Planting/farming fruit on 1/3 an acre?

[KDbeads]

So we decided to be as self sufficent as we can be on our measly .32 acres. Most of which is covered with bur clover and the dog yard.
Right now I have 10 8'x4' planter beds set up to help deal with the burs, 5 are already planted and growing. Lettuce, cabbage, onions, beets, turnips, radishes and potatoes. The next 5 will be tomatoes, peppers, green beans, various butterbeans and peas, summer squash, cucumbers... We have enough material to build more boxes if needed. Have a small strip (10' x 25') that will be used for corn this year as well.

Now I'm focusing on fruit. I have 5 peach trees on the property, 3 massive free stone trees and 2 small cling stone that taste almost like apricots. Makes wonderful peach butter. I've added strawberries, first time trying them. Now I'm looking into other things. I'm really wanting some LeConte and Kieffer pears for canning and an Orient pear for fresh eating, I bought a LeConte 2 years ago but the drought killed it, or so we though, it's coming back up from the root ball already this year. I picked up an Orient today, it's already 10' tall, for $20. Now all I need is the Kieffer.
I was thinking about raspberries or black berries but have had horrible luck with them. Also thinking about figs. This area is not good to cherries, not enough cold hours, so they are out. I'm looking for other ideas for fruits that don't take up too much room and are EASY to grow.

Any suggestions?
Zone 7 I think, dead center of TX

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Persimmons? Palmegeranits?

 

[fancbrd4me02]

There are warm weather cherry trees. I have some - I forget the name. I'll look at the tag tomorrow. As for other fruits that might work for you - Grapes? Can you grow them in TX? Apples? There are many that grow in areas with few chill hours: Fuji, Dorsett Golden, Pink Lady, and many many more. I have a list compiled by growers in Riverside, low chill apples, PM if you want more apple names you can grow. Almonds? Walnuts? Pedro is a self pollinating low chill walnut. And its a small tree compared to most walnuts.

 

[pdsavage]

there is hardy kiwi wich you can grow up a south facing wall,you should check out permaculture it show you how to get tons of food into small spaces.
Youtube Bill Mollison - The Permaculture Concept or Jeffrey Lawton - Permaculture in Action - Greening The Desert

 

[mom'sfolly]

Right now Home Depot is carrying citrus. Some of the tangerine varieties are good to ten degrees, and should do well in Central Texas. Raspberries don't like this area, but black berries do, Kiowa is supposed to be good. Other good fruits for this area are pomagranates, figs and pears. I think your pear choices should be good. My neighbor has a tree that produces prolific fruit and all she does is supplemental water. Some plums do will well too. Get Neil Sperry's good from the library, it is a wonderful resource.

 

[Lady Henevere]

There are lots of low-chill varieties of fruit trees/bushes/vines that don't take up much space. I just added a bunch of new fruit trees to my backyard (our property is also about 1/3 of an acre). Some of the stuff we have: blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, plum, pluot (a plum/apricot hybrid - fresh pluots are so good!), several citrus, apples, almond, pear, pomegranates, fig, grapes, avocado. Since I'm in Southern California and don't even get frost most years, these are all low-chill varieties. If you go to http://www.treesofantiquity.com/ and search "low chill" you will find a lot of options. Also, on the left column of that page, click on "tips: limited space." I chose smaller trees (including a couple of dwarf varieties) and plan to prune well to make sure I have room for everything.

I second the permaculture references above.

Good luck with the garden!

 

[Goose and Fig]

Blueberries! (They're great of you can keep the chickens away from them)

And grapes- make use of vertical space

 

[KDbeads]

Hmmmm... pomegranates! Now that's an idea!!!

Thanks for all the input everyone MUCH appreciated and fancbrd4me02, I'd love to know a low chill cherry! Neil Sperry? Hmm... saw that name on a book at the thrift store, will have to head up there and get it if it's still there.
Lady Henevere that link is awesome!

And yes grapes grow quite well out here, we have many vineyards. We also have an apple orchard here in town.

Plums..... Pluots.... hmmm

No persimmons, while they are a great grower out here, neither of us like them

 

[FluffyColor]

I have 1/3 an acre. We are looking to keep a flock of chickens, a garden and maybe some fruit trees. Tust me, it's enough!

 

[KDbeads]

Whoo hoo!! I picked up Neil Sperry's complete guide to Texas gardening at the thrift store for $1!! It's the 1982 version and dang it's PACKED with info!! My pear choices were dead on for this area! It has no cherry varieties listed though. Looking at that antiquity sight the Lapin might be good and it's self pollinating. We have more than enough pecans out here to have my 'nut' fix though I'd like to have hazelnuts or butternuts one day.

I was pulling out stuff for dinner and realized I'm really low on my mulberry vinegar, so another choice made on fruit. Going to see if I can find the bush type instead of the tree type though. Mom's tree is HUGE. Stopped by the grocery store on the way back and they had Mexican Lime trees for $15. I now have one. I did have a meyer lemon and a key lime that didn't make it through this winter, I saved seeds to restart thankfully. Hopefully I'll have better luck with the Mexican lime this time.
There's large variety of black berry that I'm trying to think of that we had in Florida, thinking Arapaho but not sure, would LOVE to have them again, they make awesome jelly. And they are the size of your thumb.