Dying tamarillo trees

MaryT says...
Ann I feel for you. Sorry I don't really know how to help but I was given a tamarillo tree that I put in a pot and for years it just gave me hell. I moved it around, I gave it more attention than anything else because it was a gift from a good friend but it failed to thrive and threatened to die with every imaginable problem. Even my friend suggested a mercy killing. Now it's in the ground though I don't really have room, being crowded by black bamboo and a Davidsons plum and it's grown MASSIVE within weeks (from being a stick with a few half dead leaves).

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MaryT says...
SG mine has never flowered or fruited though it's more than three years old. Maybe it'll live forever? :)

MaryT says...
Recipes,Phil? Can they not be eaten fresh?

Db says...
Phil, how does Orange tamarillo taste compares to Red? I'm growing one orange in pot but it is sick now, I bought it early this year and growing in 40cm pot, it has grown from 1 ft to 6 ft now, it gets water almost every day now and is in full shade... few days back I applied osmocote fertilizer (and also B&B few days before that) and now it has dropped 2-3 young leaves from tip of main stem by turning brown (no side branches at all), so I was thinking to transfer it in ground if I could find suitable space for it... But the red fruit that I tasted few months back was so sour that I couldn't eat it any further after tasting it, so I was wondering is orange really sweet or still very sour but just slightly milder than red... How does orange compares to red?

Linton says...
Tamarillos can't be grown in pot.

The Yellow variety is supposed to have the best flavour followed by the Orange and Red last.

I got 2 seedlings about 2 1/2 months agon and planted them in very large pots. They grew rapidly, vigorously and rampantly, and quickly became pot bound. I think this is because the root ball consists of matting-like fibres which completely fill the pot and don't allow the water to penetrate.

I took them out of the pots yesterday and planted them in the ground but I couldn't believe how much the fibrous roots had filled the pots and completely depleted all the soil!

Db says...
Thanks Phil, Linton and BJ...

Looks like I will need to move it in ground if I want it to be fruited... I know they like to be in shade but can it fruit in full shade? I have one tight space on fence line in between our and neighbor's house (so wind protected) but this space hardly gets any sun (now a days I think it gets late afternoon sun)..

juanita says...
I let my tamarillos drop to the ground & collect it from there, that way they become sweeter

Db says...
Orange tamarillo that I'm growing in pot is dying.. I bought it early this year and thrived till recently, grown from 1 ft to 6 ft tall... I water it every day as potting mix becomes dry quickly... Pot is sitting in my alfresco so it almost in full shade and only gets sun for 1 to max 2 hours in late afternoon... Recently I applied Osmocote slow release fertilizer and it started wilting leaves after few days... First new growth stopped growing, it dropped 2-3 tiny leaves from the tip of only branch and now whole plant is wilted completely... I removed mulch and those slow release fertilizers (I had applied it on the top of mulch).. Is there anything I can do to save it while in pot, I may not be able to transfer it in ground for next couple of weeks.. I have tried giving seasol but no use, from the top soil it looks like roots are circulating this 40cm pot.. What can I do to save it? Is it ok to take cutting from top end to try to strike and start all over again (considering its already wilted)??

VF says...
Hi Db, if your plant does cark it I have a couple of spare seedlings (red and orange) which you're welcome to.

VF says...
You're welcome Db, offer stands. Seedlings take about 18 months to start fruiting from what I've been told. I assume cuttings would take less time, but I don't know to be honest.

Db says...
My orange tamarillo has died :(

Db says...
Thanks VF, I'm going try to strike couple of cuttings of my tamarillo, it's not completely dead yet, all leaves has been dropped and top half of main stem is wilted, so it's on the verge of death. Tonight I'm goning to take couple of cuttings from base stem to strike. If it is successful then no worries, if not, I'll surely contact you to get seedlings or cuttings if you have.I really appreciate your help, cheers.

Jafa says...
I bought my 3rd tree a few months ago at about 40 cm tall & had it in a pot for a couple of months where it grew to about 75cm 7 was doing great. Planted it into a sheltered, raised garden bed & it loved it. Now at around 150cm it has suddenly had all leaves die & is going the same way the previous two trees have. Enough is enough. I grew up in NZ with healthy trees that needed no special care & they produced huge quantities of fruit. I think it is just too hot for them in most areas of Australia.

Rob. says...
Hi, I have a healthy tamarillo tree growing in South Gippsland (Vic) which fruits prolifically but the seeds are teeth shattering hard. Is there a reason for this or do I have the wrong variety. Appreciate any help. Rob.

Robin Nitschke says...
Tamarillos will never grow successfully in pots as the lateral roots grow so quickly the plant will become root bound. They are best grown from seed - there will be about 200 seeds in one fruit. Germinate in heated seed trays and prick out into PB5s or larger bags when at the 6 leaf stage. When 300mm or more plant out.
They don't like frosts, wind and wet feet so if these condition prevail a good idea is plant under a wide eave of the house (so they should be frost protected and the soil never gets too wet if the guttering works!), and on the sheltered side of the house. Keep well watered and feed regularly during the summer growth period. They will need copper as a bactericide alternating with sulphur as a fungicide - use mineral oil with both and apply every 3-4 weeks. Then you need luck on your side ...... and howling at the moon at midnight could help as well!
I should know - I've got 6500 tam trees and they do take a lot of damn hard work to look after correctly so if you are not prepared to do this, forget it!

Amanda says...
They a dollar fifty each in Coles (West Aust) atm Robin Nitschke - from NZ..! Hard to believe hey?! And especially as they grow so well and easily here (I am 160km south of Perth on the coast)
I don't need to use any pesticdes or fungicides on ours at all.
We have free draining deep sands so they get quite enormous.
I had one plant that never set a single fruit though - it was massive - I think it was in too much shade...?
A cutting plant that was given to me though. I ended up cutting it down after 3yrs.
I only grow seedlings too now.

I was born in NZ and left at 12yrs - but like many from there I grew up with with Tamarillos and I absolutely love them! A lot of Aussies don't take to them though? Strange as it's a first class fruit that is in season right now - when there is not a lot of choice of fruits around.

I had a bumper harvest this season - so I decided to make some tamarillo chutney...really looking foward to tasting it when it's ready! It looks amazing and smells exotic.
Also going to try some in a kombucha ferment - and in one of my own vinegar brews too. It has the potential to make an excellent balsamic type vinegar I am thinking?

This is my 1.5yr old tree that I just harvested....I had to net it with a queen size mozzie net as the birds wanted some too.
Unfortunately the netting then encouraged aphids - which the other un-netted plants don't get bothered by.
I will try a different type of net for them - a more open weave - especially now I know that the Med-fruit flies don't attack the fruits here.

But I wasn't sure what to do with it after this - so hacked it right back - to pretty much nothing...not sure if it going to like that - especially now it's winter?
Not really worried about it though as it was only ever a temporary plant where it is. They make amazing instant-shade...growing so fast and big.

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John Mc says...
They hate wet feet, try grafting them onto wild tobacco, Solanum mauritianum.

Simo says...
Three year old Tamarillo red had a bumper crop last year ,waiting for signs of regrowth this year tree seven foot good spread of branches overhead lost a couple of branches getting excited grabbing fruit off but tree looks heathy fingers crossed please be just late any think I should know about tamarillo guys thanks from a novice