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Chill Time |
Many stonefruits and pomefruits, such as apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and their relatives, require a level of winter "chill hours" to set a crop the following summer. Chilling requirements can vary widely from one variety to another and fruit selections should be made carefully. A fruit variety’s chilling requirement is a key determinant of where it will consistently produce satisfactory crops of fruit.
Several online maps and resources are available, but essentially all of urban Orange County is "low-chill". The closer to the coast the lower the chill hours, and some of the foothill and canyons offer a bit more chill. The milder your winters, the lower your "chill hours".
A very though explantion about fruit tree chilling requirements can be found HERE