Frank1's Edible Backyard

Joined: 01/12/08 Updated: 10/09/10 Frost:
Location: Kingscote

About My Edible Backyard

Our home:    an acre of heavy soil, too many fruit and nut trees, not enough room, therefore unproductive trees banned. Climate maritime, semi-arid; rainfall 450 mm. Many plantings sulk in this limey clay, stressed from summer / autumn drought, but after 20 years have good variety of fruits,... mulberries, guavas, nectarines, quince, feijoa, you name it, if sometimes on fairly stunted trees. A few of our favourites shown here. Positives are;  no fruitfly;  no frosts;  intense fruit flavours;  no climate extremes other than the long dry.

Comments

jelly palm ^6/10

Comments: -

Very tough, attractive palms. Ours have flowered but not yet set fruit.

Height 2.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 4

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: none

Pest Control:

None

Organic Status:Organic

White Sapote - Lemon Gold ^9/10

Comments: -

tree purchased 2008 (Daley's) was small but healthy, has more than doubled in size but seems a little less vigorous than our seedlings which were from a large tree in the next street.

Planted: 2008

Height 0.8 metres

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Fertiliser or Organics Used: surface compost

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control:

constant battle to defeat (so far just manually) earwigs, grasshoppers, etc which devour the growing tips.

Organic Status:Organic

quandong (Seedling) ^9/10

Comments: -

Delightful little trees, a bit tricky to establish (being a partial root parasite) but thereafter are trouble free and extremely drought tolerant.  Fruit makes excellent jams and pies. Eaten fresh, are not completely unacceptable.     

Fruiting Months August, September, October

Planted: 2003

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 10

Fruit Harvest: 15 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 3 Years from Seed

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pruned By: 5% in Summer

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Never

Pest Control:

None. Tiny grubs, which can invade the earliest fruit, are tolerated.

Organic Status:Organic

almond ^5/10

Comments: -

Seven 20yr old trees on 450mm rainfall only, no irrigation, crop well but corellas get half.   A mix of CPS, Johnson's prolific and Chellaston.

Fruiting Months February and March

Planted: 1988

Height 5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 12

Fruit Harvest: 25 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 2 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pruned By: 10% in Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: wood ash, sheep manure

Pest Control:

Tried everything to beat the birds. They watch and when you leave in the car they move in.

Organic Status:Organic

Macadamia ^9/10

Comments: -

Selected seedlings, much tougher than we dared to hope. A single dripper under each tree.

Fruiting Months May, June, July, August

Planted: 1990

Height 3 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 4

Fruit Harvest: 12 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 6 Years from Seed

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Heavy mulch only

Pest Control:

None required

Organic Status:Organic

persimmon \"Saruga\" (Grafted) ^10/10

Comments: -

Beautiful tree, drought tolerant,fruits prolifically (non-astringent);  silvereyes and wattle birds get 20%.

Fruiting Months May, June, July

Planted: 1988

Height 4 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 40 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 1994 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Pruned By: 5% in Spring

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: compost

When I Fertilise: Winter

Pest Control:

Birds so far just shooed away!

Organic Status:Organic

Apricot ^9/10

Comments: -

8 trees, Newcastle Early, Oullin's Early, Moorpark, Trevatt, and selected seedlings.  A range of ripening times over 12 weeks.  Apricots do well here with very little extra water.

Fruiting Months October, November, December

Height 3 metres

Qty: 8

First Fruited: 2 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Pruned By: 10% in Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: wood ash, seaweed, compost.

When I Fertilise: Winter

Pest Control:

Must net to beat rainbow lorikeets.

Acerola - Florida Sweet ^5/10

Comments: -

Early days yet. Put on good growth late last summer.  2009 winter its first, will survive but has dropped most leaves. Earwigs love it. We get no frosts so it should be OK.

Planted: 2008

Height 0.8 metres

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Pest Control:

Earwig baffles at trunk.

Organic Status:Organic

Loquat ^9/10

Comments: -

Loquats love this climate, despite the summer droughts.  We have Enormity, Chatsworth Victory, and a dozen or so seedlings which  bear very well over a few months.

Fruiting Months September, October, November, December

Height 4 metres

Qty: 15

First Fruited: 5 Years from Seed

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Mulch only

Pest Control:

Enough trees to be able to more or less tolerate the Rainbow Lorikeets.No other pests. (No fruitfly on Kangaroo Island).

Organic Status:Organic

Stone Pine ^7/10

Comments: -

Very handsome tree, large cones full of nuts, requires no maintenance.

Fruiting Months April, May, June, July, August

Planted: 1990

Height 8 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 6 Years from Seed

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Never

Pest Control:

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos a problem and must be constantly discouraged-- they usually steal 50% of the crop.

Organic Status:Organic

lillypilly ^8/10

Comments: -

Vigorous and requires severe pruning as too close to house, but fruit very acceptable.

Fruiting Months June

Planted: 1996

Height 4 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 6 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 4 Years from Seed

Sun/Shade: Low Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pruned By: 30% in After Fruiting

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: None

When I Fertilise: Never

Pest Control:

None required. Blackbirds and crows get their share.

Organic Status:Organic

pomegranate (Seedling) ^8/10

Comments: -

From cutting taken from seedling beside Adelaide railway track.  Very undemanding, gets no extra water.

Fruiting Months April and May

Planted: 2002

Height 2.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 20 Fruit Per Year

First Fruited: 4 Years after I planted Cutting

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pruned By: 20% in After Fruiting

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: None

When I Fertilise: Never

Pest Control:

None

Organic Status:Organic

Dragon Fruit - Yellow ^10/10

Comments: -

After 1 year has trebled in size, looks fine, in half sun, very dry spot, but too small to flower yet.

Planted: 2008

Height 1.2 metres

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Fertiliser or Organics Used: mild organic, sparingly

When I Fertilise: Winter and Spring

Pest Control:

No pest control required.

Organic Status:Organic