Fos's Edible Backyard

Joined: 25/09/11 Updated: 25/02/12 Frost: Low
Location: Somerset, TAS, Australia

About My Edible Backyard

As an ex Brissy girl & living in Northern N.S.W , moving  to  Tassie nearly 4 years ago was a complete turn around in gardening. I still love my subtropical plants & have a few things like avocado, bananas & pineapples, dragonfruit, chillies, passionfruit, cardamom, curry trees growing well but still in early stages.

But can also grow amazing fruit trees like apples, pears, fig, cherries, apricots, hazelnuts, almonds, plums, quince, pomegranate, grapes. endless types of berries etc, etc. So much choice.

Not to mention all the vegetables & herbs  that can be grown here & lucky to have some beautiful wasabi plants too. The soil is amazing & what struggles in the ground seem to do well in pots & or hothouse. The big difference I found was time.. a slow maturing till fruit, some fruit trees take many years to produce fruit but worth the wait.

But with full sun, good rain and  protection through Winter anything is worth a try. My goal is to have a completely edible garden because they look just as good as ordamentals & you can eat all your fruit, vegetables & herbs.

I wish Daleys could send to Tasmania.

Passionfruit - Black (Seedling)

Comments: - February  2012   Black ?  Thought it was, but don't think so now. Seed came  from a fruit I bought from a fruit & vegie shop. Fruit have been dropping off the vine still greenish. I leave on bench & wait until they turn a pale Yellow ? - about a week.

Just tried the first ripe fruit ...sweet & amazing passionfuit aroma, photo coming

 Taken cuttings from the parent plant for future seasons, better than the grafted one I had , it just suckered out of control.

Planted: 2010

Pollination: Self Pollination

Pineapples (Cutting) ^10/10

Comments: -

I have been planting pineapple tops for the last few years in a 1/2 drum in my hothouse. All growing well, hope for some fuit soon. Don't water through Winter but during summer creating more humidity.

December 2011 First fruit ...yippee !...growing fast now 4 inches tall

Fruiting Months January, February, December

Planted: 2008

Height 60 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 10

First Fruited: 3 Years after I planted Cutting

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Liquid Fish, Seaweed

When I Fertilise: When Fruiting

Organic Status:Organic

Quince Fuller\'s (Grafted) ^10/10

Comments: -

In its 2nd year in the ground, a beautiful tree with large pink blossoms ( I counted 50 this year) now setting fruit.

December 2011 ended up with 12 set fruit.They were growing well - golf ball size...then the Tassie wind came & blew them all off !  Protect more next year.

Fruiting Months October, November, December

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 16 Months after I planted Cutting

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Spring

Avocado - Pinkerton (A) (Grafted) ^6/10

Comments: - Survived last 3 Winters (1st with protection). Slow growing but healthy, about to flower. Had a Wurtz in NSW, was the best dwarf tree loaded with fruit after a few years. Bacon is supposed to be the best one for Tassie, so will see how this one goes ? Mulched well with pea straw, full sun outside.

Planted: 2008

Height 1.4 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Blood Bone, Rapid Raiser

When I Fertilise: Spring

Organic Status:Organic

Pitaya - Red Dragon Fruit ^7/10

Comments: -

Have grown this one before successfully in northern NSW, a much warmer climate..It's growing surprisngly well after planting these cuttings (30cm) in Feb of this year. Had lots of buds 5wks after potting up.Survived Winter in tunnel , no water through this period. Just sprayed with liquid fish & seaweed sparingly  to create more humidty during growing period.

Lots of new buds in Spring at the moment.

Brilliant Flowers & fruit....will see how it goes here.

Photo 2 January 2012, growing well but more horizontally with a couple of vertical leaders...could prune extras off for cuttings or just wait & see how it progresses...

Planted: 2011

Height 0.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pest Control:

A few snail holes (easily squashed) but recovers ok.

Organic Status:Organic

Banana

Comments: -

Bananas Goldfinger  This photo taken June 2010 approx 2.5 m . Now (Sept 2011) - it's looking ratty after this Winter but new leaves emerging now & has a thick established solid base.

I bought one when first released in Tassie Dec 2008.  Did well outside first season in a protected area, mostly full sun, rich red soil. Covered over Winter, but maybe should have put up against a wall for an ideal spot & more protection from wind. Mulched well with pea straw.

Second season grew very well but at the end of Winter we had heaps of rain & crown just died. But a couple of months later had this sucker that grew bigger, better & faster than the original. Now also have  extra suckers, a 1m tall one I cut off & potted up for insurance in my tunnel & one in ground  about 1/2 a metre tall, both doing well.. They look tragic over Winter but rocket in Spring / Summer. It may get to 3m tall this season but will be waiting on fruit a bit longer I think.
 

Planted: 2008

Height 2.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 3

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Blood Bone, Rapid Raiser

When I Fertilise: Spring

Organic Status:Organic

Fig - Brown Turkey (Grafted) ^8/10

Comments: -

Bought this one as a tube nearly 4 years ago. Planted in ground & grew very slowly but I think the soil is  too fertile & too much rain the last few seasons. Have since moved to a pot ( June 2011 when dormant ) & doing well with more fruit now. They like it very hot with not too much water except more when fruiting. I had another in a terracotta pot  5 years ago in full sun against  a brick wall that i neglected & it thrived.

Fruiting Months September, October, November, December

Planted: 2008

Height 1.2 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 2 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Spring

Organic Status:Organic

Wasabi (Cutting) ^10/10

Comments: -

One of the most beautiful plants I think with amazing lime green heart shaped shimmering leaves. I was very lucky to be given half a dozen plants that were a bit worse for wear having been knocked over & trampled. Didn't think they'd survive but repotted & they came back with amazing new growth. Keeping out of direct sun under about 70 % green shade cloth & lots of rain water off roof .They are planted on the south side of a shed in a rasied bed of red soil. Have now been in ground 2 years & are about 2ft in height & have many more offset babies.Watered often through Summer .

Planted: 2009

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Shade

Water Given in: Spring

Pest Control:

They get a few slugs & snails that get squashed but cabbage moth is kept away successfully by the shade cloth.

Organic Status:Organic

Curry Tree (Cutting) ^7/10

Comments: -

When I first got them I planted in a pot in my tunnel & they were only 15cm in height. Now both 2m approx. Put in raised beds in tunnel when reached about 50cm, full sun with humidity through Summer & mulched.

The soil is red free draining. No water over Winter. They drop leaves & go semi deciduous.They are doing well with new growth & flower buds now. Have decided to transplant into large pots soon, so hope they survive.

Flowered last year, cut them off to make branch more.

Planted: 2008

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pest Control:

Can get scale & sooty mould probably from being in tunnel but treating with white oil & soapy water works well

Organic Status:Organic