# Climate?



## Gray Matter (Jun 30, 2011)

We are planning to move to Portugal end of September. The plan is to grow our own fruit and veg. Which region has a suitable climate for growing a wide range of fruit, including citrus, grapes, figs, apricots and peaches! Thank you!


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## silvers (Sep 22, 2008)

Most of Portugal is suitable for growing some kind of fruit and veg. The area around Alcobaca is famous for it's fruit and even has it's own type of apple.


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## Gray Matter (Jun 30, 2011)

thank you. but i am interested in growing many types of citrus fruits,and therefore need to be frost free


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Most citrus fruit grows well across Portugal, frosts here are not like a UK frost.

Theres a difference between self sufficiency and commercial, and there is a zero market for any over production, just worthwhile bearing in mind as it's extremly hard work raising even your own veg here and if your looking to grow a wide range then a more temperate climate would be better than zero frost.

Portugal Met office has good historical data for rainfall, heat, cold etc

Instituto de Meteorologia, IP Portugal


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Citrus-Trees-In-Portugal
Growing your own fruit can be satisfying and also a great money saver. Portugal has an ideal climate for fruiting trees and some of the various citrus trees ...


www.gekkoportugal.com/Gardening in portugal/citrus-trees-in- portugal.htm

Full of detailed information from our very own Osmostre


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## janey V (Jun 27, 2011)

Gray Matter said:


> We are planning to move to Portugal end of September. The plan is to grow our own fruit and veg. Which region has a suitable climate for growing a wide range of fruit, including citrus, grapes, figs, apricots and peaches! Thank you!


I live up near Peniche, about an hour north of Lisbon and I'm in the middle of a market garden area growing every kind of fruit and vegetable. There are orange, lemon, fig, apple, pear and olive tree's and many other's I'm sure. Apparently they don't have frosts, so I think you have a wide area to choose from.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Even the North is relatively frost free, very big Kiwi growing area both sides of border.


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## Edie (May 16, 2008)

*Accurate Responses!*



janey V said:


> I live up near Peniche, about an hour north of Lisbon and I'm in the middle of a market garden area growing every kind of fruit and vegetable. There are orange, lemon, fig, apple, pear and olive tree's and many other's I'm sure. Apparently they don't have frosts, so I think you have a wide area to choose from.



I''ve lived there many many years and know Portugal as the native that I am.
Near the coast-particularly in the center part-it's more moderate, neither extremely hot nor frost and cool in winter.

the North, and particularly the inland have extremes- and in climate change- will be aggravating.

near Lourinha is a great area, Ericeira, Mafra. Caldas, up to Nazare.
South of Tejo the soil is drier, less rain, irrigation a must. Around Setubal is ok too (proximity to Lisbon) but avoid hilly areas.


Now I have a question for JANEY.

How much are you currently needing to survive in your area? rent and groceries, and buses- meaning the basics (no clothes or restaurants) cost how many euros or Us dollars? just curious. I went to elementary school in Lourinha. Would not live in Portugal if they'd paid me, but for personal reasons. It's actually a wonderful place to live and retire in.


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## nandnjudge2 (Oct 5, 2008)

Hello Gray Matter

We live right at the very top of Portugal just a few minutes drive from the Spanish Border.
Regarding gardening, organic, self sufficiency etc my wife and I have just produced a video on this very subject on our approach in a very light hearted way, it is not commercial in nature it can be found at 







Incidentally on the other side of the coin we have also produced a second video what things are like in winter , not funny if you are on the receiving end but very amusing to watch






*We suggest you look at the second one first as it is much shorter*


We would welcome any feed back


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## omostra06 (Sep 11, 2007)

we had a weeks holiday in the north earlier this year, as we left sunny Tomar and headed north over 2 days, the weather and temp just dropped off the scale, until we reached the spanish border, although we could not see it for the snow!!

very cold frosty, with snow spells in between,

although a nice place to visit we found it far to cold for us to enjoy in the winter.

i guess we have just got used to nice winter climates in southern central portugal.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Check out weather maps you'll find the western north of Portugal enjoys similar weather to the Algarve


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## nandnjudge2 (Oct 5, 2008)

canoeman said:


> Most citrus fruit grows well across Portugal, frosts here are not like a UK frost.
> 
> Theres a difference between self sufficiency and commercial, and there is a zero market for any over production, just worthwhile bearing in mind as it's extremly hard work raising even your own veg here and if your looking to grow a wide range then a more temperate climate would be better than zero frost.
> 
> ...


That is a really good site, brilliant lots of useful information

Thanks


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## mrforja (Apr 3, 2011)

When living in central Portugal we had no major problems growing the veg and fruit that we liked, water is the key and from personal experience what ever you work out in the end is your need, double it, I ended up with 6000 litres storage for rain water and wish i had at least 12000ltr and probably a lot more.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

FWIW, many citrus and other sub tropical fruit trees can cope with a degree of frost. I'm about to move to Portugal but my home here near the Kruger Park in South Africa gets a light overnight frost for about 10 -12 weeks a year and my garden still produces good crops of key limes, oranges, lemons, mangos, litchees, bananas and avos...... the only really delicate one is the bananas and I had to plant them in sheltered spots.... the ones I planted in more open areas fail to grow much at all...... and also FWIW, one of my key lime trees produces about 2-3 kgs of fruit a DAY for at least 4 months and usually for longer.


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