Daleys Fruit Tree

Fig Tree Video

2008-07-30T08:50:00.003+10:00

Transcript:
Growing a fig tree in your backyard would have to be one of the most rewarding fruits to grow that there is especially in the taste department. They can be eaten dried, roasted, stewed, preserved but best of all fresh of the tree. They are a fruit that has a very small shelf life so it is often very difficult to find them in the supermarket. Their large leaves are very attractive and can give your backyard a mediteranian feel. In winter it will lose most of it's leaves especially in colder climates where once established they can handle quite a large frost. If you have restricted space then they will thrive in pots just as long as you have a high quality potting mix and a nice sunny position for them. Figs love the morning sun because over night mildue will cover the leaves which cause it to get fungal diseases so the morning sun helps to dry it out. One advantage of growing them in pots is that you will actually get less leaf growth and more fruit. This is because of the root restriction.

When in pots they will stay about human hight but when planting them int he ground they can grow about 2-3 meteres. Like most fruit trees they like water to go past their roots but they don't like to be constantly covered. So you might like to do a drainage test by filling your hole up with water and waiting for 30 minutes to see if all the water drains away.

They are very easy to look after and only need fertiliser to be applied once a year in winter. Often they will naturally grow into a nice shape so pruning is often not very necessary however older fruit trees to respond well to being pruned.

Figs are self fertile which means they don't need another fig tree to pollinate and create fruit. So you can just buy one fig tree and get figs. There are many different types of fig trees such as black genoa are a brown fig with red flesh. Prestons Prolific figs which have a white flesh and yellowy exterior. Brown Turkey and as the name suggests has brown skin with a pinky flesh. Piconi which is created by a local to Kyogle named John Piconi. And also the fig white adriatic which is yellow skinned large figs with a red pulp.

Most figs develop the same way and when they are young you will get 3 main branches from the trunck. The fruit develops on the branches towards the tips surrounded by leaves. The fruit also grows on the new wood So if you want to get more figs next year your fig tree will enjoy being cut back by a third.. When picking the figs from the tree it is often a good idea to have a long sleaved shirt because the sap and the leaves can irritate your skin.

In summary if you have a nice sunny position in your backyard or have a spare spot your balcony to place it in a pot then growing fig tree looks great and will taste great.

Production and Propogation Material

2008-07-25T13:33:00.005+10:00

With over a thousand different varieties of fruit trees and rainforest plants we can't have them all ready for sale at once. So if you search for a plant not in stock it will now say either In Production or Seeking Propagation Material. Please remember to click the button email me when available and also remember to put your mobile number down so we can notify you when the plant you want is ready for sale.

In Production

Simply put a plant in production is growing at Daleys Nursery and should be ready for sale once it reaches a certain size and health. Depending on the type of plant "In production" may mean this plant has recently been grafted, planted or potted up by a Staff Member.

Seeking Propagation Material

We don't have this plant growing in the Nursery but may be sourcing seeds or cuttings to be able to grow them at a later date. If you can help us get the right propagation material we would love for you to contact us.

Videos - Rollinia and Yacon

2008-07-14T20:38:00.002+10:00

Kath and Correy have prepared some videos on:
Rollinia

Yacon - Apple of the Earth

Bonsai Fruit Trees

2008-07-08T09:17:00.007+10:00

This is the other option for anyone who wants to keep their fruit trees small and compact, although this is not for those who don't like a bit of good old hard work as the larger the tree is the harder it is to repot.

To bonsai a tree it will need regular pruning as well as root pruning, it is usually done with potted specimens but can also be done with trees in the ground by cutting through the surface root with a sharp spade, this is good for trees like figs and will reduce the height and spread of the tree.

Many grafted fruit trees are suited to container growing and even large trees like sapodillas and black sapotes will happily fruit for many years in a pot if grown with care. To succeed first of all you will need to start with a good quality potting mix, a mix based on composted pine bark is a good start or you can make your own potting mix with equal parts of coarse sand, compost and composted pine bark. Remember that potted plants will use up the nutrients in the mix so they will need regular feeding and repotting. When the tree is repotted this is the time to trim back the roots and the top comparatively, so if you take a third off the roots trim the canopy back by one third as well. The mix can be tailor to suit your tree, blueberries will thrive in an acidic azalea mix, and figs will love a sweetening handful of lime on the top of their mix.

What size pot will you need? The larger the better, but remember the larger the pot the heavier and more difficult it will be to move and work with. The bonsai bags are an excellent option, they come in several different sizes so you can move the pts size up as your tree grow for the best result start with a 15L bag, let your tree grow into this size and then pot it up into the next size 25L and then on to the 35L. This is a good choice to grow a tree to about 2m. The bonsai bags have handles on either side making them easy to move, they can be placed inside a decorative pot and disguised with a layer of straw mulch. This method means that the tree and the pots can be moved separately.

Fruit trees need a sunny position to crop well, in warmer weather it is important to monitor the moisture levels in your pot to make sure it does not dry out, some potting mixes can be hard to rewet once they dry out, so keep your pot moist, but not wet. In hot weather a potted fruit tree may need a drink every other day, ease of the watering in cooler weather. Never sit a potted plant in a saucer of water, all tree roots need oxygen to breathe and remain healthy, sitting a potted avocado in a saucer of water will kill it in no time at all.

Feeding is vital to reduce the frequency of repotting which becomes more difficult as your tree become larger. For hungry trees like citrus regular applications of a complete NPK fertilizer are essential. Foliar sprays are also important and will benefit your tree during the warmer months.
Despite producing delicious fruit some trees do need to be treated with caution. It is wise to wear a long sleeved shirt and gloves when pruning and repotting as some trees can be very irritating to the skin, the sap of figs will burn the skin and the foliage of acerolas is covered in tiny stinging hairs which are also very irritating.

The best thing about potted fruit trees is the amount of fruit that can be cropped off a small tree in a small backyard.

Free Fruit Tree Catalog - 36 Pages, Colour

2008-06-26T07:45:00.003+10:00

We have a new Free 36 page catalogue which is all about preparing the home orchard and rainforest plants. Featuring guides for selecting the right fruit trees for you. You can request it through our free catalogue request page

Freight Prices Decrease for Smaller Orders

2008-06-11T10:52:00.005+10:00

Daleys has been given lots of constructive critisism on the cost of freighting one or two plants being too expensive.

We listened and now have a small box which takes up less room in the truck and therefore costs you less in freight.

Price Comparison of sending 1 or 2 fruit trees in 2007 using the Large box to now (2008) using the small box.
Sydney & Brisbane - Now costs $24.47 Was $42.94 Save $18.47
Melbourne - Now costs $30.68 Was $55.36 Save $19.68

To find out the exact price for your suburb just enter your postcode after you add some plants to the shopping cart.

Dragon Fruit

2008-05-06T13:08:00.003+10:00

Barry Beetham from Brassall QLD north of Ipswich sent us some great pictures (below)

Barry says: "I live on a quarter acre block in suburbia and grow whatever is small or short and produces food, then i go for it"

One of Barrys passions is the Dragon Fruit or Pitaya which he is growing in his backyard. He says:
"there's a dragon fruit grower 1 1/2 hours inland from Ipswich and i visited him there once - he has 1.5 thousand - wow! amazing plants - and a photo of one dragon fruit plant with 500 fruit on it"

Barry with his Dwarf Orange TreeDragon Fruit Forming

Dragon Fruit Vines at Barrys Place

More Information:

Dragon Fruits - Pitaya

Aloe Vera - Green Thumb Sunday

2008-04-16T12:55:00.003+10:00

I thought for this Green Thumb Sunday I would share a flowering Aloe Vera Plant. It is amazing how quickly these flowers shoot up and flower. Their drooping behavior is quite eye catching and they are quite high up for a plant that spends most of it's time low to the ground.
Here is a wide angle view of the same Aloe Vera plant.

Dwarf Avocado Trees - Fuss Pots

2008-04-16T11:23:00.007+10:00

Avocado Trees are one of the hardest fruit trees to grow because they are "fuss pots" With all the pitfalls Growing Avocado Trees in the backyard is still a favourite of Queenslanders and NSW people with Victorians usually growing the Bacon Avocado Tree which can handle their colder climates.

As kids we had a seedling Avocado Tree which took 15 years before it fruited and then straight after that with a big downpoor it died. This is why Grafted Avocados are best. You can usually get fruit within 3-4 years and the Secondo Avocado Tree is known to give crops in 2 years.

Now I mentioned that they are "fuss pots" and that is why I am not just using any pot but the King of all pots so I can give their root system maximum drainage and room to spread it's roots. Avocados like water going past their roots but it can be fatal if their roots are immersed in water.
The Secondo which is a staff favourite at Daleys is pictured above. I am also growing in an identical pot the Wurtz Dwarf Avocado Tree (very top photo). My bet is that the Secondo will out perform the Wurtz so I think it is a good controlled test. The Secondo and Wurtz are both A-Type varieties and although the Secondo is known to set fruit with no other B-Type avocado in sight you can get an even bigger crop by growing B-Type avocado close by. My choice will be the Sharwill over the Fuete because the Fuete sometimes fruits every second year and the Sharwill every year. The Sharwill usually is flowering when the Secondo is which should enourage good pollination.

My other choice of Avocado which I won't be growing but will someday is the Reed Avocado which is out of this world in size. You could fit 3 Hass avocados inside one Reed and the taste although a little different is still just as good I think.

Avocado Ripening Tip: Place it in a paper bag with a banana or apple and it will ripen quicker.

Another point is that avocado varities don't all ripen at the same time. And like mandarine trees for example where you get early, mid and late varieties by getting a few different varitites of avocados growing you can have avocados ripening for most of the year and what could be better than that? I guess after just planting these avocados I am a bit obssessed with them at the moment.

Melbourne International Flower Show (MIFS) - Dwarf Fruit Trees with Don Burke

2008-03-31T11:06:00.008+10:00

Think of 125 000 people who love their gardens at one venue and you have one of the top 5 flower festivals in the world happening in Melbourne this week. (2nd April 2008)

Now I understand that flowers look good and smell good but they do shrivel up and die. For those of us with only practical bones in our bodies we often wonder "is there more to flowers?"

So what would happen if you had a small "flower sized tree" that you can grow in a pot or small garden with rich coloured fragrant flowers but after they shrivel up something practical starts to happen. The flowers transform into fruit.

Don Burke knows what I am talking about and this year at the festival he is going to show off 25 Dwarf Fruit Trees from Daleys. So if you are there make sure you say hello.

Don Burke's Dwarf Fruit Trees from Daleys at the Festival.
Dwarf Peach tree - Beautiful spring flush of pink flowers
Dwarf Coffee Tree - Catui - Flowers profusely in summer with bright white frangipani smelling flowers. Often you can smell it from 5 meters away.
Acerola Cherry Tree - Dark Pink flowers 1cm in diameter
Dwarf Mulberry Tree black - The first sign of life after winter is the entire tree covering itself in white flowers. Majestic to say the least.
Blueberry - Sunshine blue - Translucent elongated flowers.
Dwarf Mango Tree - Irwin - Poignant big flower heads with tiny orange flowers that attract bees.
Dwarf Apple Tree - Pink Lady - Clusters of pink flowers
Dwarf Citrus - often year round flowering of white fragrant flowers.
Feijoa - Duffy & Apollo
Dwarf Mulberry Tree - Red Shahtoot
Dwarf Orange Tree - Cara Cara Blood orange
Cinnamon Tree
Dwarf Lemon Tree Meyer - The one Don has should have a few lemons on it.
Fig - Piconi
Fig - White adriatic
Finger lime
Dwarf Macadamia Tree
Dwarf Calamondin
Ceylon Hill Gooseberry
Dwarf Mandarin Tree - Emperor
Dwarf Apple Tree - Granny Smith
Pomegranate -Elcite
Hawaiin Guava - Pink Supreme
Miracle Fruit
Dwarf Avocado Tree - Wurtz
Dwarf Persimmon - Ichikikijiro

More Information
Melbourne International Flower Show

Star Fruit - Carambola Kembangan Quick Flowering

2008-03-21T09:33:00.005+10:00

Here is my 1 year old Carambola Kembangan. It is nicknamed the Star Fruit Tree because when you cut the fruit it looks like a star.

Mine is a grafted variety which I am growing in a pot. I am amazed how quickly and prolifically it is flowering at the moment. It has tripled in size since I got it and is one of my best performers so far second to my panama berry.

It is twice the price of a seedling Carambola tree but life is too short for seedling fruit trees as they take much longer to fruit.

One thing about the leaves is that they always seem to be drooping. Some people make the mistake of thinking it is laking water but this is not the case and is their natural position.

I have eaten a few star fruits in my life and by far the best tasting ones were the well known varieties. They are far more juicy and the flavour is less watery and fibrous.

Another thing about star fruit is they really do crop well. They do come into Australian supermarkets on occasions but usually not for long and you really do pay for them.

Another benefit of getting a well known variety such as the Grafted Kary Star Fruit and my Kembangan Star Fruit is that you only need one. Some varieties of Star fruit will flower but not fruit due to needing another variety to cross pollinate with.

More Information on the Star Fruit (Carambolas)
Buy Carambola Star Fruit - Mail Order to your door
A picture of them fruiting from Daleys Orchard - Amazing how well they crop
Forum: Star Fruit Discussion - Pollination Problems - Problems with flowering but not setting fruit for different varieties.
Plant Tag: Carambola or Star Fruit - Find out about cultural notes, soil types and ideal conditions.

Edible Landscapes Nursery - Northey Street City Farms

2008-03-04T11:49:00.005+10:00

This Sunday I visited Northey Street City Farms Organic Market. There were lots of people there who packed the very shaded and cool carpark to buy fruit and vegetables.

What makes it different to all the other fruit and veg markets is that while you are there you can walk through the farm which produces some of the fruit you buy.

There are well developed fruit trees and booming vegetables gardens all grown using proven permaculture techniques. Most of the fruit trees and vegetables that you see growing you can then buy from Edible Landscapes Nursery which is also part of the markets.

The kids have plenty of breezy, shady places to play and the chicken pens keep them transfixed.

More Information
Edible Landscapes Nursery

Sustainable Rainforest

2008-02-21T09:11:00.014+10:00

The Beauty, Majesty, and Timelessness of the Earths Rainforests are indescribable. It is impossible to capture on film, to describe in words, or to explain to those who have never had the awe-inspiring experience of standing in the heart of a Primary Rainforest.

At least 80% of our diet originated in Rainforest eco-systems. Its bountiful gifts to the world include fruits like avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bananas, guavas, pineapples, mangos and tomatoes; vegetables including corn, potatoes, rice, winter squash and yams; spices like black pepper, cayenne, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, turmeric, coffee and vanilla and nuts including brazil nuts and cashews.

More then 3000 fruits are found in the Rainforest; of these only 200 are now in use in the Western World. The Indigenous peoples of the Rainforest use over 2,000 for food, clothing, shelter, medicine and tools.

Atleast half of the world's estimated 30 million species of plants, animals and insects live in the Rainforest, yet these ancient eco-systems that once covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now make up less then 5%.

300 football fields of Rainforest are lost each and every second on planet Earth, due to Logging, and clearing for palm oil and soy plantations, in order to feed an unsustainable level of human consumption.

When European settlers came to Northern New South Wales, they named Australia’s largest expanse of lowland Sub-tropical Rainforest 'The Big Scrub' (750 Square Kilometers). Today there remains less then 1% of the original forest.

Thanks to Conservationists and Activists, large areas of Sub-Tropical Rainforest around the Kyogle Bio-region have been declared World Heritage National Park’s, and there is a groundswell of Landholders and Landcarers actively engaged in ecological restoration, with the intention to create habitat corridors between increasingly fragmented landscapes.

We all have the power to create positive change in this world. If you have land and would like to create a haven for wildlife and increase bio-diversity in your backyard, check out our 6 part feature on how to create a Rainforest. Less than 10 years on and this reforestation project over in 'The Big Scrub' now has a full canopy and is absorbing tonnes of greenhouse gases, as well as providing habitat for many rare and endangered animals.

If you live in a suburban landscape, the most environmentally friendly and fruitful plantation project would be to turn your backyard into a productive food garden.

Yet, There are still many ways you can help to preserve our precious Rainforest communities.

The first step would be to go and experience the feeling, the sounds, the smells and the sights of a Rainforest. Most capital cities in Australia are within an hour or two of a National Park, get out there one weekend and treat yourself to some time in nature.

Australia is amongst the wealthiest nations on the planet, fortunately this gives us the power to contribute a portion of our income to organizations that are involved in environmental conservation.

Rainforest Rescue is one such organization that is active in the conservation of Tropical Rainforest eco-systems.

Although surrounded by the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, parts of the Coastal Lowland Tropical Rainforest from the Daintree River to Cape Tribulation still remain unprotected and endangered.

These Rainforests are of international conservation importance as one of the most significant regional ecosystems in the world.

Rainforest Rescue's 'Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever Project' has contributed to the purchase and protection of nine properties so far. The properties are being managed for their conservation values, which will be protected forever.

As a child we visited the Wet-tropics Rainforest and my only two memories are of pristine crystal clear water (at crystal cascades waterfalls) and of a massive strangler fig.

In April I will be leaving Daleys, in Kyogle (hopefully to return in Spring) and I'll be cycling 4,500km up north into the Daintree to raise collective awareness of Rainforest's and Sustainable Communities.

Please, stay in touch and share the journey through my Blog 'Caldera Creations'.

I'll also post updates via this Blog.

In times of climate change, world famine, peak-oil and ecological degradation, we have so much to learn from the Earth's most biologically diverse eco-system, the Rainforest, which is a dynamic and sustainable community of plants, animals and micro-organisms.

R a i n f o r e s t a w a r e n e s s l i n k s

Rainforest Rescue
Australian Rainforest Conservation Society
BRAIN (Brisbane Rainforest Action & Information Network)
Rainforest Information Centre
The Big Scrub Environment Centre
The Big Scrub Landcare Group

Palm Oil Action
Landcare Australia

Competiton - Dwarf Fruit Trees - $100 Prize

2008-02-12T14:10:00.000+10:00

Use your digital camera to take a picture of a person with a Dwarf Fruit Tree that has fruit on it.

Everyone who enteres will get a $15 Gift Voucher from Daleys Nursery and there will be one Grand Prize winner who will get a $100 voucher.

ENTER COMPETITION OR SEE PICS SO FAR

Tips:

- Make sure the person and the fruit are the central focus

- Smile

- Be creative

Conditions:

- You can enter as many pictures as you want but will only receive one Gift Voucher unless of course you win the $100 grand prize.

- Vouchers can only be used in Australia (Excluding Tas and NT)

Wampees Guy Sam, Lychees, Lolly Tree, Coffee - GTS

2008-02-10T09:07:00.000+10:00

Most cultures use masculin or femanin language to describe nature. And Wampee Trees and Lychee Trees are Men. I laughed when I read the description of our Guy Sam Wampee Teee.

"Wampees are a handsome foliage evergreen tree grown for Summer ripe fruit with grape like flesh"

So here are my 3 young men From Left to right: Wampee Tree Guy Sam - Lychee Tree Salathial - Lychee Tree Bosworth 3

Carla bought in some wampees for the staff to taste which she picked from 2 different wampee trees that she grew from seed. They both tasted totally different depending on from which tree they came from. One was very sour but the other was very sweet. That is why if you buy a grafted Wampee Tree like the Guy Sam you know that when the fruit finally does ripen it will have that characteristic sweet grape like flavour. But when you grow it from seed who knows how it could taste. It would depend on how it was pollinated perhaps. Sometimes the extra money for a grafted specimen from a nursery rather then a seedling from the markets or a big outlet chain which might be cheaper really does pay off with fruit trees. Unless of course you want to breed the next Guy Sam or Yeem Pay.

Also in the garden this Green Thumb Sunday are my Panama Berries which most days are giving me that abundantly sweet taste. By far the sweetest berry you will ever taste hence some people call it the lolly tree.
And of course my coffee plant is full of beans and come June in Australia I will be very keen to finally pick them after waiting so long. (About 9 months from flowering it will end up being)

Ants and Fruit Trees

2008-02-05T09:52:00.000+10:00

So you want to grow organic fruit and your trees are maturing with new shoots and your hard work is paying off. However on your next visit you notice that someone else is working hard:

Someone who has no chief, officer or ruler but boy are they regimented.

When it comes to your scale on your citrus and other fruit trees Ants are quite happy to farm aphids and eat the sweet honeydew which the aphids secrete leaving a scale on your fruit trees and hampering new growth.

So let's assume that we are all responsible gardeners and don't want to spray our plants with poisons. What are our organic options?

One of our staff members Kath has taken some pictures of how she uses some grafting tape and Vaseline to stop not only ants but also vine weevil and earwigs.
Kath says on the art of Banding Citrus Trees: "the ant would reach it and then slip off the tree, then I put a big fat wadge of Vaseline around the tape to stop the little fellows climbing my tree. That has them stumped for a few days at least"

How do you get the younger generation to love Gardening?

2008-02-03T09:07:00.000+10:00

To start us off our good friend the blogging nurseryman cited the younger generation are now being taught the advantages of buying and eating locally. He said "... I feel we are on the verge of a whole new renaissance in growing our own food. Not just for survival, but for the aesthetic, social and physiological benefits that growing our own food organically brings."

What are your thoughts?

Australia Day 2008 - Green Thumb Sunday

2008-01-27T10:34:00.000+10:00

Australia Day 2008 is being celebrated so I thought I might share a few fruit trees from our Great South Land for this hot green thumb sunday.

Macadamia Nut Tree
Below is a picture of my Dwarf Macadamai Nut Tree in a pot
One of the best tasting nuts you will eat especially when roasted in honey or salt. Most people don't realise that it originates in Australia.

Australian Finger Lime
Comes in many different colours and I heard that it often fruits in Australia at times when your other citrus doesn't.

Midyim Berry

Our Staff Member Paul who has a passion for bushfoods describes this naturally occuring berry in the wild as his favourite. The flowers are quaint and pretty and the soft pulp is very sweet

Tree Ripened Fruit Is Superb

2008-01-23T22:37:00.000+10:00

We recently asked each of our Staff about their favourite fruit trees and Greg gave what I thought was a very interesting answer by saying:

"a tree ripened Navelina Orange picked in June. The juicy and sweet flesh is superb."

Just recently a TV show exposed that fruit found in Australian supermarkets at certain times of the year would sit in a warehouses for 8 months before being sold.

You can watch the video here but the gist of it is that the chemical called ethylene can be measured to find the real age of fruit. The show concentrated on how the nutrition of fruit reduced with age but I think they missed what I think to be the most important point and probably what you know because you are reading a blog about fruit trees.

The point is this: There is a something becoming about picking and eating a piece of fruit that you have grown yourself.

Daleys in My Business Magazine Feb 2008

2008-01-23T14:04:00.000+10:00

At Daley's we learnt very early on that growing fruit trees is a passion, a hobby and a lifestyle and our aim is to show this in as many parts of our nursery as we can. One way we have done this is through our monthly newsletters.

In 2006 when youtube was just starting up we decided to do our first video newsletter and ask our readers what they thought. We got some very mixed responses where some people loved it and others preferred the old format.

Since then we decided to go with mixed video and text which we have in many parts of our website now.

Today we found out that Jane Toohey from Marketing Angels who is also a columnist for My Business Magazine has a passion for fruit trees and mentioned us in her column. We would like to share a snippet with you from the February edition which should be in shops soon.

3. Add sound and video to your website

Thanks to uTube and other services, it's easy to add sound and video to your website. You might do this when you need to develop trust with a client so they will purchase from you online. A great example of this is available in the Shop section of http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/ where the video shows customers how plants are carefully packaged for shipping. This video demolishes a barrier to purchase. Are there areas of your business that might benefit from such treatment? Is there something you are proud of that you should be showcasing on your website?

Click to watch all Daleys Fruit Tree Videos

Minimum Quantities For Forestry Tubestock

2008-01-22T10:44:00.000+10:00

We recently sent plants to Graham who gave us some great feedback on our forestry tubestock

Daleys service and plant quality was excellent, although i was little disappointed in not being able to buy tubestock in smaller than minimum quantities available. all the best for Christmas and the new year. regards Graham Banks, BOYNE ISLAND QLD AUSTRALIA (16th Dec 2007)

As our packing techniques are getting better we are able to handle these smaller fiddly quantities more efficiently. And we reduced it from a minimum tubestock amount of 7 down to 5 and today we have decreased it down to a minimum of 4. Our new boxes are also designed to accommodate these smaller quantities.

Fruit Trees in Pots - Green Thumb Sunday

2008-01-13T11:17:00.000+10:00

A few pictures for Green Thumb Sunday from my backyard Pot Orchard.
My Glenn Mango Tree in pots are nearly ready. (2 years old) This is a dwarf lemon tree in a pot (1.5 years old) - it is keeping small but flowering and fruiting well

I am ready for some lemon grass tea (6 months old)

Washington Navel in some huge clay pots - (6 months old) They look fantastic with 3 oranges on them

The same two washington navel oranges in big clay pots

Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

Kyogle Flood 5th January 2008 - Richmond River

2008-01-06T08:47:00.000+10:00

The biggest flood in 54 years swept through Kyogle the second biggest on record. Most of our young plants are safe but some of our orchard went under water.

Video by Tacit Productions

Orchard Under Water

Flood Waters Creeping up to the Nursery

Lychee Trees, Diseases and Bats - Green Thumb Sunday

2007-12-21T10:16:00.000+10:00

The lychee is one of the most delicious fruits you will ever taste our boss Greg Daley says they are his favourite. Lychees are a fruit tree which can have what we like to call a Bumper Crop. I visited my Nanna Maisy last week in Tweed Heads who has a lychee tree which she got from Daleys Nursery 20 years ago and it looked fantastic.

It got it's first harvest in the first 3 years when it was small however when it was 10 years old it got a disease which caused a lot of the leaves to fall off. Maisy was going to cut it down however it came good and ever since it has been getting huge crops like this one. She says she never waters it.
2 years ago a flying fox got caught in one of the nets and luckily my brother visited that day. He freed the bat and took off all the nets. Although it was uncovered not one bat visited the lychee that season.

Unfortunately their memory is only for a season and last year the Bats came when the lychees were the same size as the ones pictured, they ate every single lychee even though they were green.

Because the tree is huge Nanna has placed only a few nets over the lychees at head hight. The bats came again the last 2 nights and each morning nanna is picking up 2 buckets full of half eaten green lychees they have however not eaten the ones at the bottom with the nets.

After it crops I am going to visit and give it a very aggressive prune to about 2.5 meters so that it can become mananageable again.

Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

Green Thumb Sunday - Coffee Beans

2007-12-16T06:57:00.000+10:00

I am one of those people who dreams of the perfect cup of coffee. Here is a picture of my k7 coffee plant that I have had for 2 years now in a pot. I can't wait till they turn red.

Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

Other Blogs done on Coffee Plants
Growing your own Coffee
Coffee Plants in Pots