel for 3 minutes to determine how long it should be on.

Train and Prune your vines and bushes to promote fruit production and the health of the plant.  See Sunset Western Garden Book, 7th edition (2001) or later.  Under “Grape” there is an excellent presentation on trellises (page 370, 7^th edition).  The two-wire (or use a chain-link fence) spur-pruning system is also great for berry vines – which will achieve the shown third summer lattice in the first year.

Feed your vines with a low phosphorus, high nitrogen and high potash fertilizer.  Put the nutrients where the water will hit it.

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING AND APPLY MONTHLY: FEBRUARY THROUGH NOVEMBER

(you may also double or triple the dose and apply every two or three months instead)

Use ¼ dose for vines in pots, one-half dose in 1st year for newly planted vines, and 1.5 dose for oversize vines.

· 0.4 cup (¼ pound) Grow More water-soluble formula 20-5-30

· 0.75 cups Vigoro Rose Food (12-6-10) plus 1/8 cup Sul-Po-Mag (0-0-22)

· ½ cup Gro-Power Plus (5-3-1) plus ½ cup Gro-Power Flower & Bloom (3-12-12)

· 1.75 cups Alaska Deodorized Fish Emulsion (5-1-1) plus 3 1/3 cups Ground Rock Potash (0-0-5.2)

· 7.5 cups (about ½ gallon) Alfalfa Meal (2-0-3)

· 1.3 gallons composted Horse Manure (0.7-0.3-0.6) plus 1/8 cup Sul-Po-Mag (0-0-22)

Protect your fruiting vines and shrubs from pests and diseases.

· Do not spray blossoms, you will kill insects that would otherwise pollinate the blossoms for fruit.  Instead, spray immediately before bloom begins and then wait until blossoms are fertilized and closed.

· For deciduous plants: spray with a sulfur emulsion such as Lily-Miller “Poly-Sul” in the winter just before “bud break”.

· During the growing season (all fruits):

o Spray trunk, branches, foliage, and mulch every 3 weeks with Green Light Fruit Tree Spray.

OR

o Spray monthly with an insecticide product, either:

§ a pyrethrin-based product, such as Bayer PowerForce Insecticide.

or

§ a biological agent, such as Spinosad.

o In the spring and early summer, also spray monthly your peaches, nectarines, and almonds (two weeks from insecticide) with a garden fungicide such as “Poly-Sul” or “Liqui-Cop”.

FRUIT VARIETY	CULTIVARS
APPLE BERRY (Billardiera scandens).	Evergreen vine-like shrub with small yellow trumpet flowers followed by inch-long red-brown berries with a fruity taste.
BILBERRY (Vaccinium myrtillus).  Higher in anthocyanins than Cranberry and most fruits.	Cultivated varieties are rare.  Excellent small berry, attracts birds.
BLACKBERRY (Rubus L.).  A natural species of Rubus, most varieties sold in nurseries are improved hybrids.	Black Satin (genetic thornless).  No significant chill requirement. Long canes.  Up to 3 prolific crops of large, excellent blackberries per year.  Allow berries to “plump” before picking.
	Thornless (hormone induced).  No significant chill requirement.  Produces single or double crop of thimble-size berries.
BLUEBERRY (Vaccinium L.).  Blue skin with white interior.  Contains healthy quantity of anthocyanins in skin.  Desires soil pH near 5.3.  Plant in large pots, ½ peat moss and ½ citrus planting mix.  Protect from mid-day summer sun.	Sharp’s Blue.  Prolific cropper, often year-round fruiting.  No cross-pollination needed, but grow 2 or more plants of same or similar variety adjacent to each other.
	Jubilee.  Comparable to Sharp’s Blue.
	O’Neal.  Comparable to Sharp’s Blue.
BOYSENBERRY (Rubus L.).  Believed to be a cross between Loganberry (Blackberry x Raspberry) and Lucretia (Rubus roribaccus).	Thornless (hormone induced).  No significant chill requirement.  Produces single or double crop of soft, reddish brown berries.  See Youngberry for comparison.
CHERRY OF THE RIO GRANDE (Eugenia aggregata).  From Brazil’s Rio Grande region.	Cherry-like fruits ripen in early Summer, with occasional second crop in early Fall.
CHILEAN GUAVA (Ugni molinae).	Evergreen shrub.  One-inch fruits with a tropical taste.
CLOVE CURRANT BERRY (Ribes odoratum)	Crandall.  Fruitful shrub.  Needs partial shade in hot climates.
CRANBERRY (Vaccinium macrocarpon).  Higher in anthocyanins than Blueberry.	Crowley.  Excellent high-bush variety.
ELDERBERRY (Sambucus L.).  Plants of ancient lore.  All green parts of plant contain toxins.	Yellow Elderberry (Sambucus australasica).  Fruits do not require any special preparation for fresh eating or cooking.
GOLDEN CURRANT BERRY (Ribes aureum)	Slender-Flowered Golden Currant (Ribes aureum var. gracillimum).  Fragrant shrub with tasty berries.  Needs partial shade in hot climates.
GOOSEBERRY (Ribes L.).  Can be very thorny.  Fruit is tart, excellent for cooking, jam, etc.	Cultivars Catherine, Glendale, and Poorman.  Excellent hybrids.
	Coast Gooseberry (Ribes divaricatum).  California native plant.  Easy to grow.  Prefers less water.  Fruitful, but variable in taste.
	Fuchia-Flowered Gooseberry (Ribes speciosum).  California native plant.  Prefers less water.  Fruitful, but variable in taste.
GRAPE, CONCORD [aka FOX] (Vitis Labrusca).  True cultivars have seeds, seedless varieties are hybrids with Vitis Vinafera.  All varieties listed here are self-fertile.  Need long, warm summer.	Concord.  Used as both table and wine grape.  Dark blue skin and dark juice.  A favorite for grape jelly.  The primary grape in Welsh’s™ Grape Juice.
	Delaware.  Excellent cultivar, similar to Concord.
GRAPE, EUROPEAN (Vitis Vinafera).  All varieties listed here are self-fertile.  Need long, warm summer.	Black Manukka.  Seedless, large, purplish-black, sweet, crisp fruit.  Needs spur pruning.   Works well near coast.
	Perlette Seedless.  Green skin, flesh is firm and very good flavor.  Needs cane pruning.
	Ruby Seedless aka King Ruby.  Medium crisp fruit with dark red skin. Sweet mild flavor.  Cane or spur pruning.
GRAPE, HYBRID (Vitis L.).  All varieties listed here are self-fertile.  Need long, warm summer.	Catawba.  Purplish-red grape with sweet flavor.
	Isabella.  Has growth habits of Concord.  Makes an excellent rose wine.
	Niagara.  Green skin, white to clear flesh.  The grape used to make Welsh’s™ White Grape Juice.  It also makes an excellent white wine.
GRAPE, MUSCADINE (Vitis Rotundifolia).  All varieties listed here are self-fertile.  Need long, warm summer.	Dixieland.  Bronze skin, very sweet for muscadine.
	Ison.  Black, sweet, very productive, ripens uniformly, large clusters.  Best choice for coastal-influenced garden.
	Nesbitt.  Black skin, sweet, cluster size medium to large.
	Redgate.  Red skin, ripens uniformly, very large clusters of grapes.  Hard to find, great for near coast or inland.
GRAPE, WINE  (Vitis L.).  Typically specialized hybrids.	Get expert advice through your county farm bureau or similar.  Find the grape and the cultural practices that suit your goals and your local microclimate.  Have your soil tested, etc.
GRUMICHAMA (Eugenia braziliensis).  Evergreen shrub, prefers part-shade.	Yellow or dark-purple cherry-like fruits ripen mid-summer.
HUCKLEBERRY (Vaccinium ovatum).  Higher in anthocyanins than Blueberry or Cranberry.  Taste like Blueberry.  Protect from mid-day summer sun.	California Huckleberry, aka Evergreen Huckleberry.  Feed like azaleas, desires pH near 6.0.
JABOTICABA (Myrciaria jaboticaba).	Unusual shrub of the Myrtle family.  Berry skins are high in tannin.
JOSTABERRY (Ribes x nidigrolaria).  A complex cross between Black Currant, Gooseberry, and Worcesterberry.	Cultivars Jostina and Jostaki (aka Jostagranda) should be planted as pair for cross-cultivation.  Very good flavor, larger berry size.  Trellis recommended.
	Josta.  Original Jostaberry, mild flavor.  Upright, self-fertile.
KARONDU, aka KARUNDA (Carissa spinarum).	This shrub is found wild in most parts of India, especially in the dry sub-Himalayan foothills up to 4,000 feet.  Plant is similar to Natal Plum (Carissa macrocarpa) but berries are smaller, tasty, and nutritious.
KIWI, HAIRLESS (Actinidia chinensis).  Requires one male from any Actinidia to intertwine with up to seven females – which bear the fruit.  Good in low winter chill areas.  Fruit often has yellow flesh.	Sometimes called “Golden Kiwi”.  Hard to find.  Excellent taste.
KIWI, HAIRY (Actinidia deliciosa).  Requires one male from any Actinidia to intertwine with up to seven females – which bear the fruit.  Fruit has green flesh.	Hayward.  Requires extensive winter chilling (approx. 500 chill hours).  Most common commercial cultivar.
	Vincent.  Low chilling requirement, adapted to Southern California.
KIWI, HARDY [TARA VINE; ISSAI; SELF-FRUITFUL] (Actinidia arguta).  Self-pollinating.	Issai.  Sold under many names, this Kiwi is self-fruitful.  However, persons familiar with the fruit produced by this species in Spring Valley, El Cajon, Poway, and Fallbrook complain that the fruit is less tasteful (to a fault) compared to chinensis or deliciosa.
PASSION FRUIT [GRANADILLA] (Passiflora L.).  Short-lived vines (7-10 years) produce 8 oz. fruit.	Frederick (Passiflora edulis).  Vigorous, compact, self-fruitful, excellent taste.
	Edgehill (Passiflora edulis).  Purple fruit, very good taste.  One of best cultivars for Southern California.
PITANGA, aka SURINAM CHERRY (Eugenia uniflora).	Black Beauty.  Large fruits, 1” or more.  Excellent quality
	Sweet Orange.  Medium large, excellent quality fruits.
RASPBERRY (Rubus L.).  A natural species of Rubus, most varieties sold in nurseries are improved hybrids.  Most need over 300 chill hours.	Bababerry.  At least 150 chill hours.  Excellent flavor.  Developed in Southern California.  Prolific crops from late Spring through Mid-Fall.
	Indian Summer.  At least 300 chill hours.  Good flavor.
	San Diego.  At least 300 chill hours.  California native plant.
	Canby Red.  At least 400 chill hours.  Excellent flavor.  Mid-summer.
	Caroline.  At least 400 chill hours.  Excellent flavor.  Mid-summer.
	Willamette.  At least 400 chill hours.  Excellent flavor.  Mid-summer.
RED GUAVA (Eugenia nutans).  From Argentina.	Red, 2” long berries with spicy flavor.
SILVERBERRY (Elaeagnus sp.).	Ebbing’s Silverberry (Elaeagnus x ebbingei).  Thornless, evergreen shrub.  Red fruit excellent fresh or preserved.
STRAWBERRY (Fragaria L.).  For year-round production, chose “day-neutral” types, such as those listed here.   Water only 2 gallons / week.	Mara des Bois.  Considered top tasting strawberry in the world.
	Quinault.  Medium-large, tasty berries.
	Sequoia.  Medium size, delicious berries, heavy producer.
	Tristar.  Large berries, flavorful, good producer.
WESTERN SERVICE BERRY (Amelanchier alnifolia var. semiintegrifolia).  Higher in anthocyanins than Cranberry.	Cultivated varieties are rare.  Excellent small berry, attracts birds.
YOUNGBERRY (Rubus L.).  A derivative of Loganberry (Blackberry x Raspberry).	Thornless (hormone induced).  No significant chill requirement.  Considered best-tasting boysenberry-like fruit.  Short shelf life.