Rusticular's Edible Backyard

Joined: 26/11/08 Updated: 21/11/10 Frost: None
Location: The Gap, QLD, AU

About My Edible Backyard

Don't have an orchard, just make the best use we can of a suburban block. Heavy clay and sandstone, some subsurface granite/sandstone floaters. Drainage is reasonably good, except during exceptionally prolonged heavy rains (I wish). Use grey water from showers and have a 23000 litre tank. Have access to cow manure, and have poultry. Use bales of sugar cane mulch and occasionally, urea to break it down. 

Lost most of our fruit crop in the tornado November 2008. 2009 looks good so far.

Temps rarely drop below 3deg. but we do get some frost most years - of course this is noticeably all changing more rapidly now. 

Block faces north with larger yard at the rear on the south.

Chinotto - Citrus aurantium var. myrtifolia (Grafted)

Height 2 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 2

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Organic

Comments

Fruit is poor and dry if not regularly watered when fruiting.

CANISTEL, Pouteria campechiana (Seedling)

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Spring

Organic Status:Organic

Dwarf Pumelo Nam Roi (Grafted) ^7/10

Comments: - Variety unknown, lost cultural notes.  Small fruit but very juicy, and a lot sweeter than a grapefruit.

Planted: 2004

Height 4 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 3 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Pruned By: 15% in

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control: Oranic oil for leaf miner, lime spray for white citrus louse.

Passionfruit - Granadilla (Seedling)

Comments: - Passiflora quadrangularis Growing on an east facing fence. Much better this year, has  been allowed to grow into neighbouring trees, harvesting now a problem, no hand pollination needed. Flesh is mildly sweet. Not hand pollinated.

Fruiting Months January, February, March, April, May, June

Planted: 2008

Growing: In the Ground

Fruit Harvest: 10 kilograms per Year

Sun/Shade: Low Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: various

Comments

Can you tell me what your cross pollinator is? Coralie

Hi Coralie, I have Lilikoi, Red and also Yellow Panama. As I do not pollinate by hand, I can't really tell you, but I suspect you may be able to self pollinate it with a small camel hair brush.

Hi Again, Yes we have been hand pollinating - but it hasnt worked at all. keen to try lilikoi, so this just gives me an excuse.. Coralie

I tried pollinating by hand from Lilikoi in teh second year of the Granadilla, but it didn't work. However I suspect the age and size of the Granadilla may play a part, I have three Granadilla planted in close proximity (ca. 2 metres).

Fig - Picone

Planted: 2008

Height 1 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 3 Fruit Per Year

First Fruited: 6 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pruned By: 30% in Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control: Keep in pot in chicken mesh covered chook run to keep pests off. Beetle borers have got in in and destroyed the trunks. 

Mango - Bowen (Seedling) ^5/10

Comments: -

Fruiting Months January, February, March

Planted: 2001

Height 5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 3 Years from purchase in pot

Water Given in: Autumn

Pruned By: 25% in

Pollination: No

When I Fertilise: Never

Pest Control: cue-lure amulet and organic bait spray

Kumquat - Nagami

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Organic

Jakfruit - Black Gold (Seedling)

Height 0.3 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Jakfruit - Gold Nugget (Seedling)

Planted: 2008

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Animal manures, blood

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Jackfruit - Cheena (Seedling)

Comments: - May be a Chempadek cross

Planted: 2010

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: No

Kumquat - Meiwa

Pollination: No

Kumquat - Calomondin

Pollination: No

Passionfruit hybrid (Seedling) ^5/10

Planted: 2007

Sun/Shade: Low Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Pollination: Hand Pollination

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control: seems to need none.

Comments

Has never fruited to date.

White Sapote - Golden Globe (Grafted) ^7/10

Comments: - Lots of flowers, little fruit set. Fruit fly a problem best fruit set 2009.

Fruiting Months January, October, November, December

Planted: 2002

Height 4 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 5 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Pruned By: 15% in

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control: cue-lure amulet for fruit fly and organic protein bait spray

Custard Apple - African Pride (Grafted) ^8/10

Comments: -

(rootstock Annona cherimola)

Fruiting Months March, April, May, June

Height 3 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 10 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 2 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Pruned By: 30% in Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control: pick off caterpillars

Organic Status:Organic

Joppa orange (Grafted)

Comments: - Excellent annual harvest of juicing oranges.

Fruiting Months June, July, August, September, October

Planted: 2001

Height 4 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 40 kilograms per Year

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pruned By: 15% in After Fruiting

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control: Organic%uFFFDWhite oil substitute.  Biggest pest is white citrus  louse which is present  on all our citrus except the citron and the  mandarin.

Lime - Kaffir (Grafted) ^6/10

Comments: - Makrut lime. Regular feed and water. Fruit always drops.

Fruiting Months August, September, October, November, December

Height 1 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pruned By: 10% in Autumn and Winter

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control: organic oil for citrus leaf miner, lime spray for citrus louse

Dwarf Lemonade (Grafted)

Comments: - Slow growth at first, straggly, fruit turns to orange when ripe but can be eaten green skinned. Closer in flavour to orange than lemon when orange skinned. 

Fruiting Months January, February, September, October, November, December

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 3 kilograms per Year

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pruned By: 10% in Autumn and Winter

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Citrus

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control: Organic oil for leaf miner

Organic Status:Organic

Lemon - Lisbon (Grafted) ^4/10

Comments: - Annual prune.  Vigorous growth with water shoots after rain. Very thorny, few fruits. Prone to white citrus louse, leaf miner, and citrus shield bugs. 

Height 5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 2 kilograms per Year

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Pruned By: 20% in After Fruiting

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control: Organic oil, will use lime for louse next year.

Organic Status:Organic

Col de Monte Papaya (Seedling)

Comments: -

Fruit very small and hard. Supplied by Daley's, don't know if it was a seedling of cutting as I didn't look closely at the root system, but presume it to be a seedling.

Fruit set last autumn is still on. Trying to grow seed on from fruit.

Planted: 2008

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Animal manures, urea

When I Fertilise: Spring

Question: Is this species self fertile?

Papayuelo (Seedling)

Comments: - Not at all hardy in our climate (SE Qld), and heavy clay soil. The plant supplied was a male, wasn't aware at the time I bought it that two were required, and it wasn't labelled as a "male" plant. Lost all foliage and top rotted off over winter, starting to grow back new shoots now.

Planted: 2008

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Shade

Water Given in: Spring

Pruned By: 20% in Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Microcitrus australasica - Finger lime

Comments: - Have several, some in pots, some in the ground. Must not be allowed to dry out in pots, otherwise they die..

Planted: 2008

Height 150 Centimetres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 3

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: citrus

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control: none

Jakfruit (Seedling)

Comments: - Killed by frost.

Babaco (Cutting)

Comments: -

Pollination: Self Pollination