We may have to move to the Dallas area next year. Is anyone here familiar with what the growing conditions there are like? Basically, I’m wondering if I can take, or more likely try to recreate, what I have set up in Illinois. I have apple trees and lots of berry plants.
Is there enough water via rainfall that I could grow fruit without serious irrigation? Have you noticed that some fruit does better or worse in the heat there?
Dallas, Texas gets 39 inches of rain, on average, per year and most of Dallas and the surrounding area is planting zone 8A. Illinois is zone 4 to 6 depending where you are in the state. Average yearly precipitation for Illinois varies from just over 48 inches at the southern tip to just under 32 inches in the northern portion of the state. You may have to choose some different varieties that will do well in the heat and lower chill hours of zone 8A. Precipitations seems similar to Illinois.
I’m in Austin. We get a little less rainfall here than Dallas does and we are zone 8b. Hopefully someone with actual Dallas experience will chime in. I had Chojuro and Seckel pear trees in 20 gallon grow bags out in full sun in my backyard all summer last year. My lawn sprinkler system running 20 minutes a couple times a week was adequate to keep them watered and healthy through the summer with an occasional deep soaking from a hose. They both grew a couple feet during the summer. I took them up to my property in Michigan and put them in the ground there in October. I tried putting some raspberries and blackberries out on my porch in 1 gallon grow bags. The blackberries did ok and put on some growth, but the raspberries did not fair well in the heat. The varieties I bought were not meant for zone 8b so wasn’t surprised that the heat killed or nearly killed them. They have also been planted on my property up in Michigan now. If I’d bought varieties compatible with this zone they probably would have done well, but I’d always intended to take them up north. Anyway, I hope that helps answer your questions.
I used to live in Dallas, it’s pretty good for growing stuff, lots of sun, some rain at times (usually flood type heavy rains for short periods), but you will have you water until trees are established, I would say on the heavier side esp if you plant in spring.
Make sure to never plant into clay (you’ll likely have it). Dig a shallow depression, put in compost, cover with more compost, then mulch heavily.
Other than that, I would advise for blueberries plant only rabbiteye varieties.
I had a sub tropical greenhouse there, it was just a tent style that I heated only on the coldest 10-20 nights of the year. Everything went good according to my style and tastes.