Dekka's Edible Backyard

Joined: 26/11/08 Updated: 29/09/09 Frost: Low
Location: Wallsend, NSW, AU

About My Edible Backyard

We have a suburban block <800msq. When we moved here six years ago the back yard was mainly planted with an assortment of declared weeds dominated by a Camphor Laurel and a Coral Tree. After their removal I mapped the shade that was cast  by neighbouring trees on our back yard at morning, midday and afternoon for each season. Our  concept was to create an edible mini-forest with Australian bush tucker plants but we have also included exotic fruits and plants of interest into the design. The block is sloping and faces South West. The sub-soil is mainly shale/clay with sandy loam on top. pH is slightly alkaline due to the amount of concrete that was scattered throughout the property (I removed more than 19 tonnes). We're not really trying to create an orchard but more of a tranquil room where the kids can play and have a nibble. Photo was shot from our back deck.

Sterculia quadrifida - Peanut Tree

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This tree and a nearby cousin Flame Tree are attacked every year by Bag moth but I leave them alone and the following season the infestation is less severe.

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Have seen this tree growing wild in the Murwillumbah area - is it worth growing? Phil.

Eugenia reinwardtiana

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I've had one fruit from this Cedar Bay Cherry and was a little disappointed. I think I have a poor variety; football shaped and very lean. Not like the plump fruit in Cath from Cowongla's picture.

Custard Apple - Seedling

Rose Myrtle

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Not growing very well. i think the rd leaf margins might be a deficiency.

Cherimoya - Seedling

Apple - Dwarf Granny Smith

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In same hole as Pinkabelle for pollination.(GS on the right)

White Sapote - Hawaiian Supreme

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Sharing hole with 'Lemon Gold for pollination. Hawaiian is heavily infested with brown scale while Lemon Gold is untouched.

Syzygium luehmanii - Riberry

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Beautiful new growth. Thriving in fairly heavy shade.

Mulberry - White Shahtoot

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In two years it has not retained one fruit to ripeness. They all fall off in the wind. However, vegetative growth is amazingly rapid.

Davidson Plum - NSW

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I have two. One is in fairly heavy shade and still grows well.

Dianella revoluta

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Not as tasty as Dianella caerula.

Guava - Strawberry

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Many flowers but no fruit as yet.

Eupomatia laurina - Bolwarra

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Does not enjoy full sun.

Pawpaw - Southern Red

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Grows and flowers very quickly.

Linospadix monostachya - Walking Stick Palm

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Very happy growing around Bangalow palms. Slow for a palm but look great.

Grape - Golden Muscat

Grape - Pink Iona

Cordyline petiolaris - Broad leaved palm lily

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Very attractive, sculptural plants. No fruit as yet.

Cedar Bay Cherry

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See Eugenia reinwardtiana

Syzygium oleosum - Blue Lilly Pilly

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Brown Scale and ants won't leave this plant alone. -Suffering.

Austromyrtus tenuifolius

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Cousin to A. dulcis.

Backhousia citriodora - Lemon scented myrtle

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A great  native plant! Great for cooking, fabulous flowers too.

White Sapote - Lemon Gold

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Sharing hole with 'Hawaiian Supreme'. Seems quite hardy.

Diploglottis australis - Native Tamarind

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Great leaves but slow to take off.

Diploglottis campbellii - Small leaf tamarind

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Seems to grow as well in shade as in full sun.

Lots a Lemon

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Ehretia acuminata - Koda

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Regularly defoliates and regrows leaves. Absolutely sprints off in spring.

Banana - Cavendish

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I learned that lots of rain when it's close to harvest-time will split almost all of the bananas.

Cherry - Stella

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Poorly shaped graft that I naively bought from the hardware shop that starts with a B.

Mango R2E2 Seedling

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 I have three mangoes in one hole (K.P, R2E2 & ?) to reduce their eventual size. All were grown from seed because of their particularly excellent flavour... I'll see what happens.

Alpinia caerulea - Native Ginger

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In culinary terms the rhysome is not a patch on Chinese ginger but an attractive native plant all the same. Looking forward to tasting the fruit.

Pomegranate - Wonderful

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Seedling grown from Wonderful seed. Who knows what I'll get.???

Cape Gooseberry

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Potato beetles decimate these so I get very few fruit but each year another plant appears somewhere in the garden.

Sapodilla - Seedling

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I have seen artificial flowers that grow faster than this. I think it's dead but it doesn't know it.

Jaboticaba - Yellow

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Slow

Pineapple

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Believe it or not, these are growing beside two Apple trees. -Crazy experiment.

Apple - Pinkabelle

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In same hole as Dwarf Granny Smith for pollination.

Dianella caerulea - Blue flax-lily

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Much sweeter than I expected.

Ficus coronata - Sandpaper fig

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Great sweet fruit all year round. Beetles skeletise some leaves but if they want to help with pruning that's OK.

Passionfruit - Panama Red

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This plant was a recent gift grown from seed. Owner said the fruit are as big as cricket balls....Wait and see.

Randia fitzalanii - Native Gardenia

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Attractive looking plants. I'm told fruit is not very nice but will wait and see.

Austromyrtus dulcis - Midjim Berry

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Native lolly bush.

Tetragonia tetraganoides - Warrigal Greens / Native Spinach

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Can't speak highly enough of this plant. It smothers unwanted Wandering Jew, acts as a living mulch and tastes fantastic! 

Grapefruit - Marshs Seedless

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Beaut fruit!

White Sapote - Hawaiian Supreme

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In same hole as Lemon Gold. Hawaiian has problems with brown scale whereas Lemon Gold is untouched.

Jaboticaba

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Grows well, left alone.

Mango - Bowen

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I have three mangoes in one hole (K.P, R2E2 & ?) to reduce their eventual size. All were grown from seed because of their particularly excellent flavour... I'll see what happens.

Giant Lau Lau

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Attractive long leaves. Grows well in shade with little care.

Monstera

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Handling full sun after removal of large tree. Produces many delicious fruit that leave the mouth a little 'itchy'.

Kumquat - Nagami

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Fruit taste like grapefruit/lemon inside with very sweet skin. More seeds than I was expecting.

Finger lime - Rainforest pearl

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Many flowers, no fruit.

Rose Apple

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I have two trees 3metres apart. One grows really well and the other is 1/4 the size of it's brother. One solitary flower last year.

Syzgium paniculata - Magenta Cherry

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I'm growing the Lilly pillys for their fruit but I think maybe this one is an 'Astrale' in sheeps clothing. My other Paniculatum is a cutting from a known local tree that has delicious fruit best described as 'cherry-like'.

Black Sapote

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 I have Bernicker and an unknown seedling. The seedling produced one fruit last season (at three years of age) It grew to golf ball size then dropped.

Acronychia pubescens - Hairy acronychia

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This plant appears to show constant symptoms of iron deficiency but still sends out new growth.

Ceylon Hill Gooseberry - Cutting Grown

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This small plant had been growing well for a bit less than a year when it was trampled and snapped. I rejoined it and secured with masking tape and now it has fully recovered and should bear this year.

Fig White Adriatic

Pepino - Kendall Gold

Macadamia- Home Beauty

Brazilian Cherry

Panama Berry

Melastoma affine - Blue Tongue

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Poor drainage.

Panama Berry

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Frost

Wax Jambu - White

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Frost.

Grumichama - Yellow

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Did not like chook poo.