emegar

I just received some TC plants that I'm planning to pot up until they've grown decent corms, but I'm trying to figure out where exactly I want to put them, once they're a bit bigger. My first choice location is along the east side of our house (right side of the picture below), where they'll be shaded in the afternoon and where I have a little room, but here are my concerns:

- They will likely only get a few hours of direct sun, with strong indirect (skylight) sun the rest of the day.
- They will be confined to a rather narrow strip of soil beside a concrete sidewalk.
- They will be subject to a fair bit of wind at times (the Santa Ana winds tend to funnel down this pathway.)

I was hoping to plant a Manzano, an Ice Cream, and perhaps others at this location. Anyone have thoughts on whether they're likely to do well enough to fruit under these conditions?

pitangadiego

See Minimum planter size

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sunfish

I don't think you will be able to walk down the sidewalk with them planted there

trebor

I know what you thinking there's always got to be a wise guy

BUT I have seen people plant in restricted areas and do OK! the shade is a problem and that you already know. But yes they will survive..
I don't know about fruiting
I do know about height I have Manzano (apple) and mine are about 14 feet tall to top of the plant . Once the plant can see the sunlight up past that wall it will have a bit more sunlight.
I don't have Ice Cream so Im not going to speak about them .. but I think 10 feet on them is also the norm..
So if it were me Id plant them let them grow a year and then access the growth ..
The TC will be a little slow in the beginning but once they see regular food and water WATCH OUT cuz there going to grow fast in a pot ! Mine took off in 30 days and are doing great in full sun ...

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Yes my attempt at humor below! But ask yourself do ya really need that silly sidewalk ? Or you could put them in the back yard....

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If ya can't eat it, it ain't growing in my back yard !

Bob3

No room on the wall/fence to the south? That looks like a pretty sweet spot to me.

Sunfish is right, things will be really cramped if you plan on walking through there on a regular basis, you'll have to hack a trail with a machete before too long.

That stretch does look like a good place for some passiflora though.

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sunfish

Good Idea

emegar

Well, in spite of some very sensible (and appreciated) advice, I've decided to take a risk and try planting some (mostly dwarf) varieties, building up soil mounds before planting. The walkway doesn't actually get used all that much, and I'm willing to keep the occasional, inconvenient leaf pruned back. I don't know whether they'll fruit or not, but I'm choosing to be an optimist in that regard.

The comments suggesting I plant in the back yard make a lot of sense, but I'm running low on room back there, believe it or not. I've got mandarins, lemons, an avocado, a cherimoya, a white sapote, a guava, plums, and assorted other trees that all have a fair bit of growth ahead of them I have to account for. I've recently decided to sacrifice some of my raised beds in the vegetable garden for bananas. While I sympathize with those who question the need for a lawn, I also have to bow to the needs of three small children and two not-so-small German Shorthaired Pointers.

Oh, and the Passiflora are climbing the patio cover, along with the grapes!

varig8

When you find bananas in the wild they are often in the shade of the rainforest canopy. They flower and fruit just fine in the shade.