Paltahead's Edible Backyard

Joined: 18/08/11 Updated: 01/01/14 Frost:
Location: Huntingdale

About My Edible Backyard

Why do I like edible plants? They're EDIBLE!!  I just love watching things grow and enjoy the challenge of trying to grow food my family can eat and share with others.  My biggest challenge is the not having enough land to plant everything I want to.  However, I have managed to cram quite a variety of plants onto my small suburban block.

The soil type is sandy loam with as much organic matter added where possible.  As for rain, I'm in Melbourne and this year things a bit soggy compared to years past.  My yard faces a north/east aspect.( I think?)Let's see... winter sun fills front of house , front garden and rear garden down the back. 

Comments

Dwarf Mulberry - Red Shahtoot (Grafted) ^6/10

Comments: -

Love the large green leaves and looking forward to sampling the fruit of course!    Also, being decidous I hve planted next to our deck to provide shade in summer but let in the winter sun. Hope it grows a lot more this spring onwards.

Jan 2014- In a pot, does not grow due to bad graft. Does provide a few lovely sweet mulberries each season.

Fruiting Months November

Planted: 2011

Height 50 Centimetres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 3 Fruit Per Year

First Fruited: 2011 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

None required so far.

Organic Status:Organic

Mulberry - White Shahtoot (Grafted) ^6/10

Comments: -

From all accounts a beautiful, decorative, fruit tree providing shade in summer and deciduous.  Still small at the moment, with new leaf buds about to burst.  I pruned the top of it to try and get it to branch more.  Seems to be happy where it is. Nov 1st 2011- Has grown lateral branches and I managed to find one ( others had dropped off) large, plump fruit about 10 cm long- really impressive!  Tasted sweet but still not ripe enough. Very promising! I am sure will take off during Summer.

Planted: 2011

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 2 Fruit Per Year

First Fruited: 2011 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

When can I expect to get fruit?

Dwarf Avocado - Wurtz (A) ^6/10

Comments: -

I love avocado or palta as I call them.  My little tree is a dwarf and is a straggly looking, small weeping tree hidden between a camellia and an Aussie hibiscus bush. It is viritually sheltered and hidden inbetween these 2 metre tall shubs. This tree has almost died on a few occasions from waterlogging or sunburn. It is almost three years old and yet to produce a fruit. I have moved it three times and finally it seems happy where it is. Right now it is starting to produce lots of flower buds and hoping we may get our first 'paltita' this year. Heaps of new leaf growth, increase in size, and had lots of flowers which have  mostly all dropped off.  Also discovered another avo type growing ferociously from rootstock so pulled it off.

Fruiting Months November

Planted: 2008

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 2011 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: compost mulch dynamic lifter for citrus

Pest Control:

none

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

Will it ever fruit- any other Victorians had any luck?

(Seedling)

Comments: -

Love homegrown sun ripened apricots- yum! These seedlings have popped up from seeds from some apricots we ate last year from a friend's tree. Small but so sweet and yummy. Hoping to grow a little tree which may give fruit.

Planted: 2011

Height 10 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 5

Sun/Shade: Low Sun

Question:

When to plant out into individual pots? What size should each seedling be?

Pepino - Kendall Gold (Cutting) ^7/10

Comments: -

I first saw this fruit growing in my mother in law's garden. She had been given a cutting, stuck it in the ground and it took off like a weed. Hers produced a few small fruit which tasted okay but didn't receive enough sun so not that sweet.  Came across a few plants at the local big chain nursery and decided to plant in pots.  They did okay for awhile in potting mix, on the deck in full sun. Very thirsty plants in summer.  Watered every day or so. Produced a dozen or so large egg shapes fruit which were deliciously sweet and super juicy. My kids gobbled them up- a definite winner!  After a few months, health of plants declined- yellowing, major leaf drop so moved to garden bed alongside shed with a trellis erected.  Massive growth spurt and heaps of flowers and fruit. At the moment enjoyedby slugs/snails/some ants and  maybe a caterpillar- leaves full of holes and some fruits have had holes muched and ants dig inside to the core and ruined some massive fruits.

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

Planted: 2010

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 6

Fruit Harvest: 20 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 1 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: When Fruiting, Yearly, Spring

Pest Control:

natrasoap spray  and pyrethrum spray. Will set beer snail traps.

Organic Status:Organic

Dwarf Lemon - Meyer

Comments: -

A friend has one which fruits prolifically and love the juice from these lemons. AS we use lemons almost daily, this is a must fruit tree for our yard.

Planted: 2009

Height 2 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 2

Pollination: No

When I Fertilise: Yearly and Spring

Question:

Have I got a dud?  I bought my first meyer as a small bush and has been planted into large pot and grown steadily for three years. Is large and bushy and attractive although leaves yellow at the moment.  BUT this Meyer has THORNS!!!! and not one flower at all in 3 years. 

Passionfruit - Panama Red Pandora (Grafted)

Height 4 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Organic

Passionfruit - Panama Sweet Gold (G) (Grafted) ^7/10

Comments: -

Using it to cover an ugly old garage. Erected a trellis , planted in large pot and it took off first summer. However with the cold weather and lack of sunshine, all growth has stopped but still looking healthy.  Waiting for sun and warmth to see if it will keep growing.  Main goal to cover garage with pretty greenery. If I can get it to flower and fruit that would be a BONUS!

Planted: 2011

Height 4 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

Will these passionfruit become rootbound in their current large pot? Anyone else growing successfully in a pot?

Cape Gooseberry

Comments: -

Curious to grow this fruit and see what it tastes like.

Height 1 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

Will net from birds when fruiting.

Blackcurrant

Comments: -

Small and compact. Easy to prune.  Keen on tasting real blackcurrants for the first time. I am hoping the kids will enjoy picking and eating these straight off the bush.

Height 0.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Low Sun

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: seasol

Organic Status:Organic

Jostaberry (Cutting)

Comments: -

Looking forwrad to tasting these fruit for the first time.

Planted: 2011

Height 1.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 2

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

none yet. Will net in summer when fruiting to protect from birds.

Organic Status:Organic

Grapefruit - Star Ruby

Planted: 2010

Height 1 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: No

When I Fertilise: When Fruiting and Spring

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

Fruit started to swell last summer then all dropped off.

Dwarf Mandarin - Okitsu wase (Grafted)

Height 1 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

pyrethrum spray when I've noticed holes or bugs around

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

Looking a bit yellowish.  Could this be too much winter rain and cold?  When should I fertilise with dynamic lifter next? how much? Scared of killing this plant.

Dwarf Tangelo - Minneola (Grafted)

Planted: 2011

Height 1 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pollination: No

When I Fertilise: Spring

Pest Control:

pyrethrum spray

Organic Status:Organic

Blueberry - Blue Rose (Cutting)

Comments: -

This is a NELLY KELLY blueberry bush- not BLUE ROSE as described.Such a pretty little bush- full of pink bell shaped flowers. Easy to look after. Produced first crop of blueberries last summer- probably harvested a punnet full.

Fruiting Months January, February, November, December

Height 45 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 2

Fruit Harvest: 30 Fruit Per Year

First Fruited: 7 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Pruned By: 30% in After Fruiting

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: seasol

When I Fertilise: Yearly and Spring

Pest Control:

None

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

Should I move to a larger pot next winter?

Tamarillo - Red (Cutting) ^7/10

Comments: -

These are so expensive to buy so I thought I'd grow one after reading they fruited within 18 months of planting. Still no fruit- about a year old, 2 metres high.

Planted: 2010

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: compost, dynamic lifter, seasol.

When I Fertilise: Yearly and Spring

Pest Control:

pyrethrum for aphids.

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

In which month should I expect fruit?

Indian Guava (Grafted)

Comments: -

AN experiment really-A pot plant fell off deck and crushed plant!  boo hoo! was growing nicely.

Pollination: Self Pollination