Tropical fruit trees successfuly grown in Melbourne

lynne says...
Hi Tran
Wow you have quite an orchard! I wish I was able to contribute but unfortunately I have only started growing fruit trees. I have however found a link which you may be interested in (if you haven't seen it before) http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/forum/10631.html
Tran from your experience in Clayton (I'm very close in Mt Waverley), is it better do plant guavas etc now or wait for another time?
Lynne

Tran says...
Hi Lynne,

I did try a seedling of guava some years ago, bought from garden world and it did not work for me. It could be too small (50 cms). I have seen 2 big guava trees : one in springvale the other one in Huntingdale they are about 2 meter tall and see fruit last year but not last summer so I thought it may be too cold for those particular varieties.

I found that tropical fruit trees work quite well in big pots. I would say if you would like to try growing guava then wait for another month and after the tree settles, give it plenty of dynamic lifter to speed up the growing process before the next winter kick in.

In Melbourne, I think mature fruit trees survive well than little ones.

Happy growing.
Tran
PS: Thank you very much for giving me the link. It is very useful indead

Hi Correy,

Many thanks for letting me know that there is an excelent way to find out trees which are suitable for Melbourne weather. Much appeciated.

Cheers

Tran

Correy says...
Hi Lynne & Tran,

Feel free to mention any fruit tree businesses on the forum.

Here are a few of our recommended fruit tree retailers

We can sell wholesale to nurseries in Melbourne so if they don't have a certain variety you could always mention that they can get it off us for you.

Kath says...
Tran we will be very interested to see if you can get the star apple to fruit in your southern climate. I had my first two fruits that had set abort in the cool and dry sub tropical winter, oh well I will have to wait another year. They are well worth growing as an ornamental tree even if they do not fruit for you.

Juliana says...
I saw guava tree in Bunnings in Werribee just before winter.

Kath says...
Juliana if you want to grow the Annona species in Melbourne try a cherimoya, Annona cherimoya, this is more likely to succeed in fruiting as custard apples ripen in the cooler winter months and Melbourne is just not warm enough to successfully ripen the fruit. The cherimoya comes off earlier than the custard apples when there is still some warmth in the weather in the southern climates so there is a greater chance of successfully ripening the fruits. Cherimoyas will not like a heavy frost but they can handle light frosts to about -2 degrees C, I am not sure how many of these in a row they can handle though.

lynne says...
Thanks Tran - I will look for big pots first before getting the plants (I must admit intuitively, you'd think they they can fruit more in the ground due to greater abundance of soil but I suppose they are warmer in pots and in Mel that's more important.)
I've been told that they were selling guava trees somewhere in the Springvale shopping centre.

Interesting where these trees are popping up.

has anyone seen this site? http://www.rarefruit-sa.org.au/Fruited.htm

pity we don't have a similar organisation in Melb...

Kath - thanks for the invaluable info re difference b/w custard apple and its cousin - i'm sure parallels can be drawn
with other fruiting trees too

Rev says...
if you can wing it contact the NSW ag dept and try and find out where to get virus free stock from
i was told they will supply the public
but who knows if its true
itd be a good policy

did anyone mention avocados?

Tran says...
Hi Dave,

Does your jujube in the ground fruits easily? Mine on the black pot has many fruits but not the one on the ground and I have added potash and fruits still do not set. I suspect it may have something to do with cold soil.

Regards

Tran

Tran says...
Good morning Dave,

Many thanks for your reply. Much appreciated.

Both of mine are Li variety and I treated both the same way except the one in the pot has had some recycle water (from washing vegies). I will try some citrus fertilizer and with rains lately I will see if it makes the different.

By the way, you have done well with yours, mine are 6 years old and only 5 feet tall.

Yes they are beautiful to eat and I found the only place that sells is
http://www.perrysfruitnursery.com.au/jujube.php only $10 per kg but with postage the price is double so unless you go to Adelaide to buy direct it is a bit dearer than I would have expected. Last year, I bought in Springvale for $12 per kg but they are quite rare.

Regards

Tran

Robbie says...
Hi Lusy,
I have a Bacon avocado growing just outside of Ballarat in it's 3rd year and out in the open exposed to frosts (and a light cover of snow last winter)and it flowered for the first time this spring. No fruit yet but too young l guess. Looking very healthy and unaffected by hot winds as long as l keep the water up to it and lots of mulch. Just bought it a friend - a wertze, and hope to try other varieties soon. Also just purchased jackfruit, raisin tree, custard apple, and macadamia to see if l can get them to survive out here. Good luck with your avocados
Cheers
Robbie

Rev says...
also tried with cherimoya too - seedlings and grafts
-3 is the limit

-3 seems a magic number for many things
above and things make it, below they dont

avos, cherimoya, andean walnut, papayas, pineapple, acerola passionfruit - break down and die beyond -3

Lusy says...
Hi Robbie

Thanks for your reply. It's good to hear that your avocado is doing so well with both frosts and the heat. If I can't get a Secondo, I will probably get a Bacon.

Regards

Lusy

Dave says...
I have seen bacon avocados at Gardenworld in Springvale and Dacos nursery in Heatherton (Melbourne suburbs). They are readily available as is Hass, Sharwill, Ryan and Reed. They grow easily in Melbourne. Just plant them straight away rather than growing in a pot for too long. Mine are in their third year and have one fruit each (Bacon and Gwen). I have not seen Secondo available anywhere. As mentioned keep them well mulched and they should grow well. Just keep the possums off the new growth!

Robbie says...
Bunnings in Melton has bananas too - about 6 varieties including one supposed to grow only to 2 metres. And mango and macadamias

Kath says...
Hi Lusy,
We are currently looking at a smaller sized box to hold just one plant and bring the cost of freight down for those who only want one plant. We have had a template made but it will take a little while to produce the box and set the system in place. So hopefully by next spring those who want only one plant will be able to order it at a reasonable freight cost.

Stephen says...
Hi Tran,
We have strawberry guava's loaded with fruit, pineapple guavas with fruit, tamarilo's loaded with fruit, banana's that are close to commercial grade in quality and size using bags purchased from a grower in QLD, also gingers including the eating variety which we have just planted this year.
My father inlaw in monbulk is growing tamorilos, pomigranits, persimmons and finally shell gingers but these are for cut flower foliage.
You could also grow avocados, as over 10 species grow in Lakes Entrance at an avocado farm locally.
Also the black sapote and brazilian cherry are surposed to grow and we will be trying these in the next 12 months along with pawpaws, as we have grown them from seed before but didnt know how to keep them alive through there first winter.
Also another fruit is the jelly palm or wine palm which makes a great jam but very slow growing.
In general I have found tropicals respond well if planted on a north facing brick wall or wind barrier with large rocks that can absorb heat during the day and release it back at night. also mushroom compost over winter helps with warmth, but to increase fruiting during mid spring to start of summer use seaweed solution directly on the leaves and plenty of trace element fertilizer on the ground, follow this up 3 weeks latter with seaweed sprayed on the leafs again and lime around on the ground.
finally there is only one particular species of star fruit that will fruit lightly in melbourne acording to ABC, check with ABC gardening Australia as they just did a story on tropical and unusual fruits and made a note of how far south each could grow.
otherwise go nuts and experiment, but try plants at least three times before giving up, each time in a different location as we have lots of plants that should not grow in Victoria yet they do. But remember always do your research using common and botanical names to get all the information you can to recreate an environment as close as you can to their native enviroment.
Hope all of this info helps

Scott G says...
I have grown 2 Star fruit trees. One was in a drier spot in my garden for 2 years. It had such a tough time and produced no fruit so I pulled it out. Having it there fending for itself was a waste. A guava now grows like mad in the same spot. After the failure with the first one I planted the second one in a wetter position. That tree has been in the ground for 4 months (this has been a wet period). It has just finished growing 3 good fruits.

Jason says...
Hass is the best Avocado for Southern Victoria if you live near the coast and don't have huge frosts. Fino de Jete the best Cherimoya by far that you can get from Daleys, don't grow "White" it needs more heat than we have and wont taste any good, Fino is superb in Southern Vic. Vernon is the easiest Sapote to grow and fruit in the cooler areas of Victoria. No one can go wrong with those 3 varieties

Margaret Smith says...
Excellent forum thanks Tran for starting this one...I have avocados Bacon and Hass both with fruit on and about 4-5 metres high after 3 years from Daleys. Also bananas, guavas fejoa, white sapote, cherimoya, babaco, pomegranate, all the citrus, inc finger limes and aussie round limes etc, macadamias, candlenut, persimmons, 3 types peaches, apricots, ice cream bean, golden fruit of the andes, blueberries, plumcot, bamboo for shoots, kaffir plum, and I'm sure there are more but cannot grow cassava, cinnamon outdoors...I keep trying and failing so I am thinking of having a small tunnel...just to have a go
BUT what I really want are female or bisexual pawpaws..as I got 2 in a pot from daleys and now they are 5 metres tall with enormous trunks and they are male...b@$%^*$er
can anyone help...oh Morrison Brothers in Doncaster is another brilliant place for fruit trees...

John says...
Hay Margerat, if you are sore the are male, then do this. Stress and nessecity is the mother of all evil. Pick out the one you can afford to lose the most, and stress it out. Reduce the watering patten just before the are due to flower. If it doesnt work in the first year. It will the next. But before you do this give it a feed of pot ash. I think you perhaps should also look at the paw paw blog and perhaps try pruning back the plant. This although they dont relize it performs the same outcome. I just have not learnt it properly yet to advice you on ho to do it.

John says...
Margret, fruit tree trees tend not to travel to far or deep unless on top of a septic. This is why when planting things like large paws and jacks not so close to the house shed ect. Wish you luck.

Amy says...
Hey Lusy, Are you still wanting to share a carton? I'm in Narre South & want to order some stuff, so don't mind sharing if you like?

Dave...does your Japanese raisin fruit? I'm interested in trying one but read in Lewis Glowinski's book that he had trouble getting his to flower.

This thread has been very interesting...we're just starting our garden & I'd like it to be a primarily edible garden. But choosing plants is a bit like christmas...so many possibilities to try (& of course, I'd love to try them all but would run out of room, I think) :)

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Steven says...
I have been going through this forum for the past few days because I am also interested in growing tropical fruit trees in Melbourne, I have only been growing them since last season but seem to be having great success with a Hass Avocado which I grew from a seed, Banana and pineapples so far that i grew from tops.

I have been doing a bit of research on tropical trees and wanted to point out a couple of things. First of all the tropics dont get four distinct seasons like we do. they get a wet season and a dry season and most trees start flowing just after the dry season. for example you can make a coffee tree fruit by significantly reducing the amount of water it gets for a couple of months and then start watering it heaps (simulating a wet and dry season) and it should start flowering. Places that get two wet seasons a year (i think Brazil does) get two coffee crops a year because of it and you can simulate that. Or Mango's dont like getting their flowers wet and this can prevent the fruit from setting. So if your not getting fruit it may not be the temperature it may be something like this which can usually be easily avoided. So its a good idea to do a bit of research and find out what the behavioral characteristics of your species/variety are.

Another thing, i dont think frost is a real problem in Melbourne, ive lived in the eastern suburbs about 1/2 an hour from the beach for 22 years and have never seen frost on trees, only on the ground, ive only ever seen condensation on leaves which wont damage them. So i dont think frost is really a big problem.

Thanks

Steven

juanita says...
It looks like my hass avoc is suffering from root rot... Im desperately trying to save it by spraying the leaves w/ anti-rot & put some lime granules around the base of the tree but it doesn't seem to be of any help to cure the prob....Any helpful hints will be very much appreciated...Maybe it's not too late yet to save my hass ?

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juanita says...
Thanks Tran, i'll follow your advice, hopefully my suspicion about root rot is incorrect..Here's another pix & you can see the main trunk slowly turning brown.

Im also looking for a type of banana w/ red skin but i don't know the name. Do you know where i can get it from?.Thanks again.

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juanita says...
Thanks Rob, I'll ring them asap... Ladyfinger & Cavendish are growing nicely in my yard.

Rob says...
Juanita, the bananas from Kmart and Bunnings came from a place in Mooroolbark called Humphris Nursery (I read the labels). Might be cheaper direct from the source if you can locate them. Have a ladyfinger and cavendish (dwarf) growing out here on the outskirts of ballarat - might be another story once the winter sets in again.... but can only try. First year they have been in.

Dave says...
Amy,

The Japanese raisin Tree has not fruited as yet. It has only been in the ground for 1 and a half years. It is approx 8 feet tall and a lovely looking tree. I am thinking of putting another one l have growing in a pot in the front nature strip!

Regards

Dave

Margaret Smith says...
Just an observation about cocoa I worked in PNG for years and on many plantations. coaoa was grown under the canopy of coconuts to protect them, and grown in areas of 1 metre plus rainfall a month in the wet season(not like melbourne with 400mm a year) The humidity 12 months of the year was unbelievable and the heat about 35 - 40 constant daytime, never below 25 at night....we also had trouble with rot, for obvious reasons, but many tropical things will grow here if the water is restricted around their roots in winter when they cannot dry out, perhaps try it in a pot and in a warm plastic house over winter, and keep it protected from direct sun...love to know how you go!!!! cheers Marg

juanita says...
Rob, thanks for the add & tel of the nursery...Our local Bunnings here will be able to get me red dacca for $28.00 ( i think it's a bit dear? )...Kmart here hasn't got any but Big W has 6 potted bananas left, 4 dwarf red daccas & 2 pisang(banana)ceylon all for $25.00/ea, $3.00 cheaper than Bunnings.Big W & Bunning's nanas are all from Humphris Nursery.
Last yr i covered the big banana tree w/ old quilts & bedsheets but it wasn't a good idea coz the frost penetrated right thru, luckily the main p-stem didn't die completely.This coming winter i'll cover the top w/ plastic & wrap around it either w/ plastic or bedsheets, also will put the xmas light on to keep them warm. Lastly, thick mulch around the base of the tree.
My caimito & drumstick trees grow very slow.Hopefully they'll survive this coming winter (their 3rd winter).
Good luck to your ultra tropical jackfruit tree.

Di Tod says...
I wonder if anyone would know where I can buy a Jujube in VIC? Thanks, Di

Rob says...
Cornucopia Seeds mail order Japanese Raisin Tree seeds if you have trouble getting a plant

Amy says...
Di: I got it off Daleys :)

Di says...
Hi Lucy and Kath,

I have just ordered some fruit trees from Daley's and am happy for any extras to come down with my order if you like. I think they're sending next week, so you'd have to let me know fairly fast. My mob is 0414 902 738. A text might be good as I'm out and about a lot. Im sure Daley's wouldn't mind.

The other place that supplies avocacos is Sunraysia Nurseries near Mildura. I have ordered 25 for a bush block from them (for $12.50 each) and am happy to up the number, but they won't come 'til spring

Dave says...
Di,
the only place l know who has ever had Jujube available is Perry's in SA.

I bought two from them and both are growing and fruiting very well. They are one of my all time favorite fruits!

juanita says...
I've heard about jujube fruit tree but I have no idea how tall it grows & what the fruits look & taste like?..I don't see them selling in the shops & so w/ white sapotes...!1st time i saw white sapote's tree loaded w/ fruits was in Dr. Glowinski's backyard.

lynne says...
Tran
Yes it is open on Sun 6 Apr as per the following link (about half way down the page)

http://www.opengarden.org.au/regions/vic.htm

Anonymous says...
Hi Tran,

Glad everyone got their trees. I got mine too - they seem OK despite today's terrible heat. I'm going to repot them all as they're ready for planting, but the block's not!

Re the Jujubes: I've contacted Perry's and they don't have any this year but they can be ordered for next year, but are $100.00 per tree. I've ordered 5 kgs of jujube fruit from them as I thought I'd try to propagate the seeds. Although I know they don't come true to type from seed, I thought I'd have a go. If anyone would like to taste them, they're arriving after Easter. I thought I'd extract the seed and dry the fruit. Ph no. 0414 902 738.

I contacted Roger Meyer who grows them in California and he says they're not difficult to propagate and that there are growers other than Perry's in SA and WA, so will keep you posted when I find out who they are :)

I put a Hass and Reed in this year and both are doing well; Ryan and Fuerte not so good.

Cheers,
Di

Margaret says...
Avocados we have 2 from Daleys Hass and either Bacon or Fuerte (I think it is bacon because of the utterly incredible number of flowers) this is their 3rd season so about 2.5 years in ground..gets lots of underground water in sandy soil (camberwell) and sun all day...both about 5-6m tall and both have half to a dozen big fruit and this is their first year> Cannot recommend to plant more around Melbourne....oh we foliar fertilize only and give extra zinc..Marg

Margaret says...
Hi Tran I am thrilled with the growth of mine, at first they were really floppy and spindly, and then after a year in the ground, hassled by cold winds etc, they took off last spring, the hass lost almost all it's leaves the first year and were burnt by the cold the second year, and the bacon was exceptionally floppy...I was told to spray with zinc..which I added to the foliar spray of seaweed, fumic acid and potash, and away they went..got strong and flowered like nothing else...we actually started with hundreds of little fruit all over the palnts but come 3 weeks later almost all had dropped off leaving the dozen or so left..perhaps this is all they can cope with first time around...That was November and now they are 10-12 cm long...looking grouse...now can anyone help with the indian mynah problem....they are eating everything on my trees long before ripening..eg persimmons are being stripped off the trees when they are 1 month old, hard green (and I would have thought highly unpalatable)and about an inch across.... have tried netting, but the number and desperation of the birds is too much...they also had heaps of young....and I thought the bats were a problem!!!!!

juanita says...
where can i buy bell apple? Pls anyone here knows where to get it from...Thanks

juanita says...
Hi Tran,

Growing bell apple tree down here doesn't sound promising & success rate of surviving thru winter is nil??...Im just trying to get this fruit tree for my friend as she's very keen of having one..Where can i buy it from?

Amy says...
Just wanted to update the comment I made earlier about Lewis Glowinski's book mentioning his Japanese Raisin didn't fruit. I went to his open garden today (very inspiring) & asked him about it...he said the book needs a big update (long story about the publisher) but yes, his did fruit & it flowers prolificly. Which is good news for those trying it here in Melbourne.

I was astounded how much he has fit into his garden. I was thinking I was going to have to espalier a lot of my trees to get everything in that I would like to try & grow...but his garden just proves you can grow a lot in a suburban backyard.

Julie says...
Hi Amy,

Many thanks for the update on Dr Lewis Glowinski 's garden. I must visit his garden next year on open garden scheme. By the way, any new trees grown successfully that the doctor needs to update his book. I have his book too.

Happy Earth says...
The lucuma sounds interesting....I keep reading good things about this fruit but have never come across it for sale.

Does anyone know where you can buy a lucuma fruit tree in Oz? Any plans at Daleys to sell this fruit tree?

Rich
www.happyearth.com.au

lynne says...
Julie
At the open garden, there were one or two small lucuma plants there. I think they flourish in the part of Peru that has similar climatic conditions to Melbourne, so they should do well here. The hard thing now is getting the plant itself.

juanita says...
Goji berry plants are also for sale here in one of the nurseries in Werribee.Same price as in Gardenworld..Im glad that i can get it here w/c saves me the trip to Sprinvale...I got babaco but it's not fruiting yet.

Anonymous says...
Which nursery in Werribee Janita? Have one Goji growing, wouldn't mind getting another couple seeing it's doing well here. Have tried growing them from seeds taken out of dried fruit in packs from supermarket, but never got any to germinate.

juanita says...
To anonymous,
You can get it from grevilla nursery. You can find their phone no in the phonebk...I usually find goji berries in the health food shops not in the supermarket...Which supermarket is selling goji berries?...W/ regards to fertiliser, w/c is the best for goji berry ?

juanita says...
This is my small potted goji berry w/c i bought few wks ago...I'll be quite happy if it survives thru this winter.

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juanita says...
I wonder what type of fertilizer might help to initiate fruits set quickly for goji & how much chilling hours it needs?

Tran says...
Yes, I did try it twice, a couple of years apart. I had some fruits each time but They later died in the second year at winter time.

Tran says...
I did have mine in pot, The first time cover the leaves and the soil. The second time just cover the soil with plastic sheet. Both were under shelter at winter time. They lost all their leaves after first winter, did not come back the second year.

Anonymous says...
Has anyone tried growing Panama berries in Melb?

Tran says...
Juanita,

YES, it is a very easy plant to manage. you can put in the ground or in a pot no prob. They cope well with cold weather and produce fruit quickly too.

Mary says...
Hi Dave - I have a Japanese Raisin tree about the same age. I'm in the Yarra Valley. I got it from Yamina Rare Plants and the guy there told me he sold one to a woman in Doncaster and it fruited after three years. It is a beautiful tree and seems to weather both cold winters and hot dry summers.

juanita says...
Hi! Tran & Rob,
These cape gooseberries taste kind of tart to me..Does it get any sweeter if we leave the berries on the vine for a bit longer? How do you normally eat these berries?
Covered all my nanas, indian guava, curry leaf, young mandarin & babaco as frost was forecasted tonight, while potted white sapote's seedlings, drumstick tree & macademia's are all kept in the gh w/ my orchids.
Rob, sorry to hear your jackfruit didn't make it...will you try another one?

Anonymous says...
Hi Lynne,
Yes, l uncover the trees every morning. I cover them just before dark at night and uncover in the mornings. I did use a frost protection material l bought on a roll from Bunnings... like a thick tissue, but it ripped off every time the wind hit it. I live on a very windy hill, so had to go for thick plastic out of desperation. Clear plastic on north and west side, black woven weed mat on other 2 sides. Seems to collect a bit of warmth being black.
No fruit on bananas yet. Have dwarf Red Dacca growing outside and 6 other varieties in tubs under a polythene tunnel.
Juanita, my cape gooseberries always taste a bit tart too. And l have a seedling jackfruit in the tunnel house to repace the dead one, but it's not looking too flash right now either :-(
Maybe a bit too much to ask of Ballarat's winter climate.

Steven says...
Hi

A few months ago i was asking if anyone knew where i could obtain some cacao seeds from and a few people asked me if i got any to let them know how they go.

Finally after a lot of searching I found a farm that was willing to send me a couple of pods I planted them about a month ago and now almost all of them have grown. I keep them inside in polystyrene boxes and put boiling water in milk cartons to keep them warm. So far most of them are developing leaves and hopefully they will keep on growing. There are pictures of the seedlings below.

One thing however that I found very interesting was that i placed the leftover seeds in a box outside on top of the hot water until which at most keeps the temperature at the low twenties however even with record low weather for may there are now 16 seeds that have already germinated (but are growing much slower that the ones inside) and are just starting to produce leaves. It would be very interesting to see how they go too.

Regards

Steven

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Ajay says...
Hi Steven,

Wow!, Would you consider trading 1 coacoa seedling with a guava seedling?

Ajay says...
Hi Rob,

Curry leaf are a bit particular with their env before they decide to germinate. But I think I have got it down pat. Use any free draining potting mix, though, I suggest you microwave it on high for about 2-3 minutes.
I use a heated bed of sand to maintain the soil temperature at 22-24 Deg C, and always keep the soil moist.
One more thing I learnt through experimentation, is that the seeds need bright light to germinate faster - cant understand why as they are under the soil level anyway.
I have just germinated 5 seedlings which range from 1" to 4" in height.
Once established, and by this I mean about 12"+ in height, they can survive under shade cloth in winter in a terracota pot - I havent tried keeping them in the ground without cover - too scared of the frost getting them !
Hope this helps.

juanita says...
Hi Ajay,

How do you heat up the bed of sand to maintain 22c up soil temp? Im thinking of putting my newly acquired Pandanus A on that kind of bed to keep the soil warm.
I have 2 curry leaf plants ( both are seedlings), 1 in ground w/c is over half a metre tall & still growing leaves in this cold weather (2nd winter)...The 2nd potted curry leaf plant was given to me as a gift from Qld is about 7-8 inches tall, is in my mini gh (1st winter)...Im amazed that they thrive very well in our frosty cold Melb winter.

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Steven says...
Hi

I would like to ask everyone if they know how well tropical tree's cope outside during our melbourne winters.

I have quite a few small trees in pots which are close to the house which gives them some warmth and shelter and so far they seem to be coping well however the coldest months are approaching and I'm a little concerned.

I have
1 dwarf caverndish banana
4 coffea arabica
4 mango's
2 guava's
6 pineapples

The most of the tree are still growing (although very slowly) and apart from a little damage from when they were delivered and a little hail damage on the pineapples they seem ok. they are all sheltered from wind and frost so I think they will be ok but if anyone knows how they cope during winter please let me know....Thanks

Hi Ajay.

Where did you get your cinnamon from, I've been looking for a cinnamonum verum but haven't had much luck so far.

Yeah i wouldn't have a problem trading a cacao, although I already have 2 guava's and I wouldn't suggest trading them anytime soon. I would probably wait until towards the end of the year so they get a little bigger (I usually expect around half of the seeds I plant to die). I wouldn't want to trade you something thats just going to die a month later.

Regards

Steven

Tran says...
Hi Steven,

My coffee arabica has been in a small pot for 5 years (50 cm tall). I have not covered it in winter at all. I thought I lost it last year but new shoots came back this year so I think yours would be ok. The same with banana. With pineapple I shelter them every year under veranda until November and make sure no watering from the top because the cold and the water in the rossete will kill the plant. In fact I don't water them at all during that time. I have fruits every year by forcing them to flowers after 18 months.
I tried to plant pineapple in the garden and they did not make it due to the cold and wet winter soil.

Good luck

Steven says...
Hi Tran

Thanks for that, the coffee trees should be ok then, they are the only ones i am really concerned about.

I planted two pineapples in the garden during summer and so far they are ok but not the best. the hot sun weakened one during summer and it hasnt really recovered and now their leaves are burnt from hail. But i spread some dynamic lifter around them and they seem to have picked up a bit so hopefully they'll be ok.

During the growing season I would feed my tropical plants seasol and fish emulsion once a week and they seem to respond very well to that. they all grew quite well and looked very healthy. A stong tree would obviously be much more resistant to everything, including climate. So i though id point that out.

Regards

Steven

Anonymous says...
Hi Steven,
Regarding tropical plants outside - I live just outside Ballarat, so you know how cold that gets. Colder than Melbourne. Banana doing well but covered with polythene tunnel, no heat. One planted outside needs cover and flower pot with candle during frost. Hawaiian and indian guava thriving without warmth, just an old sheet thrown over plants on clear nights. Jaboticaba, white sapote, macadamia, custard apple all outside in open with cover on cold nights. So far ok. Mango and canistelle ok outside with flower pot/ candle and covered with sheet. Rollinia, dragon fruit, grumichama, rose apple, Brazilian cherry outside in unheated poly tunnel and ok. Jackfruit doing well until -2 then dropped dead.

Anonymous says...
The Jacks not worth it and will grow to tall. Try some paws, star apples, star fruit instead. John
I have had thge same problems.

Steven says...
Hi everyone

I had an idea the other day and i thought i would share it with everyone here in case anyone was interested. I was thinking of how your could cheaply and easily keep young tropical trees warm during winter and i thought a good way to do this would be to build a simple greenhouse (four stakes and a plastic sheet) but build it in a way as to incorporate your hot water unit inside the greenhouse. The hot water unit would then provide a constant supply of heat and humidity with out having to buy a heater or worry about maintaining a burner and would not cost you any extra as your hot water unit would be running anyway.

You could even build a proper greenhouse and design it in a way as to put you hot water unit inside it as a heat source.

Anyway i just thought id share that with everyone....let me know what you think of the idea.

Thanks

Steven

Marg says...
Steven, I built a little poly house next to my gas heater it is a high efficiecy and blows steam all the time so I figure that the warmth and humidity will keep things ticketty poo in pots over winter...heres hoping..trouble is I don't keep the heater on over night...mmmmm
Marg

Anonymous says...
Hi Steven,
Rob here - for some reason l keep coming up as anonymous :-(
I think we spent about $220 for the poly pipe for the frame, but bought a whole roll, so probably enough for 2 more the same size. The plastic cover was $18 a metre, but is about 7 or 8 metres wide (called igloo plastic) and is uv stabilised to last for many years. The shadecloth was left over from another project, and we only had to buy a small piece to finish it. Already had the steel droppers, and they were the taller ones, so we could belt them well down into the soil for stability. Used second hand bricks for the raised beds, and they were free. had to buy a couple of bags of cement powder and a small load of gravel for the path. I guess all up it's cost about $400 - $500. Could have used cheaper plastic, but didn't come in that width and didn't want to have to replace it after a short while. It's about 8 metres long, about 4 metres wide, and about 2.5 metres high (or taller).
Wanted a big inside area so temperature fluctuations were not as rapid. It stays warm even on frosty nights, and the young mangos, my babaco, bananas etc haven't suffered without added heat. The raised soil beds seem to hold a bit of the warmth in.

If you buy the agricultural pipe for the frame, make sure it's wide enough bore to go over the droppers. About 2.5 inches l think from memory

If ever you up this way you're more than welcome to come check it out.

And, can anyone tell me if Canistelle will come back if they get defoliated?
The candle went out under the flower pot during a pretty heavy frost. It's still got a branch at the base of the plant with leaves, but a bit burnt at the tips, and the whole top of the tree has lost it leaves and looking a bit miserable.

And a question about Golden Fruit of the Andes... only a small plant, but the leaves nearly all dropped off, and looks a bit soft and dark at the tips. Anyone know if they go completely dormant in winter? think it will come back again?
Cheers,
Rob

Anonymous says...
Hi Steve,
I got the poly pipe at a rural store here in Ballarat. Think it was Bridges and Wade in Latrobe St. They sell all sorts of agricultural pipes and tanks etc. Was cheaper to buy the whole roll than just by the metre. We usually get our droppers from Elders Rural Supplies here in Ballarat. Think they are about $8 from memory for the tallest size. But we already had them from a fence we pulled down, so didn't have to add that to the cost. They tunnel plastic came from Gay's Hardware in Gillies St Ballarat. They usually have it on a roll and cut off whatever you need. That and the pipe frame were the most expensive items. The pine straps we used to stabilise the top and sides were about $2 a 2 metre length from a demolition yard.

Cheers
Rob

Rob says...
That will be interesting Ajay.
Rob

Anonymous says...
Why?

juanita says...
I think guava leaves have healing properties coz i remember the old folks back home use it for cleaning cuts/wounds...Boil the leaves & use the liquid as disenfectant.

Steven says...
Hi Rob.

Thanks alot for that information. i will definitely look into that. I didnt think about using poly pipe.

Julie, why dont you buy a couple guava trees. They grow fine in melbourne, youll have nice fruit and all the leaves you want. They arent hard to get. Daleys has them and im sure plenty of nursery around have them also.

Steven

Rob says...
Does it have to be a particular type of guava? Have Hawaiian and Indian here. Interesting to find another use for it. Would be welcome to my leaves Julie, but only very small trees as yet.
Rob

Ajay says...
Hi All,
Does anyone know about mamoncillo (Melicoccus bijugatus) in terms of where a plant/seed material can be obtained, or whether anyone has a plant from which a cutting can be made ?

Ajay says...
Hi Tran,

I am on the lookout for any seed from the Indian Jujube. Do you have any fruit that I could use ? Thanks.

Ajay says...
Hi Tran,
As you tell from my location, I'm Hoppers crossing which is at the other end. i was wondering if when you had the chance to come accross some Indian Jujube, you could contact me and I could get some off you?
I visit this site regularly.

Ajay says...
Thanks for that Tran !

Tran says...
I had mine for 3 years and it was getting smaller every year and at the end did not survive even though I covered the soil in winter and it was under black cloth

Tran says...
In my neiboughood, 1 km apart there are two houses with this tree. One, a hass tree with lots of fruit and the other a fuette with a mix of cocktail and normal fruits.It proves that you don't need two. people said that if you have two varieties then the chance to have more fruit is much better. I hope that help.

lynne says...
justjuice
Lucuma has been described as having a similar taste to canistel. Problem is finding the Lucuma plant. If you don't already have it - Louis Glowinsky's book has in depth information about fruits that can be grown in Melbourne.

Tran says...
You are welcome. I think you may need to read this piece pf info. I investigated and found hass and fuette or Shawill are compatible in term of flowering time/momth. I have 2 trees in 1 hole: hass and fuette.

Good luck.

lynne says...
Steven
I've found a couple of places that may have some of the materials you're looking for (at discount prices). If you want to email me cclynne@gmail.com I can go into further details

Tran says...
Thanks for the hints Steven. I will apply to my summer vine soon.

Anonymous says...
Hope you enjoy your move, but not everyone can uproot and move across the country. Some of us just have to stay put and battle with the cold - l enjoy a challenge anyway.

Rob

Tran says...
Those seeds are not in season any more. You have to wait until next year around March onward.

Janet Cheriton says...
Macadamia growers in Melbourne...which cultivars are you growing please? I'm confused about which one may be most reliable here.
Any advice much appreciated, and do I need two?

Kate says...
I have a dwarf cavendish banana tree I bought before winter. It has been frost damaged and the leaves are now limp and going brown & black. Anyone know if it can be rescued the stem is still looking fairly healthy. Now the weather is warming up, I have my fingers crossed. It's about 60cm tall.
Any advice appreciated.
Regards,
Kate

Margaret says...
re macadamia growers of Melbourne
I am growing A14
and they are loving it at the moment...huge amount of rich new growth with this luverly rain we are getting!!!!
there are 3 old trees locally and the one that is hard pruned to 3 metres is the best cropper...it is also in the full blast of sun.

My bananas luckily do not go black but they do look very ordinary...hower not to fret, as I know by November they will be growing big green banana leaves again.
And if you have been following this thread, my clove treeling has survived the winter!!!!!!

Kirst says...
Hi...I have been reading the banana post on this forum with interest. I had a small banana 'forest' growing along a fence in my yard last year but chopped it down because it was invading my other fruit trees. Not sure what the variety is as it was planted before I moved in. I have lived in this house for 6 years now and they have fruited every year but the bananas are very small and only a few in each bunch ripens (they did taste good but I still couldn't pick the variety). My neighbour covered his bunches in black plastic bags so this might help the whole bunch ripen better. My experience is that as far as backyard food crops they are not the most productive for the space they take up though (leaves are good for steaming with...)

Kirst

Rob says...
Hi Siva,
Red Dacca were available during summer from Woolworths, Kmart, Bunnings, Dahlsen's hardware, and a few local nurseries here. Originally marketed as "Cool Bananas" and came from Humphris wholesale nursery in Mooroolbark... have the address listed in previous post way up near the top of this page

Banana planted outside had cover blown off in storm a few weeks ago, then got snowed on - looking mighty dead :-(

The ones in the poly tunnel are doing ok, few brown leaves, but new growth coming on them with the few warm spring days we've had.

Candle burnt to ground under the pot l had warming the canistelle, and set fire to the mulch - cremated it :-(

Mango still with leaves, macadamia thriving, jaboticaba, white sapote, and guavas all alive and well...curry leaf lost a few leaves, but shooting again. Snow didn't kill as much as l thought it would have

babaco lost it's last leaf this week, but looks like it's going to shoot again
Guess l need to cut the top off now and strike cuttings?

Rob

Janet Cheriton says...
Margaret, Thanks. I've been advised to grow A4, but still feel uneasy. Any difference between your cultivar and A4 do you think?

Jantina says...
Hi Kirst, yes I live at Caroline (below Mt. Gambier) but my sister lives in Ringwood and we visit every so often.Thank you very much for your kind offer I would like to take you up on it.My email is jantinarohde@activ8.net.au thanks Jantina

Margaret says...
Hi Janet oops mine is A4 They are brilliant..

And thank goodness the real icy cold seems to have gone, and cross fingers no losses at all this year thanks to the poly house and heater advice.

Now I am about to plant the sugar cane which is shooting etc.
I can put it where it will always be damp but shady for much of the day or sunny all the time but will need water..
any advice??

And my avocadoes are touching the ground with so much flower on them
Has anyone grown dragon fruit? what conditions do they like..
cheers Marg

Margaret says...
Thanks Tran and I'll give the dragons a whirl as well in the same spot...it is very warm and I should be able to keep it most as well..

Jason says...
Jantina, I could cut you a sucker off a Lady Finger banana. It probably will fruit, but it's not IDEAL for Mount Gambier. I have a few other much better cold climate varieties but I wont be able to offer you anything from those for a couple of years at least

Tran says...
Hi Thao,

I bought 2 trees from Daleys at the same time. One of them gave me plenty of fruit (between 10 to 50 fruits each time) a couple of times in Summer. the other had a very light crop in the first couple of years. Last year I think it was my fault to give them too much lime and the one that had heavy crop did not survive. I now have only one left and that one has started given me more fruit then before.
It is in a big pot but I suppose to replace some of the soil every couple of years and I have not done so. It may be the reason one of them did not make it because I gave both the same amount of lime. Then again I am not sure. I know for sure that if you don't replace the soil, salt left over from fertiliser would kill them.
They only produce flowers starting from October and finish about April. The more water you give it the more flowers they produce. their flowers are very beautiful. Please note that 95% of them don't set fruit but it is OK because I just want to have some because I missed them. I used to eat lots when I was young in my home town.
I will post photos later.

Thao says...
Hi Tran,

I wonder how long it'll take the plant to produce fruit and what kind of fertiliser you give the plant. Does the plant need a lot of sun? It's a lot of questions, isn't it?

Anyway, thank you for your information. Look forward to seeing the photo of your plant.

Thao

Margaret says...
Oh I forgot the sugar cane survived the winter perfectly. It was a new plant in late autumn, hey and the cats love chewing the new shoots.

Marg

Tran says...
Hi Thao,
I bought my jujube trees (one on the ground) from
PERRY'S FRUIT and NUT NURSERY
McLaren Flat, South Australia 5171
PH 08 8383 0268 Fax 08 8383 0503
email perrys@adelaide.on.net
Daleys don't sell them. I bought $35 per tree but I think it is now about $100 plus delivery cost.

The Jujube tree is now in 80cm in diameter pot. The Acelora tree is in 55 cm pot, so far it has been under shade cloth so if I change to bigger pot it may not fit under the cloth so I may have to change the soil instead.
With Chinese jujube I never saw fresh ones in VN. The one we have in VN is Indian jujube which is now declared weed in QLD. The chinese variety I have is very cold hardy. It could stand up to -2c and always under full sun. I give them some fertilizer once a year and some water, that is all.
Good luck and I am sure you can grow them in Sysney because Melbourne is much colder.

Ajay says...
Hi Thao,

Could you please post me some of the seed, I have tried to get the Indian Jujube here in Melbourne, but have been unsuccessfull. I only get the Chinese jujube which I am not interested in. In India we ge the exact same jujbe you are talking about in VN.

Please let me know what your postage costs are. I would be interested in 20 seeds If you can please.

Thanks

Anonymous says...
Hi Jason, Thankyou for the very kind offer which I will definitely be taking you up on.Apologies for the delay in responding, we are currently in Japan with some students of my husbands karate school and this is the first time I have been near a computor for 10 days, they are all at evening training and this is my opportunity to get my fruit forum fix.I would be very interested to know what else you are successfully growing at Portland, I was talking to a man from there over winter and he said he got some light frosts there, do you?Maybe I can swap you something for a banana sucker?I have yacon, root vegetable, or occa a root vegetable too.We are staying at Okayama which is a fairly large city.The climate has 4 distinct seasons but it is more extreme than at home,and the summer is not only hot but very humid, nevertheless I see things growing here that also grow at home e.g. persimmon.There is lots of evidence of keen food growers here with rice paddies on any vacant spot,they also have lots of taro growing and what looks like a variety of winter greens starting off.Unfortunately my Japanese leaves a lot to be desired and the gardeners do not speak much English so its hard to get much detail. I found a fruit on a stall yesterday which is about 12 cm long ,shaped like a slightly lumpy oval,and mauve/purple in colour, inside it has a slightly bitter pith and inside that a sweet pulp somewhat like a passionfruit only its colourless and lacks the passionfruit tang, quite palatable though.The seeds look like passionfruit seeds.So far no Japanese people have been able to recognize and name it for me, so if this rings a bell for anyone please let me know what it is.Thanks again Jason and I will contact you when we get back. Jantina

Pacific Islander says...
Has anyone had success growing Pacific Taro and if so, grateful if you will share some tips on cultivation.

Ajay says...
Hi Thao,

Sorry, I should have mentioned but I would pay for the fruit as well... ;-)

Steven says...
Hi Everyone

I just got back from my trip to Europe, it was amazing up there, and it was funny to see bananas growing almost throughout Italy. It sad to see how wasteful we are in Australia with our land though. All you see in Europe is beautiful country side of, vines, olives, and fresh produce. in Australia all you can find is dead grass and a few cows.

My trees are looking quite good, (ive got, 4 coffee, 3 mango, 2 avacado, 2 guavas, a banana, 6 pineapples, and cacao seedlings). Ive read that many people's have died or died back almost completely. I had most of mine up against the west side of my house under a bit of shade and sheltered from strong winds but still in a quite open space and other than looking a bit weathered they all are fine. I think the best thing to do is water and fertilize them heaps during the growing season that way they can 'fatten' up for winter (like an Alaskan bear). I give them a weekly dose of seasol and liquid fertilizer during the growing season and water them almost every day, i also use manure a few times a year.

Also I would like to ask if anyone knows of where i can buy a kit to grow Porcini mushrooms??

Thanks

Steven

Jon says...
"They grow easily in Melbourne. Just plant them straight away rather than growing in a pot for too long. Mine are in their third year and have one fruit each (Bacon and Gwen)"

Wow, that's exactly what I want to grow. I know that I can get Bacon avocados from Daley's or other nurseries you listed but where can I get gwen? Did you have to ship yours in?

How are they growing together?

Thanks

Damian says...
Went to have a look yesterday, it's corner dundoon court and police road.

They are fairly expenssive per plant, for example i think their lychees were $45, but worth your while if you only want 1 plant so as not to fork out $30 in delivery costs from daleys.

Tropicals caught my eye were lychees, 2 very small longan and lots of dragon fruits. They also have very large about 2mtr tall grafted bowen mangos, didn't check price. Large collection of persimmon (asians luv persimmons and the owners appear to be mainland chinese). Apart from these, nothing more tropical, lots of common citrus and lots of fancy pots for chinese gardens. Glad to see a nursery that don't stock apples and stone fruits.

liem says...
Hi,
Just to add to the forum what I have tried for 2 years with tropical plants from Daleys. I live in Geelong, Geelong is a little colder than Melbourne. I have bought 7 guavas red and white variety ranging from 20cm to 2 m tall. They all survive Winter well and are thriving now. My 4 poincianas (1/2 m tall) are all dead except 1 is recovering with lots of young leaves. My 2 mangoes and longans all 1.5 m tall live through winter and are now taller with branches coming out. All Ambarellas are dead. My only one jackfruit orange crispy seems to be quite tough, it lost part of its leaves but starts growing again since September. My bananas and pineapple are OK, both get taller and have new leaves since November. I have no luck with malay apples. all dead.
I have them in small pots covered in plastic under the front veranda. No heating provided. Half of my tropical plants are now in Horsham Victoria. All do well in the green house. I am most surprised to see the jackfruit alive. Winter was nasty.

Cheers
Liem

Maha says...
Ajay,

My curry leaf plant is on the ground for the last 7 years. No issues with melbourne winter. During winter time, the leaves may drop or turns into yellow.

Are you growing Drumstick in a pot? What do you do during winter time?

Cheers
Maha

juanita says...
My in ground young curry leaf tree is taking off nicely w/ new leaves coming out...

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Ajay says...
Hi Maha,

Unfortunately all my drumstick have died - my seed did not sprout as well. :(

I am now trying to get some drumstick seed but without much success

Nice one ! about the curry leaf being in the ground for 7 years !

-cheers
Ajay

Ajay says...
Hi Bhagya,

I got my seed from the Footscray market in melbourne. My seedlings are 18 months old but only 5 inches tall !. The chikku I got is the real thing. I'll see if I can get chikku seed for you. Do you have any interesting tropical seed ?
Cheers-
Ajay

Hayden says...
Thanks for your helpful advice, i'm going to purchase a brewing heater and wrap my plants in plastic like you did, with the heater adding extra heat. Have you had flowers/fruit?

Thanks,
Hayden

Hayden says...
Brewing heaters are inexpensive to run and you can get them at brewing shops. Alternitively you could use an aquarium heater, but i dont know if it would HAVE to be immersed in water. They cost $20-30 and you can purchase one from

Geelong Home Brewing Supplies
164 Bellerine Street
Geelong, VIC, 3216
Telephone: 03 5221 3985
Fax: 03 5221 3985

Hayden

Damian says...
Hi,

This is a question for Tran or anyone in Melbourne.

Has anyone had success with carambola and Jackfruit in Melbourne?

Ellen says...
Tran,

how old was acerola before it giving you edible fruits ?

I've got mine last year, and so far it giving me 2x flowers sets, but it kept falling off, couldn't set fruit after the bloom . And I am down here in Sydney, so it's a bit warmer than in Vic.

Ellen says...
Thanks for the prompt answer Tran,

yes I'll try your recommendation. And Yes, mine is in a 50cm pot as well, and so far it has grown 3x bigger than when I got it from Daleys back last Sept 08.
Do you prune it back Tran ?

wanderer says...
Hi ...

I am very very interested in growing Lychee and Longan Trees in Clayton Melbourne.

But this is something I only want to start if they actually do 'fruit', 'ripens' and can be consumed . . .

Being that the high price to pay and that the time to wait is so long . . .
has anyone really has these 2 fruits trees that do exactly that . . .

Please understand that I luv these 2 fruits and if I cannot eat its fruits,
I will have to choose to grow a different fruit trees.

I have been to the new nursery on Police Road, does anyone know when they will have 20% off again ? . . . I missed the openning special . .

wanderer says...
Tran,

Thanks for the info.
I will probably give it (lychee & longan) a miss now.

But I got thinking right now . .what if I were (desparate) to build a greenhouse for the lychee & longan.

Would they have a better chance of fruiting and ripening for consumption ?

Another question: Over the weekend, I saw at Bunnings Nunawading a couple of mango trees . . would they fruit(and ripen) in Melbourne ?

Jantina says...
Wanderer I'm going to have a go with longan,mango etc in a glasshouse here at Mt. Gambier but I am going to grow them in those dwarfing growbags (Daleys sell them ) and keep them pruned. So far they are doing very well in a three quarters north facing enclosed verandah.The longans ,wampees, green sapote etc have all grown about 6-8 inches in 6 weeks.

Jantina says...
No I haven't tasted it Damian.Daleys list it as hardier than the Mamey sapote and a superior flavour. If anyone out there has green sapote growing experience and or tasted one please enlighten us.

wanderer says...
Ok,
I think I better verify this information(assumption) then.

I was informed by a certain nursery that sells them (wink wink) that once the lychee or longan trees reached 5 feet tall, they will be strong enough to handle the frost.

Naturally, I assume that they will fruit and ripen from then on, being accustomed with Melbourne weather.
(and that means the greenhouse can be dismantled after that because it would be of no need at all after that)

Is my assumption wrong ?

Also, I heard from someone many years ago, that there are certain tricks to make Longan trees flowers (therefore fruits). . .and it is by 'stressing' it.

Unfortunatley, I was at an age where growing things was never in my mind (I was renting too) and had never asked how it was done !!

Anybody know how to 'stress' a fruit tree ?

Thanks

wanderer says...
Thanks Tran . . again.

Didn't know it was that simple.

Anyhow, was my assumption correct ?
I mean that once they are 5 feet+ tall,
they won't require a greenhouse and they would grow as they should in a tropical climate . . . meaning they will fruit and bear edible fruits.
Also, they won't need 'stressing' to bust into flowers (then fruits) and then they will ripen properly ?

Sorry, many questions. I really like
to make this a success if i do start it.

Thanks in advance . .!!

bhagya says...
Hi Ajay, Thanks for your reply. I don't have any other tropical trees. I am simply in love with the Indian chikku. I've since purchased two seedlings from Daleys Fruit, SAPODILLA, Manilkara zapota. I have my fingers crossed that they will grow in Tilba, where there is no frost. I'm also hoping that what I've purchased is the very same chikku I'm after.
So good to read what you all are growing!
Good luck with it!

Asha says...
Hi Bhagya,

I too love the Indian chikku. Do keep us posted on whether this is the Indian chikku - it seems to be from the description online.

I have recently acquired a drumstick plant as well as a dwarf mulberry from Daley's. I love the eggplant and drumstick sambhar, and there is nothing as good as fresh drumstick! The plant is flowering, so will have to wait and see if it bears any fruit.

Also has anyone grown Amla (gooseberry) in Melbourne?

Tran says...
Hi Steven,

Yes I have been growing them sucessfully in pot in Melbourne and the fruit size is about a very small honey dew. I had to force them to flower.

I lost a big tree in pot once because of the cold and it got rotten.

Since then I hide them under cover when winter comes and only bring them out around November.

Good luck.

Tran

David Johnson says...
Hi Mei,

The White Sapote is not related to the Mamey sapote.It's fruit is roughly round, the size of an orange but with a paper thin light green skin. The consistancy of the fruit is like ripe avocado and it tastes like a sweet watery custard.
The fruit contains several large seeds which germinate very easily. There are many know varieties which produce different tasting fruit.

I bought my grafted trees from Daleys.
I now have several varieties and plan on grafting multiple varieties to my seedlings. It is important to have at least one variety which has flowers that produce pollen. Not all varieties do. Ortego and Vernon varieties produce plenty of pollen. But do not have the best flavour.

Tran says...
Hi David,

It would be nice if you could give me some hints on how to detach small plantlets out of my jujube please. my little ones are only about 6 cm(2 inches) from the main trunk.

Is it a difficult job to remove the lettle ones?

Many thanks in advance.

Tran

Tran says...
Hi David,

Many thanks for your useful advice. I am very much appreciated.

Mine is in the pot and the little one is quite close to the mother plant so for now I will probably wait for another planlet to come up hopefully it will be far away from its mother and try to remove and graft according to your instructions.

Tran

Steven says...
Hi Honlou

R2E2 Mangos would probably be the most cold tolerant variety that you could get. Even still however you should protect them from frost when they are young. They are quite nice, however Kensington Pride (Bowen) Mangoes are still much nicer and you can still have success growing them, especially under cover, even under a pergola with a clear plastic roof to let the light through. I know a guy who is growing one in half a wine barrel and it has fruited. so i would suggest getting both varieties.

As for growing in pots, i think it would be best to grow them in a large pot when they are young, then transplant them in a warm spot in the ground. That way you can move them to warmer places when they are young depending on the weather. Keep in mind though that they grow to a large tree (30m in their natural climate). so growing in a pot permanently i dont think would work the best.

Regards

Steven

Les says...
Hi Tran, or any other knowledgeable Yoda, I wrote a while back and asked about curry leaf tree seeds. I eventually found a tree and it is producing seeds. Could you help me in regard to when to harvest the seeds, if they need drying etc and the best time and method for propagating. Or is it better to take cuttings?
Thanks so much for your help

suzanne says...
Does anybody know if Louis Glowinski is having a open day at his garden this year and where he actually lives.

Honlou says...
thanks for the info Steven, think i saw a bowen at our local bunnings last week.
No one had mentioned before how big they can get ,thats certainly food for thought!!
honlou

Steven says...
Hi Honlou

Thats fine, i hope you found my information helpful. to be honest i dont think they would get that big in our climate though and if they did it would take a long time. But even growing it in a large pot or pruning it when it starts to get big would be fine i think. I guess it just depends on your situation and how badly you want to grow them. if you do plant one in your backyard though make sure you put it in a warm sheltered spot because i think you would get colder winters in Bendigo that where i live.

But once they get a bit bigger to be higher than the frost i think it will do fine.

Steven

Jess says...
Hi everyone,

New to this forum, I am very keen on growing tropical fruits in Melbourne and have been following up on this thread. So keen that I just placed an order for 9 plants. Is it possible to get an update on how your plants are doing & also if you can upload some current photos.

Thanks,
Jess

Rob says...
Hi Jess,
Have had some luck keeping the following alive in Ballarat area with some cover during the heavy frost periods - no fruit yet, but plants are still young, and growing ok.

Red Dacca banana, dwarf Cavendish banana
Jaboticaba
Avocado Wertz and Bacon
Mango R2E2
Macadamia
japanese Raisin tree was thriving until kangaroos ate it :-(
Indian Curry leaf
Hawaiian Guava, Indian Guava
Finger Lime
White sapote
Grumichama
Galangal ginger
Wampi
Dragon fruit
Cheers
Rob

Jess says...
My plants have arrived!
You can imagine my excitement as I came home & saw the boxes.
I must say that I’m pretty happy with Daley’s services: 2days for delivery & the plants were in excellent condition when arrived.

I am happy to say that I now have: Wampi, Avocado - Bacon (B), Guava Hawaiian, Sapodilla, Soursop, Longan, Acerola Cherry, Star Apple & Wax Jambu.
These plants seem to be popular here so I thought they will have a better rate of success.
I will be putting them in the pots this weekend & placed in a sunny & shelter area – away from the frost & wind.
Now the key thing is to have them survive through Melbourne’s Autumn & Winter (wish me luck). hehehe

I am so impressed by how many dedicated people are actually growing tropical fruits/plants in Melbourne!

Cheers,
Jess

Carol says...
Hi Tran, I am interested in getting a jujube plant--I understand they can be propagated from suckers....do you have any you can spare? We can do a plant swap..as I have other fruiting plants,

Martin says...
can i plant custard apple seeds now and in waht location ?

Jantina says...
Indian jujube and Cninese jujube are quite distinctly different. Zizyphus jujuba is the Chinese and Zizyphus mauritiana is the Indian so Ajay is quite correct. I'm not familiar with chiku.

Steven says...
Haha here is the link

http://www.judyofthewoods.net/lamp.html

Steven says...
Hi

I just wanted to know if anyone knows of a simple way to raise the humidity of a small greenhouse (650 x 450 x 1600). at 25C humidity reads at about 60% which is ok (not good) but during the day the temperature raises to about 35C and the humidity drops to about 20-30% which is way to low. I am trying to grow cacao seedlings in there and they need high humidity and are very fussy, however i cant sit there all day monitoring it so if anyone knows of a way I can keep the humidity at about 80% that would be a great help.

Thanks

Steven

Steven says...
Hi Peter how are you?

Yes I've placed a polystyrene box full of water on one of the lower trays and put maybe 10 rags half in the water and half out to increase surface area. It does seem to help but it still doesn't keep the humidity even above 50% once it warms up.

Thanks

Steven

Carol says...
Tks Tran,good luck with your furit growing and do let me know if you find a reasonable priced source of chinese jujube plant...have you tried germinating the seeds from the dried jujubes from the chinese grocery stores?

Sherly says...
can some one please provide me with the above list

thanks