Avocados in Fremantle (forum)

hawkypork starts with ...
Hi,

Having followed your forum on avocados in Melbourne, I wonder if anyone might comment on growing avos on the limestone ridges of Perth. The spot I have in mind gets full sun but will be exposed to the howling summer south-westerly. We are a couple of km from the coast so I would be surprised if the wind was salt laden.
I am thinking about erecting a 2 metre screen to protect the trees while they establish.
My questions are: what would be the best variety to plant in Fremantle (dont mind a large tree) and is there a way I can get away with planting only one tree?

The photo shows the spot where one tree will go, and if neccesary another one on the other side of the path.

many thanks
Haakon
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 5th July 2010 6:53pm

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About the Author Haakon
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Jim says...
Hi Hawk, I can't comment on the soil issues since I grow mine in pots, but as with most fruit trees in Perth they would require a bit of added organic matter.

The biggest issue in establishing the trees will be the summer heat. If you go for young trees then in their first summer they will be pretty susceptible to the direct sun coupled with the freo doctor, especially if it is anything like last summer. So screening them is probably essential if they are going to be in your front yard away from other shade and protection.

From what I gather most varieties can be grown locally so I would choose according to your taste. Also having two varieties (A and B) will help with yield but is not essential and is even less important in cooler climates.

Time: 5th July 2010 8:03pm

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About the Author electra
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Brad says...
https://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/i-want-to-grow-an-avocado-tree/

there's a WA link in that thread with more information than you'll ever need. In WA you can definitely grow one type only and get a lot of fruit. Tass 1 has quite a few varieties in stock at the moment

Time: 5th July 2010 8:18pm

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About the Author Brad2
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hawkypork says...
Thanks for the feedback Jim and Brad. I rather cheekily emailed the author of the WA Department of Agriculture Bulletin on avocados, Alec McCarthy, and put the following questions to him:
I want to put an avocado in my south facing front garden on a limestone ridge behind Fremantle. I think I understand how to manage the soil, wind and sun issues. What I would like to confirm is:


Time: 13th July 2010 11:48am

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About the Author Haakon
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Brad says...
Thanks hawkypork. Nice gumption and sharing :)

I'd expect you can prune to shape any avocado to well under 15m, about half that I'd say for a Haas. If the avo doesn't like your soil (and wind), this is also likely to keep the tree smaller, so you may end up with a nice size anyway. Take care not to overfertilize in the first couple years.

I've gone with a Wurtz variety and bought my dad-in-law a Rincon - both much smaller which we'll be able to keep around 3m high and 4-5m wide and they fruit over different times of year.

Time: 13th July 2010 12:00pm

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About the Author Brad2
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hawkypork says...
Hi Brad,

A 15m Hass does sound a bit big. Although I am looking for a bit a screening from the street so about 6m to 8m would be good.
I was thinking about putting an avo on one side of the front yard and a macadamia on the other but perhaps two avos would be more pleasingly symetrical. Do you have an idea about two varieties that might be suitable?

Time: 13th July 2010 6:33pm

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About the Author Haakon
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Brad says...
I'd stick with a Hass which is a reliable producer in WA and fits your intended size. If you do go a 2nd avocado I'd recommend you choose a variety that fruits over another time of year to avoid a glut. e.g. fuerte or sharwill probably finish fruiting as the hass gets going. I'm sure other varieties are also good candidates. You should double check their growing habit and size, e.g. Fuerte is quite different looking to Hass

Nut trees can also make fantastic large trees. I believe macadamia tend to be quite slow growing but I've no experience there.

Time: 13th July 2010 8:53pm

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About the Author Brad2
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Brendan says...
Hi hawkypork & Brad,
Yeah, my info says a Hass grows to 7 metres, they may grow to 15m if it's never pruned, but I doubt it.

hawkypork, some dwaft avo trees are Wurtz, Rincon.
Some semi-dwaft avo trees are Lamb Hass, Gwen & Pinkerton.

Bacon, Edranol, Sharwill & Zutano (all type B), will pollinate Hass.

Time: 14th July 2010 9:50am

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About the Author Brendan
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Jason says...
Id go with Hass and the latest flowering type B you can get your hands on, you do still get fruit with one tree but you get twice as much with a pollinator. Like the others have said wind and the intense southern sunlight is a young Avocado's worst nightmare. So you are best off hiding them from the sun for a couple/few years if you can. There's a theory that Hass used to be a tall straight up variety but it mutated a long time ago and I don't believe there are any known tall versions of it left at least not in Australia, the Californians were on a search to find scions from the tall one and they were still looking last I heard. These days it's a round shaped tree just as wide as it is high, it wont reach 15 meters.

Macadamia are both faster growing and much taller than an Avocado for me, they are not a small tree that's for sure


Time: 14th July 2010 2:32pm

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Original Post was last edited: 14th July 2010 2:37pm

About the Author Jason10
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Peter says...
Hi Jason,
Sorry to change subject, but tried to send email to you and it has bounced back after a few days. Wondering if you could send an email to prta@bigpond.com and we will reply. Thanks

Time: 14th July 2010 8:38pm

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amanda says...
Saw a 5m lovely healthy Hass fruiting beautifully on a Leschenault bush block (Bunbury) and they have had frost there this winter too.

Time: 21st July 2010 12:22pm

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About the Author amanda19
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Brad says...
Buying said block?

Time: 22nd July 2010 1:09am

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About the Author Brad2
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amanda says...
he he Brad...no - too small. I wonder how hard it would be to grow fruit trees with all of those eucalypts around?
Anyone had this challenge on a bush block?

I have my 20 tree bags ready to be filled! I am not sure if I should do the subtropicals now or in spring..?

PS - any ideas on moving that damn High out of the Bight??? is the easterly just as vile down there at the moment?

Time: 22nd July 2010 9:38am

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Original Post was last edited: 22nd July 2010 9:46am

About the Author amanda19
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Charles cant spell says...
No easties here, just lovely spring weather.........
I am right into forrest gardening research at the moment I recon you sould be able to in an establish forrest, most of our traditional and sub-tropical fruits are understory plants anyway.
These things all grew in forests below canopy trees and sub-canopy trees.

Question is wether there is to much growth retardant from the natives, I suspect you could overcome any of that, you have evolved to grow stuff in Gero after all.

You could seletively prune/thin to let more light in and set up a few other nitrogen fixing plants to help the fruit trees as well.

Just my 2c.

Time: 22nd July 2010 12:01pm

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About the Author Charlesstillcantspell1
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amanda says...
Sounds interesting Charles!? Is it a personal interest thing for home or a work interest?

Yea - I am a bit wary of gum trees mainly - they are alleopathic (?). I guess I will cross that bridge when I get there...The areas we are looking at, like Gelorup, are pretty bushy.

After my mid-life crisis - I decided that my dream job is in a nursery or such...much less stressful when a plant dies rather than a patient.. ;-)


Time: 22nd July 2010 6:39pm

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About the Author amanda19
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Julie says...
charles, it's not just the lack of light, it's the tree roots which are the biggest problem. They just suck up the water and nutrients and grow bigger!

When I move, I won't be having any eucalypts on my block, deciduous only. They let in light when you need it and only lose their leaves in autumn/winter. There are many which are not too invasive. Less fire risk too.

amanda,having worked in a nursery, I wouldn't say it was a 'dream job'. Bloody hard work for low pay! But as you seem to be a hard worker, maybe you would like it. I used to get annoyed at customers wanting an instant fix rather than looking at the cause of the problem. They didn't want to know.

Time: 22nd July 2010 8:45pm

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About the Author Julie
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amanda says...
I agree Julie - at the risk of sounding very un-Australian...gum trees are a pain in the butt (in a garden situation..) apparently the roots can spread 50m out too..?!
I only have them here cos' I have so much room and mine are the smaller, pretty ornamental types (and they grow the fastest here)
And don't get me started on PALM trees!! :)))

Time: 22nd July 2010 10:07pm

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Jason says...
My garden is about 50 meters from a Eucalypt forest, anything exotic closer to the forest that that just wont grow. I don't have much love for palm trees either but you never know when your taste might change so I'm not going to bag them out too much in case I change my mind at some point :)

Time: 23rd July 2010 2:47am

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About the Author Jason10
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amanda says...
Oh - thanks Jason..I will need to factor that in then.
I should have said Cocos palms in particular..there are forests of them in the older burbs in Perth - u see heaps of them cut up on the verges for green waste collection now... bet the birds are happy about that ;-)

Time: 23rd July 2010 9:51am

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carl says...
good luck with your trees hawkypork.
We are on a coastal block over the river, so we get plenty of sea breezes, nice for us, but windy for trees.

We got recently got a reed avocado, a large mango, a longan, plus we have some existing calamansi/calamondin, limes and quite a few olives. We will be getting a sharwill avocado soon, and i will prune both so i can pick fruit easily. From what i have have seen in other places in perth the avocado and mangoes do need checking for anthracnose and regular fungicide is useful...

We have a large hillside area, so i might look at macadamia trees in the future

Time: 24th July 2010 2:41am

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About the Author larry-perth
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Brad says...
a large hillside area near the coast on the river in perth.... sounds like the next summer party must be at your place

Time: 24th July 2010 8:02pm

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About the Author Brad2
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Brad says...
nice - gardening australia right now has a segment on growing plants under gum trees

Edit: Boring. couldn't eat any of it. The typical shallow root bulbs and natives that don't need a lot of nutrients, followed by flower pots.

Time: 24th July 2010 8:44pm

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Original Post was last edited: 24th July 2010 8:47pm

About the Author Brad2
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