Growing Dwarf Fruit Trees in Frosty Areas

Lynnnie starts with ...
We live in the north east of the state under Ben Lomond at Upper Blessington. We have had absolutely no luck growing fruit trees with our unpredictable and icy frosts. Would it be possible to grow dwarf fruits of the stone variety in pots under shade cloth. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi Lynnie

You won't have trouble growing cherries and apricots in your area coz of their high chill requirement. Fragar peach is supposedly the cold hardiest peach around Australia because it originated in Tassie. European plums will have no trouble growing in your place because they originally came from countries much colder than Australia could offer. You won't need to protect those aforementioned cultivars even when young. Select varieties that are late blooming to save the blossoms being damaged by late frost. Woodbridge nursery in Tassie headed by Bob Magnus will surely assist you in selecting the appropriate stone fruit cultivar in your nick of the woods if you want an expert opinion.

Now if you think that you need to protect your stone fruit trees for at least their first 3 years, erect four post around each juvenile tree and cover it with sturdy clear plastic, bubble wrap or even layers of glad wrap or similar material over and around each tree during the coldest and frostiest month of the winter season. You can also place medium to large rocks around your trees to trap heat and dissipate the heat during the night. You have to be vigilant with your weather. Check your local weather everyday so won't be caught napping. After 3 years they will be robust enough to withstand the coldest winter weather that Upper Blessington could throw at them.

Happy gardening :-)