MerilynWanneroo1's Edible Backyard

Joined:06/08/09 Updated:15/08/10 Frost:
Location: Wanneroo

About My Edible Backyard

I am just starting my own business "Eat Fresh Grow Your Own" in Wanneroo Perth.  At the moment it's just a hobby farm, but my main focus is to teach people how to successfully grow their own organic crops as I believe there is a growing demand and interest in eating healthier, cheaper food than we are getting from the supermarkets.

We have sandy soil and need to add chicken manure, peat, water crystals, lime etc.  The fruit trees I am growing are the Hamlin Orange, Makrut Lime, Eureka Lemon, Imperial Mandarin, Sundowner Nectarine, Wurtz Avocado, Orange Tamarillo, Almond, Granny Smith apple, Pinkerbelle apple, Black Passionfruit, Sultana Grape, Babaco, Wurtz Avocado, Apple Guava, Acerola Cherry, Goji berry, strawberries and Rhubarb.  I am growing herbs, eg. parsley, basil, chives, dill, oregano, mint, lemon balm, lemon thyme, plus garlic, lettuce, kale, spinach, corn, watermelon, rock melon, tomatoes, beetroot, turnips, carrots, potatoes,  pak choy, cucumbers, peas, and beans.

Our annual rainfall for 2008 was 807 mm which was a bit below average.  I have a water tank and soaker hose, so am not restricted by water bans and a mulcher so I make my own mulch when I prune the trees plus I buy  pea straw for mulching the strawberries.

 So far I have written a manual called Clockwork Planting (for Perth) that really helps sort out what to plant and when and there is space to fill in the date and where abouts in the garden each item is planted. 

Comments

Pepino - Kendall Gold

Comments: -

The Pepino grows well in a large black pot surrounded by a trellis to support the fruit, so it doesn't take up much space.  It flowers all year round here in Perth and produces fruit steadily.  If you don't want to pick the fruit, it can be left on the shrub for months without deteriorating.  The Pepino starts producing fruit, about the size of a large apple, in it's first year and is ripe when purple stripes form over the green skin.  . 

When harvesting the fruit, cut the stalk, to protect the plant and the forming flowers.  To prepare the fruit I cut it into quarters and peel the skin back, it slides off quite easily.  The fruit is very juicy and tastes like and is similar in colour to a rockmelon.  It tastes delicious when chilled.

I enjoy growing unusual fruit that I have never seen or tasted before.  I also grow the Goji Berry, a lovely red, sweet berry about the size of the sultana grape that is power packed with nutrition and is very easy to grow.     

Comments

This is the most helpful review I have found anywhere for Pepinos. I like to try unusual fruits too. I am so pleased it is a shrub instead of a vine also!

PS Note: I just researched them. The minerals contained in Pepino fruits are iron, zinc, copper, manganese, calcium and phosphorus. Some minerals such as copper, zinc, and manganese are also antioxidant minerals. That is a pretty good profile there. You're getting trace-element nutrients that are seldom found together in fruits and veges! That's better than a multi-vitamin.