My Edible Fruit Trees: Tamarillo ACT

Tamarillo - Red ^8/10

Comments: -

I grew tamarillo previously on Mid Nth Coast NSW, and wanted to see if it would grow in Canberra. It has taken a few years, but now we have success! It's planted in front of a north facing brick wall.

The winter frosts knock it back each year. First year frosted all leaves off and the trunk began to rot. Cut it back and it resprouted and grew very fast. No fruit. Next winter it was taller, frosted again, but didn't lose so much trunk. We had flowers and some fruit, but there wasn't  enough time from flowering to fruit before winter set in, for them to get big and sweet.

This winter was a bit milder, and the plant is now up to the eaves. A few leaves were lost nut very few, and flowers developed during winter and hung on. The photo is from August showing the condition after frosts. Now (November) its covered in big, new leaves again, thousands of flowers survived through winter, and I'm expecting a bumper crop next autumn.

My advice to others in frosty areas:

1/ definitely choose a protected spot, preferably with a solid wall facing north, and eaves are an added benefit.

2/ either be patient for fruit until your plant gets tall, or be very vigilent with covering on frosty nights.

Needs quite a lot of water in summer--you can tell because the leaves wilt.

It always gets aphis but I haven't bothered to do anything about it. The plant survives and the bugs bring lovely birds to feed on them. This winter, two superb fairy wrens spent a lot of time on the tamarillo eating aphis and entertaining us outside the kitchen wihndow.

Fruiting Months May and June

Planted: 2010

Height 3 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Fruit Harvest: 1 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 2 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: chicken manure, compost, warm castings

When I Fertilise: Spring

Pest Control:

None so far. If aphis become a problem, I'll band the trunk to keep ants from farming them. So far the birds do the work.

Organic Status:Organic