Berries Vines and Climbers
CategoryThe big three in the vine world are the Passionfruit, Kiwifruit and Grape. All three require their fare share of care but they will reward you with an abundance of fruit in a relatively short time. All need a strong trellis, the Kiwifruit and Grape are more suited to pergola planting due to their deciduous nature. If you need all-round cover then go with the passionfruit.
The Dragon Fruit - Pitaya is stunningly beautiful with a large flowers and melon like fruit. Berries, the most magnificent of the dessert fruits also need care because with neglect they will become the rampant monsters of your garden. They need a sunny airy location with some type of edging to stop them invading other parts of the garden. A trellis is a good idea as the long canes can be tied up allowing better circulation that will lesson the adverse effects of excess humidity. If growing in the subtropics it is highly recommended that some shade is provided.
Berry Fruits
Fruit Trees > Berries Vines and Climbers > Berry Fruits
Generally regarded as cool climate plants berries will produce worthwhile crops in the subtropics. For best results stake and mulch well in order to keep the foliage and fruit off the ground. Remove old canes (2 year old canes that have born fruit during late spring, early summer) and tie current seasons growth up onto trellises.
Blueberry
Fruit Trees > Berries Vines and Climbers > Blueberry
Fruit Trees > Subtropical Fruit Trees > Blueberry
These varieties of blueberry plants perform well in Australia and provide a bounty of berries. To grow successfully provide organic matter and ample moisture along with a soil pH of 5.5, so if you have alkaline soil you need to consider growing these in pots. Blueberries make excellent potted specimens provided 25% of Peat Moss is added to the potting mix, or use a dedicated acid medium prepared for Azaleas. Potted plants are a great gardening project for children, who delight in harvesting the fruit. Low chill varieties such as 'Misty' and 'Sharpblue' can be pruned after cropping to induce a second crop that will ensure a supply of delicious fruit throughout the year. 'Sunshine Blue' is a very small bush and self-pollinating so great for balconies. Select for Southern Highbush varieties if you are in warm temperate or subtropical areas. Select Northern Highbush varieties for cool temperate areas. Highbush varieties are self-pollinating but generally produce more fruit when grown with another variety from within the same grouping. Rabbiteyes are well suited to warm areas and are vigorous bushes. They are a separate grouping for pollination purposes and do need to be grown with a pollinating pair. So select varieties from within this grouping to promote fruit setting. 'Brightwell' is partially self-pollinating. Blueberries, apart from being delicious, have many fantastic health benefits. They are extremely high in antioxidants, and have anti-inflammatory properties, as well as lowering cholesterol in the blood, it is also claimed that they improve motor skills, balance and co-ordination in elderly people. The longer the fruits are left on the bush to mature the greater the health benefits are so if you can beat the birds leave the fruits to the last minute to pick. Bird sage netting is the best way to do this. Blueberries can produce an abundance of fruit over many months, keep them evenly watered with good drainage and use a low nitrogen fertiliser. They are such a great addition to all gardens, from balcony to food forest. Get growing now.
Dragon Fruit - Pitaya
Fruit Trees > Berries Vines and Climbers > Dragon Fruit - Pitaya
Also known as the Dragon Fruit, the Pitaya is a stunningly beautiful fruit with an intense colour and shape, magnificent flowers and a delicious taste. Once only seen in the finest restaurants it is fast becoming common-place throughout Australia as a garnish and a delicious fresh fruit. To eat the fruit serve chilled and cut in half. Scoop out the flesh and seeds much like a kiwi fruit.
Grape
Fruit Trees > Berries Vines and Climbers > Grape
On a hot summers day the fresh taste of grapes picked from your own vines can't be surpassed. Grown since antiquity, they are well known and loved and come in a large range of varieties. White grapes range in colour from pale yellow-green to light green, and black grapes from light red to purple-black. Grapes are categorized by their uses, either as a table grape or wine grape. Wine grapes have high acidity and are therefore too tart for general eating, but some, for example, Chambourcin are sweet if left to ripen well on the vine. The grapes listed below are suited to a wide range of climatic conditions. Those with disease resistance are good for humid, coastal conditions and others are suited to warm temperate and inland, more arid areas. Fruit can be eaten fresh, frozen for a cool icy snack on a summers day or dried for later use. It's not just their fruit that is delicious and nutritious, but their leaves as well. Blanch them in hot water and wrap them around a rice and herb filling for a delicious snack or platter filler.
Kiwiberry
Fruit Trees > Berries Vines and Climbers > Kiwiberry
Closely related to the Gooseberry and similar in appearance, the flesh of the Kiwiberry, or Hardy Kiwifruit, looks much like a regular kiwifruit with small black seeds and an emerald green colour. Fruit size is much smaller and fruit hangs in bunches and are hairless. Hardy Kiwifruit are generally sweeter than regular Kiwifruit. Pollination can be achieved with a normal male Kiwifruit vine. Or if planting Kiwiberry seedlings plant 3 to ensure you get at least one male and one female. They are also a vigorous vine and will require a trellis to grow on.
Kiwifruit
Fruit Trees > Berries Vines and Climbers > Kiwifruit
Kiwifruits grow on a vigorous and long lived deciduous vine.Kiwifruit is a great tasting, highly nutritious treat. To eat, cut the fruit in half, then scoop the delicious flesh right out of the skin. They can be added to fruit salads and desserts as well as to savoury dishes, they go particularly well with avocado's, fish, chicken and prawns. They do not however combine well with yogurt as there is an enzyme in it that they react to.
Muscadine Grape
Fruit Trees > Berries Vines and Climbers > Muscadine Grape
Muscadines are well adapted to the warm, humid conditions of the south-eastern U.S. and therefore will grow well in all humid areas of Australia where European grapes are unsuitable. Both east and west coasts and through the “top end” provide the climatic requirements for growing muscadines successfully. They are vigorous vines and should not be planted where they can escape into native bushland, as they would quickly smother trees and shrubs around them.
Passionfruit
Fruit Trees > Berries Vines and Climbers > Passionfruit
As well known for its striking flowers as for the fruit itself. Passion fruit vary from round to oval, purple, red or gold. A fast growing vine that usually returns a crop within 18 months of planting.
Raspberries
Fruit Trees > Berries Vines and Climbers > Raspberries
An autumn bearer with good quality berries. These berries are best treated as an annual. Growing Raspberries successfully requires cutting low to the ground each winter. An easy way to do this is to have them in a position where they can be mowed over. They will re-shoot in spring. Good disease resistance.
Strawberry
Fruit Trees > Berries Vines and Climbers > Strawberry
Fruit Trees > Perennial vegetables > Strawberry
One of the best fruits for small space, strawberries are perfect for pots and patios. The name strawberry is often thought to come from the fact that a mulch of straw is perfect to keep the fruit off the ground, however it more likely originates from the old name strewn berry referring to the fact that the runners love to spread themselves from the parent plant. A delightful fruit used in desserts and sauces, but always best picked and eaten straight from the garden.