Question
We just bought a place in outer Sunset, pretty good size yard faces West but gets good amount of sun. What kind of fruit trees (would love apple, pear, orange and plum) can we plant and when should we plant them? I don't want them to grow too tall, so dwarf tree? What kind of veggies would do good in this neighborhood? Is it too late to plant this year?
Yuki
San Francisco
Answer
You can have all the trees that you desire. If you want a European pear such as Bartlett, they are best planted in, well, pairs. The Asian pear 21st Century is self fertile as are the Santa Rosa Plum and apple varieties Fuji, Granny Smith, Yellow Delicious and Gala. Meyer Lemons do very well too. Choose the UD (Ultra Dwarf) form that grows to 6'- 8' tall. These can be planted any time of year but the best availability is late winter. Citrus can be planted now. The best orange for you is Trovita, Valencia or Lane Late Navel. Choose a dwarf variety (it must say dwarf next to the variety name).
It is a bit late now for tomatoes, peppers and melons but in the next couple weeks will be the time to start cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels' sprouts. You can grow any of the greens (lettuce, chard, spinach, kale) year round. You can still get beans and squash in the ground too.
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