Chapter1-SpecialFeature:Fruit

From Loveheart

Fruit trees – the big 4

The big 4 reliable fruit trees are listed below All fruit trees do best without compeition from shade or tree roots and regular watering – twice a week for mature trees

Citrus

Alice Springs is an ideal place for citrus. The combination of light textured soils, warm temperatures and generally mild frosts means that we can grow just about any citrus here quite successfully.

Establishment

Choose an area that is out in the open without competition from other trees of their roots. Prepare an are 1.5m in diameter with compost or manures ideally several months before planting as this time will allow the soil to settle and will allow any un-rotted material to break down. As the tree grows you will need to expand watering to beneath its full canopy. Plant in Spring after the last frosts – you may want to soak the pot in a solution of seaweed extract the night before. Make great efforts to rid your area of couch grass before you plant.

Watering

Citrus have surface feeding roots which means the plants grow best when the whole surface of the soil is wetted. This means drippers aren’t really suitable and you will need to find a product that spreads the water. “Octaflow” drippers are an option that spreads the water but not in a fine mist.

Maintenance

Citrus do not technically need periodic pruning but you may still want to prune in order to

1) keep the fruit to a reachable height

2) to renew old woody branches with fresh new productive ones

3) to remove sap shoots which start growing low down on the tree

4) to encourage an appropriate shape from which to pick fruit

Fertilise yearly in July which is just before a growth period. I use chook poo and it slowly breaks down as the tree is watered. Mulch if possible.

Rejuvenating tired/neglected trees

Create a well around the canopy of the tree and flood irrigate for a number of weeks 2- 3 times a week. Peter bennet in “Organic gardening in Australia and New Zealand“ recommends placing 4 bricks around the trunk to prevent collar rot then dressing the whole surface in sieved compost, following up later on with chook poo and grass clipping.

Problems

Virus/fungus which is spread from cutting tools. Once a tree is infected you should maintain quarantine so it does not d\spread to other trees. Never use the same cutting tools unless they are sterilised in alcohol. (investigate if it is spread by other means)

Caterpillars – use dipel bacterial culture

Grasshoppers – adult trees can usually cope but when trees are small you might even consider caging the tree for the first couple of years. Grasshoppers are most easily caught with a torch at night and they can be dunked in water or whacked off the trees with a stick. Fruit fly a problem for valencias, limes and some mandarins, comquats?

Varieties . Oranges - Washington navel or Lens Navel and Valencia should both be grown if space allows as they fruit at different times and will extend your fruiting time.

Grapes (fruit Nov – Jan)

Table grapes are another highly reliable Alice Spring fruit – after all they are grown commercially here. Use them for shade in the summer on a trellis and they let through the winter light later in the year. Kids love them and you don’t have to protect them from all the sparrows like you do down south. It is easy to dry your own grapes with the temperatures here in summer. You can dry your yearly supply of sultanas and muscatels – but beware! -you will never want go back to the commercial ones after you have experienced the flavour.

Establishment

Grapes can easily be grown from prunings of other grapes – how easy is that? Poke them in the ground in winter and keep them watered and you will have more grapes. Later transplant them to their final spot. An area that is free from shade and competition from other trees and shrubs is best. Plant them where you need summer shade and winter sun such as against a western facing wall or over a north facing entertaining area – get the Tuscan look going.

Watering

Twice a week, drippers can be used sucessfully

Maintenance

Yearly pruning of growth back to one to 4 main leaders. Needs to be 2 year old growth present to produce fruit?

Problems (pests and diseases)

Caterpillars are a problem in summer especially when the vines are young keep a close watch as one day they seem ok and the next day they are defoliated. Control with Dipel or pick them off. Grasshoppers are also a problem but less than caterpillars – pick them off at night with a torch.

Varieties

Figs

Figs are a luxury which we can enjoy in alice earlier than the rest of the country. So many ways to cook them – you can dry them and preserve them for the whole year. The smell of fig leaves bring back childhood memories of convincing friends that the white sapped maggoty looking fruit were great to eat.

Establismment

Like grapes figs can be established from planting winter prunings, shoved in the ground and watered.

Watering

High delivery drippers may be suitable in a ring around fig trees and a generous layer of mulch if available would be of benefit

Maintenance

Figs may need to be pruned

1) to attain the desired shape, single stem etc.

2) to keep them at a height where fruit can be picked

3) to thin out branches which may result in a battle to pick fruit. (although unpruned may be more productive)

Problems

Figs can support nematodes although they don’t seem to be much affected by them. Grasshoppers may be a problem to young trees . Fruit fly are a menace especially for later fruiting figs. The early fruiting figs often miss out on the fruit fly. Rain heat and humidity around fruiting time can be detrimental to fruit with rotting taking place.

Mulberry

Just about the hardiest of all the fruit trees – they will self seed in some difficult situations but may often be sterile (non fruiting),. There are several varieties of mulberry. The black is actually the English variety, slower growing but perhaps with a superior flavour. Then the white mulberry of which there is a dark and light variety. Much faster growing than the black and the fruit are still yummy. They are also great shade trees.

Watering

Mulberries have deep roots and adults will survive without direct water by searching out down deep and also outwards with their extensive roots. Drippers in 1 or several rings around the tree will do but “octaflow” may also be suitable for most fruit trees

Maintenance

The canopy must be kept low enough unless you are happy to climb to get your fruit. The light fruiting white mulberry has particularly vigorous straight branching and the prunings are great for use in the garden although borers get to them in year 2.

Problems

Nematodes like them but they still grow fine, grasshoppers will have an impact on younger trees. Generally pest free. Some varieties may flower too early and have their flowers burned off by the frost.

Fruit trees – other

Carob

Peach

Apple

Almond

Pear

Pecan

Pistaccio

Avacado

Mango

Apricot

Guava

Olive

White Sapote

Dates

Pomegranites