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Frequently Asked Questions
Click on the question to see the answer
Do you have dwarf fruit trees?
Are your trees suitable for espaliering?
How big will the trees grow?
Can I grow your trees in northern / subtropical areas?
Are there any trees that will do well in a subtropical situation?
How far apart should I plant my trees?
Can we visit your nursery?
Can I grow fruit trees in pots?
Do you have dwarf fruit trees?
Yes we do. The apples are all on MM106 rootstocks which make a semi dwarfing tree, and will potentially make a 3 metre tree if left to grow to a standard shape like a vase or central leader tree. They can also be kept lower than this by pruning, without too much trouble. If they are trained to espalier on a fence, they can be kept to two metres, and are very suitable for this also. Other dwarf trees include the quinces, sour cherries, Sunny Nectarine, Val Peach, Dwarf Brown Fig, Fuyu persimmon, Self pollinating almond, and Wurtz avocado.
Are your trees suitable for espaliering?
The best trees for basic horizontal espaliering are pears, apples and cherries. This is because they are easy to pull branches downwards and train flat. Also they produce fruit on spurs, which works well for this sort of training, and ensures a good crop is set, despite all the pruning needed to keep the tree shaped properly
How big will the trees grow?
That all depends – there are a number of variables. If they are growing in good, fertile deep soil, and are getting adequate summer moisture through irrigation, then they will grow a lot bigger than trees which are planted in heavy clay soil, with poor drainage, or lack of watering in the summer. At an average, a stone fruit tree in good conditions could reach 3-4 metres. Pears can grow into 5 metre trees, our apples grow to 3 metres, or less depending on pruning, quinces grow to two metres.
Can I grow your trees in northern / subtropical areas?
Most of our fruit trees need a certain amount of winter chill hours to keep their fruiting cycle going, so the more tropical your conditions, the less likely that these trees will grow well. There are some parts of Queensland where people are able to grow these temperate trees with good success, including inland areas of Stanthorpe / Tenterfield. Closer to the ocean, you could probably do alright up as far as Nowra. The best thing to do if you are not sure, is ask around your neighbours to see what they are having success with, as this is usually the most reliable guide.
Are there any trees that will do well in a subtropical situation?
There are a number of varieties that don't need a lot of winter chill hours, and will fruit very well in warmer winters and subtropic weather. Some of the apples with low chill requirement are Dorsett Golden, Anna, Lady Williams, Pink Lady, Fuji, Red Gala, Bonza, Rome Beauty, Sundowner. Low chill pears include Hood, Flordahome, Corella. Peaches include Beale, Flavourcrest, Tropic Snow , Maravilha. Nectarines for low chill areas are Fantasia, Early Goldmine, Sundowner, Sunlite. Plums to try would be Gulf Gold, Gulf Ruby and Mariposa. Sunburst cherry is worth a go, and all of the quinces will make a good show. Heritage raspberry needs siginificantly less chill hours than the other berries.
How far apart should I plant my trees?
The trees can be planted anywhere between 2 metres and 6 metres apart. Two metres if you are trellising them and using dwarf trees, apples, quinces etc.
If planting in a standard orchard situation, you can plant anywhere between four to six metres apart. If you plant close, the tree roots will meet each other sooner, and start competing with each other, thereby keeping their size more limited. If you plant further apart, you will get bigger more spreading trees, and in most situations they will grow to fill up the space in between.
Can we visit your nursery?
We do not have a nursery that is open to the public, as most of our business is done by mail order. You can come to pick up your pre ordered trees after the second week of June, but you need to contact us first, to arrange a time. We are very busy sending out trees over the winter time, so don't have much time to talk or show you round.
Can I grow fruit trees in pots?
Trees will always do better out in the open ground, rather than in a pot. However they are still able to be grown in pots. We would recommend using the very best potting mix you can find, and you need to make sure that the pot never dries out. Probably the best way of going about it, is to put a water timer on, so that it gets a regular drink. You need to fertilise, probably with some good quality compost, or dynamic lifter, blood and bone etc. Trees most suited to pot culture include olives, citrus, figs, dwarf nectarine and peach, quinces.
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