My Edibles: Berry Vines NSW

Raspberry - Atherton ^10/10

Comments: -

Spring 2008: This was a gift from a friend. I beleive that it is an Atherton Rasberry (rubus probus which is also known as rubus fraxinifolius) (see http://asgap.org.au/APOL22/jun01-1.html).

The fruit are awesome! So tastey and it is so prolific. It fruits early too so I haven't had any trouble at all with fruit fly (unlike the blackberries).

It is not at vigorous as the non-native rasberries but it still spreads so I keep it in a pot. The canes are also shorter and mostly self-supporting so you don't need to prop them up. It drinks a lot and will get droopy if you let it dry out. It has been fruiting for about 2 months now and there are still flowers coming!

I have orders for canes from all my friends but I don't know when they'll get any because I am NOT disturbing it til it stops fruiting! YUMMERS!!!!!

Autumn 2011: I think that we have a brave kangaroo that has developed a liking for the leaves. I went out this morning to find a branch completely leafless. Kindly it ate around the flowers. It is a discerning animal too as it only ate the leaves from ONE of the bushes! :O)

Spring 2011: We've been enjoying fruit since the very beginning of spring. So yummy. The fruit is at its best just before it or immediately after it has fallen. Don't PULL them off because they won't be as tastey. Tickle them a bit and if they fall off on their own then they are perfect.

I cut off all the finished fruit stalks. I find that this encourages new grow and flowers which means more fruit!!

This year we have had a LOT of heavy spring rain and a lot of the fruit was damaged, either by getting knocked off and smashed into the ground or the mud was splashing up so high that it was getting embedded into the fruit. To prevent fruit loss I build a garden bed   around the pot and filled it with peas straw. The soft straw provides a soft landing for the fruit and I haven't lost any since.

Summer 2011: We have had a visit from our kangaroo again. Though I think that it might have developed a preference for the native violets in one of the other pots as there was only a little damage to the raspberry. Maybe it got a thorn in its mouth?

Fruiting Months September, October, November, December

Planted: 2009

Height 1.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 5

First Fruited: 12 Months after I planted Cutting

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

Fallen fruit can attract tiny slugs so get to them before the slugs. Also gets white scale which I scrub off with a toothbrush and spray the area with pest oil.

Raspberry - Summer Fruiting

Comments: -

Make sure that you keep them contained cause they go nuts! From my original plant bought in August 2009 I had 6 plants by November 2009!

They need support. I've used She-oaks and gum tree as a trellis. They also like lots of water to make sure that they can fruit well.

2009: I haven't gotten any fruit yet because the original plant had to stay at the old house and the new canes came with me. Being that they don't fruit on the newest canes I missed out this year but next year there will be rasberries aplenty.

2010: so much fruit!!!!

Fruiting Months January, November, December

Planted: 2009

Height 2 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

caterpillars & grasshoppers = pick them off by hand and lux soap spray to keep them off

Cranberry

Comments: -

Summer 2010: I love the dried fruit but commercially they usually have so much sugar added. I can't get them fresh in Newcastle so decided to grow my own.

The plant was difficult to get hold of but well worth it. The plant has trippled in size in about 3 months. It's a ground cover so needs to be able to spread. Small dark green leaves (redish tinge to new growth) on very thin woody looking stems.

I have planted it in an old terracotta birdbath which drains very slowly (they like it boggy). Looks lovely trailing down the sides. Seems to be loving it.

I fed it and I do not think that it likes it at all. The leaves have gone purple and it doesn't seem too happy. I cut it back thinking that the branches were dead but them stems were still juicey. I don't think it likes the food. That said, it might be deiduous and the leavse going purple is normal... I guess I will have to wait til next spring?

Spring 2011: These are really quite fragile. I was mulching and snapped off the branch! I have stuck it back in... maybe the roots are OK? Just in case I bought a second one. :O)

Summer 2011: The broken bits did not strike. I think it might need to be layered to propagate. When the new one is big enough I will have a crack.

Planted: 2010

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

Green caterpillars seem to be the only thing that eats them. Because the foliage is so small it is easy to spot them so I just pull them off and squish them.

Irish Strawberry Tree - arbutus canariensis

Comments: -

Summer 2010: This one was a gift from my sister. She picked it cause it sounded interesting (and she knew I didn't already have it!).

The flowers are pretty but it hasn't fruited yet. It does have lovely bright green new growth.

Spring 2011: lots of new growth. Since spring started it has doubled in volume!

Summer 2011: I don't think that it likes all the rain. Getting brown patches on the inside of a lit of the folliage. Fingers crossed the weather warms up soon.

Planted: 2010

Height 0.75 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Dynamic Lifter, Seasol, Charlie Carp, worm juice (in rotation)

Pest Control: Ants seem to be farming some sort of GINORMOUS fat black bloated scale things on the hardened off branches (just where the leaves come out). I picked as many off as I could and then sprayed it with pest oil.

Cape Gooseberry

Comments: -

Annuals. Seeds save well for following year. I mix them through the herb bed and also have them in pots.

I have 2 different sorts of these - a yellow and a green variety. I am told that both should go yellow when it ripens but I kept fruit from last season and they stayed green until I broke it open to plant the seeds this year so I don't know what sort that is!

I really like adding the fruit to salad. They have a lovely tomatoey flavour and I like the seedy texture. They also dry well in a dessicator and retain a strong flavour.

Summer 2011: John gave me a gift of some mamoth cape gooseberry seeds. I have planted them but nothing is up yet. Not surprised though, the weather has been so cold and wet that nothing much is coming up - not even my flowers!

Planted: 2009

Height 50 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 4

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

Last year they got orange and black striped bugs that completely decimated them within a day. I was lucky to get enough fruit to save the seeds. This year there has been no sign of them

Blueberry - Nellie Kelly

Comments: -

Summer 2010: Have had heaps of fruit but not the best flavour and small. They needed little maintenance. I rotate which ones were allowed to fruit each year. They are still small and fruiting takes a lot of energy. Rotation seems to improve vigor.

I had a different variety a few years ago and grasshoppers demolished it but the Nellie Kellies haven't been touched. I'm either luckier this time or this variety isn't so tastey!

Summer 2011: SO MUCH FRUIT! Fruit was much better quality this year. They obviously take a few years to really establish. Plus I think that they have loved the rain!

Fruiting Months January, November, December

Planted: 2008

Height 0.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 4

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

Some sort of grub likes to spin webs through the flowers and berries at the very tip of the branches. Kills the branch. I just cut them off and throw them away.

Berry - Youngberry (Cutting)

Comments: -

Autumn 2011: My dad just bought this for me - he was buying onfor himself and it had rooted into a second pot so the nursery just pulled it out and let him have it all.

Spring 2011: New leaves just coming on. :O) And by mid-October I have my first flowers! He is still little but I feel greedy because I have never had youngberries before so I am going to leave them on there!

Fruiting Months November

Planted: 2011

Height 40 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 6 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Charlie Carp, Seasol, worm juice, Blood and Bone

Pest Control: I haven't noticed any pests as of yet although I have put a good helping of iron-based snail pellets around the base of the pot to keep the snail invasion at bay.

Gooseberry - Captivator (Cutting)

Comments: -

Spring 2011: snapped it up when I saw it in the nursery. I love berries so couldn't resist. I beleive that this variety doesn't need frostto bear good fruit... we will just have to wait and see!

This variety (ribes uva-crispa) is thornless which also attracted me-between the various raspberries I usually come away from gardening with holes in something - either myself or my clothes!

Summer 2011: It has taken a while to settle in to the garden. I think more due to the wet and cold than anything else. It is starting to get some new growth now that the weather is warming up. Have notices those nasty leaf curling caterpillars in the new growth. GRRR!

Planted: 2011

Height 0.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

The leaf curling caterpillars get into the new growth.

Blueberry - Backyard Blue ^8/10

Comments: -

Suggestion for Blueberry and Grapevine for backyard garden in the newcastle area.Soil clay, imported good top soil, mulched, drainage, north facing  

Alternative your Suggestion??

As we have planted citrus, black sapote, fig black genoa, mango bowen, dwarf peach, and all growing well

Blueberry - Biloxi (Seedling) ^10/10

Comments: -

One of the best tasting berries on earth. Potted in azalea mix, only small but growing pretty well so far. Have another unknown variety for cross pollination but will get more from Daleys when available

Height 0.75 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pruned By: 10% in After Fruiting

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: not sure!

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Dynamic Lifter, Seasol

Pest Control:

none

Organic Status:Partially Organic

Dwarf Mulberry - Red Shahtoot (Grafted)

Comments: -

From Daleys this spring. In a bonsai bag & growing well. No fruit has appeared yet. Very strong winds appear to have damaged trunk at the graft. Leaves have drooped a bit, so I've put some budding tape over the graft & it seems to be OK. Has set some fruit (Jan 2012)

Fruiting Months January and February

Planted: 2011

Height 1 metres

Growing: In a Pot

First Fruited: 3 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pruned By: 10% in Summer and Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Dynamic Lifter, Seasol

When I Fertilise: When Fruiting and Spring

Pest Control:

None

Organic Status:Partially Organic

Blueberry - Sunshine Blue (Cutting)

Comments: - From Chris - I lost this with all my other blueberries in the dry of 2009. 

Planted: 127

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Comments

Blueberry - Climax

Pollination: Self Pollination

Austromyrtus dulcis - Midjim Berry ^6/10

Comments: - nice native ground cover with interesting fruits

Height 0.5 metres

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pest Control: none

Organic Status:Organic

Strawberry - Maroochy Flame (Cutting) ^8/10

Comments: - Great tasting fruit that makes a nice groundcover

Height 0.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 12

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Organic

Blueberry - Misty ^3/10

Comments: -

Have moved them to a new location with less root competition will see if things improve.

Well the move hasn't worked I have been told they like morning sun so will have to move them again (when things cool down a bit)

Moved back into pots and placed them in a sheltered spot with morning sun - got a few fruits this year.

Fruiting Months January

Planted: 2008

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 3 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Home compost

When I Fertilise: Yearly

Organic Status:Organic

Raspberry - Atherton

Blueberry - Sunshine Blue (Cutting) ^7/10

Comments: -

This is a Nellie Kelly blueberry - I adore these plants. I allowed them to fruit in the first year, and they gave a couple of punnets of blueberries in total between the two.

Make sure you let the berries atay on the bush for a week or so after turning blue - they are still sour when they forst turn, but lovely and sweet if you give them time.

Fruiting Months January, November, December

Planted: 2011

Height 30 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 2

Fruit Harvest: 0.2 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 11 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Dynamic lifter for fruit

Pest Control: Multiguard slug pellets. Slugs are the only pest I have found on these lovely plants.

Organic Status:Organic

Question: How to prune this after fruiting? To a roundish shape, or should I be selective with the growth I prune?

Dwarf Mulberry - Black ^10/10

Comments: - Grows extremely fast! Fruits prolifically for a young tree, but the slugs love it!

Fruiting Months January, February, March

Planted: 2010

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 0.2 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 1 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: No

Pest Control: Slugs love the mulberries - I use Multiguard slug pellets

Organic Status:Partially Organic

Question: How much to prune this after fruiting?

Berry - Elderberry

Comments: -

Summer 2011: Cutting struck from John. I got mixed up and thought that it was for making gin. Poo to it not being but still there are PLENTY of things to be done with elderberry and I love the pretty folliage and big fluffy balls of white flowers.

Planted: 2011

Height 20 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Pollination: No

Midyim Berry

Comments: -

Such a lovely bush. I must have more! The new growth is furry and white then goes pink and smooth then turns green. But be careful because the stems are thin and woody and very fragile.

It is a really beautiful bush but has a tendency to be rangy so be sure to tip prune to keep it nice and dense.

The pale blue speckly fruit is small but so tastey. I think it tastes like sweet, mild cardamom. Very nice.

Autumn 2011: I broke a big branch off by accident a few months ago. I split it up and planted the 2 pieces. It's been 2 months and they still have leaves... maybe they are going to strike!!! :O)

Summer 2012: No they didn't strike. The leaves held in there for ages but they didn't root. Not that I was too diligent about watering and I didn't use rooting hormone to help them either. Maybe next time I will be a bot more professional about it?

I got a second bush from Santa (which was non-descriptively called Bush Snacks). It is great though because I would very much like a midyim berry informal hedge. I love the folliage and the fruit and I think the berries would make a really great and unusual jam. Maybe I should try harder to strike some babies?

Fruiting Months January, February, March

Planted: 2008

Height 0.6 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 2 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

tiny black caterpillars that curl the new leaves up around themselves = prune them off and throw them in the bin

black spot = don't let it get too much shade and keep somewhere well ventilated

Syzygium luehmanii - Riberry

Comments: -

Summer 2012: Gift from Santa. I have had one of these before, way back when I was only just starting to get into gardening. It was bought as a tube stock and I left it in a "temporary" position long enough for the roots to get out of the pot and into the soil below. It died when I tried to get it out of the pot... won't make that mistake twice!

Lovely pink new growth which is one of the things I love most about so many of the Australian natives. The berries are supposed to be yummers so I am looking forward to trying them.

Planted: 2012

Height 30 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Cape Gooseberry (Seedling) ^10/10

Comments: -

Tasty little fruit & very easy to grow

Planted: 2011

Height 0.5 metres

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: seasol, dynamic lifter

When I Fertilise: Spring

Pest Control:

none

Organic Status:Partially Organic

Panama Berry (Seedling) ^10/10

Comments: -

Read about this at Happy Earth & has good reviews from Daleys customers. In a bonsai bag

Planted: 2011

Height 0.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: seasol, dynamic lifter

When I Fertilise: Spring

Pest Control:

none

Organic Status:Partially Organic

Mulberry - White Seedling (Seedling) ^7/10

Comments: - Deciduous, pretty, tough, not fruited yet

Growing: In a Pot

Pollination: Self Pollination

Wild Strawberry (Seedling)

Comments: -

Grew these from seed - great idea as they fruit literally all year, even through huge frosts. Very pretty mounding plant too, growing in very little sun.

Fruiting Months January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Height 0.15 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 6 Months From Seed

Sun/Shade: Low Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Pollination: No

Appleberry

Comments: -

Australian native, needed another climber and I always prefer edible to decorative! Very pretty, delicate looking plant. Growing well up a trellis on a fence.

Planted: 2011

Qty: 1

Pollination: No

Kiwiberry (wild Kiwifruit) (Seedling) ^8/10

Comments: -

I bought this because it's self fertile, small size, hairless fruit, and because I wanted an edible climber for one of our sheds. It's growing really well, deciduous in winter. Flowered spring 2011 and appears to have a few small fruit.

Planted: 2010

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Water Given in: Winter

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Sheep manure

When I Fertilise: Spring

jostaberry (Seedling) ^6/10

Comments: -

I love unusual fruit, so the name of this drew me in. It's a cross between a blackcurrant and a gooseberry. It's growing in a very hard spot (heavy soil, full sun, frost, small area between concrete) but is looking good. First flowers 2011, no fruit yet.

Planted: 2008

Height 1.2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Sheep manure, liquid compost

When I Fertilise: Spring

Blueberry - Blue Rose ^5/10

Comments: -

Lovely bush, best of my blueberries, none of which are growing with much vigour. Trying some iron chelates to see if that improves things.

Planted: 2010

Qty: 1

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: No