Mags&gaz's Edible Backyard

Joined: 06/08/09 Updated: 02/12/10 Frost: None
Location: Wooloowin, QLD, AU

About My Edible Backyard

We started creating our edible backyard in 2009 with the aim of being self sufficient in fruit, vege and eggs, just 10 minutes from the city (Brisbane). A year later we're almost there, just needing some more fruit production, which is just a matter of time.   We have 9 chooks in an area of 14m x 6m, they share this space with some of the fruit trees, namely 1 orange, the grapefruit and  lime, some pawpaws, the 2 mulberry and the custard apple.  The trees have wire netting around to prevent them from being excavated. We are members of the Brisbane Organic Growers Inc. (BOGI) who meet at Albion (Peace Hall) on the 1st Thurs. of each month.

Mulberry - White Shahtoot

Comments: -

Growing well in chook run.  They don't peck the leaves, but the roots are protected by wire mesh as they would scratch them up.

Fruiting Months April

Planted: 2009

Height 1.7 metres

Growing: In the Ground

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Pest Control:

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

Comments

be careful during fruit season you dont wash many white items!

Raspberry - Heritage

Comments: -

They are in a bed surrounded by concrete, so they can't escape. I have added another variety called Autumn Bliss.

Raspberries fruit on canes produced the previous season, which look exhausted when they have finished fruiting. Prune at ground level and tie in fresh, vigorous new canes, which will flower and fruit the following season. Remove dead or weak shoots anytime.
Keep mulch away from the base of stems. This reduces fungal diseases.
They benefit greatly from a sheltered site with shade from the afternoon sun.
Condition neutral or mildly alkaline soil by applying iron chelates during late winter. This also supplements iron.
At bud burst, apply two teaspoonfuls of Epsom salts and an equal amount of sulfate of potash to 4.5L of water, and water in around plants. This improves fruit flavour and disease resistance.

Fruiting Months February and March

Planted: 2009

Height 1.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 3

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Pest Control:

we use netting for fruit fly. 

Organic Status:Organic

Brazilian Cherry (Seedling)

Comments: -

 Pick when very ripe.  They are a little sharp tasting like lemon but quite pleasant.

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Organic

Angel Peach - Subtropical

Planted: 2010

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

cherry guava (Seedling)

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Feijoa - Mammoth (Grafted)

Planted: 2009

Height 1 metres

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: Triumph

Organic Status:Organic

Orange - Pineapple (Grafted)

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Blueberry - Biloxi

Planted: 2009

Height 200 Centimetres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: gulfcoast

Organic Status:Organic

Dwarf Apple - Tropical Anna (Grafted)

Planted: 2009

Height 1.2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: golden dorsett

Organic Status:Organic

Peach - Tropic Beauty (Grafted)

Planted: 2009

Height 3.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Pest Control:

none

Organic Status:Organic

Jaboticaba - small leaf

Comments: -

Full sun to part shade. Frost tolerant to -3C when established but protect from frost when young. Water well to encourage maximum crop yield. Do not over fertilise, although a small amount of slow release/organic fertiliser or organic matter such as compost mulch is fine. Prefers acid soils.

Planted: 2009

Height 1.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Custard Apple - Late Gold

Planted: 2010

Growing: In the Ground

Organic Status:Organic

Asparagus - Mary Washington (Seedling)

Comments: -

Looking fwd to harvesting shoots next spring.

Planted: 2009

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Organic

Monstera

Planted: 2009

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Low Sun

Pear - Packham (Grafted)

Comments: -

Doing it tough in sweet potato patch

Planted: 2009

Height 1.4 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Lemon Grass

Growing: In a Pot

Feijoa - Triumph (Grafted)

Height 1 metres

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: Mammoth

sultana grapes (Grafted)

Comments: -

Planted: 2009

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Pear - Bonza (Grafted)

Comments: -

also struggling in sweet potato patch

Planted: 2009

Height 1.8 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Paw Paw - RB3 Bisexual Red

Planted: 2009

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

pawpaw yellow (Seedling)

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 14

First Fruited: 1 Years from Seed

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Lime - Tahitian (Grafted)

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Dwarf Apple - Dorsett Golden (Grafted)

Planted: 2009

Height 1 metres

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: tropical anna

Organic Status:Organic

Comments

Your tree looks nice and healthy. Do you live in Brisbane? My Dwarf Dorsett Golden is not doing good at all, loosing most of its leaves and not growing, any advice would be appreciated. You have a lovely garden.

Hi, thanks for your reply, my apples both Anna and Golden Dorsett has started to get its leaves back and have just finished flowering and beginning of little apples on both. I feel so much better now :) If I may one day be able to buy a dwarf banana sucker of you I would be delighted, I'm at Kelvin Grove Brisbane.

Re. banana inquiry, I have found out that we are not allowed to give suckers away. The best way to get them is to contact a DPI officer on 07 5453 5800 and they will send you the details of who to contact for tissue culture (for disease free bananas)and an application form to obtain them. The types allowable for backyards are Blue Java; Bluggoe(plaintain);Ducasse; Goldfinger; Kluai namwa khom (Dwarf Ducasse); Lady Finger; Pisang Ceylan

here's the suppliers website http://www.backyardbananas.com.au/index.html

Grumichama - Black

Growing: In a Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Organic

Passionfruit - Panama Gold Grafted (Grafted) ^10/10

Comments: -

 very happy with first crop

Fruiting Months March and April

Planted: 2009

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Passionfruit - Black (Seedling) ^10/10

Comments: -

This one forms an arch over the gate into chook run. It has a lot of fruit on it already, after only 1 year.

Planted: 2009

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 1 Years from Seed

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

Dwarf Lemon - Meyer

Growing: In a Pot

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Curry Tree

Growing: In a Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Organic Status:Organic

Fig - Brown Turkey

Growing: In a Pot

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Organic Status:Organic

Dwarf Mulberry - Red Shahtoot

Planted: 2010

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Organic Status:Organic

Pitaya - Vietnam Dragon Fruit

Planted: 2009

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Organic Status:Organic

Avocado - Fuerte (B)

Planted: 2009

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: Hass

Organic Status:Organic

Grapefruit - Star Ruby (Grafted)

Fruiting Months June, July, August

Planted: 2009

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Orange - Lanes Late (Grafted)

Planted: 2009

Height 1.2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Pest Control:

eco oil

Organic Status:Organic

Custard Apple - African Pride (Grafted)

Planted: 2009

Height 1.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Mango - Bowen (Seedling)

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Organic

Avocado - Hass (A) (Grafted) ^10/10

Fruiting Months September, October, November, December

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: fuerte

Organic Status:Organic

Pink iona grapes (Grafted)

Fruiting Months January, February, December

Planted: 2010

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Avocado - Sharwill (B)

Planted: 2010

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: Hass

Organic Status:Organic

Jaboticaba - Large Leaf

Planted: 2009

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Blueberry - Gulfcoast

Height 200 Centimetres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 3

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: Biloxi

Organic Status:Organic

Mandarin - Freemont

Planted: 2009

Growing: In the Ground

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Organic

Mandarin - Ellandale

Pollination: No

Mandarin - Imperial

Pollination: No