Tropical fruit trees successfuly grown in Melbourne

Tran starts with ...
Tran starts with ...
Hi all,

Just to share with you all that I have successfully grown the following fruit tree in Melbourne. I mean having them producing fruit.
In pot, cover soil and shelter in winter : babaco, Bell apple (Malay apple)

In pot and under shelter in winter:, Acerola (Indian cherry)

In pot but outside in garden :wampee, jujubee (I have 2 trees but only the one in the pot producing lots of fruit, the other on the ground fruits
only once in the first season, that it)

On the ground: jaboticaba (after 12 years perhaps I have not given it enough water it needs), white sapote (varieties: ortigon, pyke, venon (very bland)), Asian grapefruit (sweet but a bit of tangy after taste), rose apple, cape gooseberry, Wolf berry, Indian melon (very soft when ripe).

Some other I am still waiting for fruit:
star apple, lychee, longan does produce some fruit but too close to winter so it does not get counted as successfull.

I am interested in other tropical fruit trees you could grow in Melboune

You are invited to add some more.

Cheers

Tran

Correy says...
Hi Tran

We have a Australias Most Popular Plant list.

How this is tabulated is every time someone purchases a plant it counts as 1 vote of popularity for that plant. If they purchase more then 1 of the same variety it still counts as 1 vote to try and keep it fair.

If you wanted to see what are the most popular varieties that people near Melbourne have been. Victoria has a most popular list here:

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/Australia/VIC/

lynne says...
Hi Tran
I found another page tonight - don't know if you've seen this one - i have not yet figured out how their site works and if there's any current posts as this one is a few years old http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/forum/23024.html
Thanks for your tips re guavas. I mentioned guavas as i thought they are one of the easiest tropical fruits to grow. So i now know to get more mature trees where possible. Do you know of other places in Melb to get trees from (as this is a Daley's forum, it may be inappropriate to promote other businesses publicly so if you go to somewhere else other than Daleys and gardenworld, would you mind emailing me at kiteboard@fastmail.fm)? Also, would you be able to name a few trop fruit trees that you found haven't died too easily? I actually love star apples but don't think it's chance of success here is high (and much lower if I was to try).
Thanks
L

Tran says...
Hi Correy,
Many thanks for allowing us to name businesses on this forum. You are very generous.

Hi Lynne,

I saw some 1.5 meter high guava trees in the big KMART in BURWOOD but it was 3 year ago. you could check it out this summer.
Refer to my original post, I found that Jaboticaba, white sapote (grafted) are very hardy if you like to grow them in the ground.

Some friends told me that if you put tropical fruit trees on the ground then only some of those will fruit, the rest may survive if you are lucky.

Most of Mine are in pots. Star apple trees are very big trees by the way.

Take care

Tran

Tran says...
Hi Kath,

Sorry, I mean star fruit not star apple that I refered in my original post. I know we have lots of those in Vietnam. I tasted the white variety last year in Cairns. It was heaven. I agree with you that they are very handsome trees. I want to grow every single tropical fruit tree in my Melbourne garden but there is no more room except for a little bush that I want is Ceylon Hill goosebery .

Take care and good luck to your tree

Tran

Juliana says...
Hi Tran

Are you able to plant annona plant in Melbourne? I am interested in planting a Pink Mammoth or African Pride in Melbourne.

I have been reading a lot about the annona tree but most of the articles says that annonna cannot live in cold high frost location like Melbourne.

Do you know anyone who is successful in annona plant an fruits?
thanks

Anonymous says...

Hi Juliana,
If I was you I would take Kath advice. I have never tried to grow this fruit tree.

My neibough has had Annona tree for quite a few years now and he said it flowers come too close to winter, do set fruits but drop off after few weeks due to cold weather.

Good luck.

Tran

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) :)

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

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 ?

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

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.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

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.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1	Picture: 2

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

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1	Picture: 2	Picture: 3
Picture: 4	Picture: 5	Picture: 6
Picture: 7

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.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1	Picture: 2

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. Jaboti