Lychee Trees, Diseases and Bats - Green Thumb Sunday

The lychee is one of the most delicious fruits you will ever taste our boss Greg Daley says they are his favourite. Lychees are a fruit tree which can have what we like to call a Bumper Crop. I visited my Nanna Maisy last week in Tweed Heads who has a lychee tree which she got from Daleys Nursery 20 years ago and it looked fantastic.

It got it's first harvest in the first 3 years when it was small however when it was 10 years old it got a disease which caused a lot of the leaves to fall off. Maisy was going to cut it down however it came good and ever since it has been getting huge crops like this one. She says she never waters it.

2 years ago a flying fox got caught in one of the nets and luckily my brother visited that day. He freed the bat and took off all the nets. Although it was uncovered not one bat visited the lychee that season.

Unfortunately their memory is only for a season and last year the Bats came when the lychees were the same size as the ones pictured, they ate every single lychee even though they were green.

Because the tree is huge Nanna has placed only a few nets over the lychees at head hight. The bats came again the last 2 nights and each morning nanna is picking up 2 buckets full of half eaten green lychees they have however not eaten the ones at the bottom with the nets.

After it crops I am going to visit and give it a very aggressive prune to about 2.5 meters so that it can become mananageable again.

Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

Green Thumb Sunday - Coffee Beans

I am one of those people who dreams of the perfect cup of coffee. Here is a picture of my k7 coffee plant that I have had for 2 years now in a pot. I can't wait till they turn red.

Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

Other Blogs done on Coffee Plants
Growing your own Coffee
Coffee Plants in Pots

Green Thumb Sunday

My very first pictures for this green thumb Sunday are my Glenn Mango Tree in a pot. And a close up of my very last Gulf Ruby Plum just before I ate it. Plums are in the shops at the moment but I must say the one I grew had such a full and rich flavor. The ones in the shops are bland, perhaps I am biased.

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

Daleys Joins Green Thumb Sunday

This group of gardeners from around the world share pictures of their Green Thumb Triumphs each Sunday. I am going to start uploading pictures of my garden (I have over 20 fruit trees in pots) as part of Green Thumb Sunday.

Bloggers Who Contribute

How To Grow A Mango Tree in A Pot

f you are in the city, have a small backyard or are renting then growing a mango tree in a pot could be just for you.

The first thing to do is choose a variety:
Colder Climates (eg Victoria)
- Mango R2E2 Seeding - More Hardy but takes longer to fruit
- Mango Nam Doc Mai - Good cropper in cooler climates

Subtropical or Tropical Climates (eg Northern NSW and QLD)
- Dwarf Irwin Mango Tree - Resistant to Black Spot
- Glenn Mango Tree - Semi Dwarf Variety and My Mango Tree pictured It is also resistant to Black spot
- R2E2 Grafted Mango Tree - We have all seen this variety in the supermarket and they are huge, non-stringy and taste great.

Choosing A Pot
I would suggest getting one of similar size to the one in the picture. How it works is the smaller the pot the smaller your plant and the sooner it will flower. The bigger the pot the bigger your mango tree and the mango tree may take a bit longer to flower.

Growing Mango Trees in Cooler Climates
Now is the best time to get your Mango Tree (Oct-Jan) Or I would suggest as soon as Spring breaks. The longer your mango tree has to establish and harden up the better. Ask your nursery to choose you one that is well established. That way when winter comes your mango tree is settled in. Working out ways to protect your mango tree from frosts while it is young will be your biggest challenge.

Potting Mix - The best quality you can afford.

Mulch - Lucerne is best but Sugar mulch will do to keep moisture in.

1st Year Flowering
If you purchased a grafted variety your mango tree will want to flower straight away. You should cut all these flowers off and encourage new foliage to grow.

2nd Year Flowering
The pictured mango is a second year mango tree grown in a pot and flowered profusely when Spring broke. There is no way that all the flowers will turn into mango's so I would cut half the flowers off and encourage new growth and the other half perhaps thin out leaving a maximum of 3 flower heads which could produce 5 mango's in the 2nd year.

3rd Year Flowering
Your mango tree should be well established by now and you can be the judge.

Pruning your Mango Tree
Because it is in a pot it's growth will be bonsaied even if you chose a variety that could normally grow very tall. Nevertheless I am a huge fan of pruning fruit trees because when you prune the tips instead of growing upwards which it does so instinctively it will start bushing out which is what you want.

Fertiliser and Watering
When Spring comes on you should start applying the fertiliser and when the fruit starts forming you should give it some water. If possible avoid watering in the late afternoon due to the water sitting on the leaves and developing a fungus.

Summary
Mango's have come a long way since the old Bowen's became a huge favourite for Australians upcoming varieties such as the Irwin and Glenn can be grown with much less damage from fungal diseases which required you to be attentive come early spring with your spraying regime.
Mango Trees grow very well in pots and allow you to position them to get the Sun in Spring and protection from frosts in Winter.

Dwarf Fruit Trees From Burkes Backyard Summer Special

Don Burke does a fantastic show which features Dwarf Fruit Trees. He takes a small backyard and transforms it into a permaculture haven.

Don Purchased Dwarf Fruit Trees From Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery which were featured in His Program on Channel 9.

Daleys Website:
http://www.daleysfruit.com.au

Don Burkes Website:
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au

Featured on Channel 9
http://www.ninemsn.com.au

Send Fruit Trees as A Gift this Christmas

Give loved ones a "Fruitful Gift". Send a box of fruit trees to their door or a Gift Voucher

Video Demonstration

Don Burke - Dwarf Fruit Trees

Don Burke speaks to Kath from Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery about growing Dwarf Fruit Trees. Recorded from Glenn Wheelers radio program on 2ue. You can listen live to the program at:
http://www.1radio.com.au/nsw/sydney/2ue_talkback_radio
between 4-6pm on Saturday or by radio on 2ue.

How To Plant a Tree

Detailed instructions on tree planting. Aspects such as the size of the hole, how to do a drainage test, What fertilizer and other considerations.

After Care of Your Tree

How to care for you tree after planting such as storing labels and staking your tree.

For more information:

Guide to Care and Planting of Fruit Trees

New Thornless Blackberry

We would like to welcome a new Berry to our collection called the Thornless Blackberry. Our variety is: "Blackberry - Thornless Chester" One of it's best points is that in it's second season it is possible to get a bumper crop.

You can eat this berry when it turns black fresh off the vine or concoct a tart. I haven't tasted it myself but it is only a matter of time as I am a berry fan.

This spring I have noticed that berries such as blueberries and raspberries are also very popular among fruit enthusiasts.

I guess competing with bats, possums, birds and your family to eat these berries fresh from your orchard is worth it.

We have 40 coming of the new Blackberry - Thornless Chester so it will be interesting to see how this new American berry perform here in Australia.

Spring is in the Air in 2007

The rain that came through Australia about 2 weeks before spring was so very needed. This week the whole landscape is responding and the countryside looks fantastic. The mango trees have their flowers forming and the blueberries are starting to turn that dark purple colour. The citrus are covered in flowers and so are the peaches and plums. Also the mulberry trees leaves look very healthy and some mulberries look like they will start to turn black. The passion fruit vines seem to have doubled in size since the rain.

All in all we are very excited about spring in 2007. The conditions are perfect to help the plants that suffered from this years big frosts get back on their trunks.

SMS When Fruit Trees are Available

When you search for a fruit tree and the fruit tree is not in stock you will have a button to press that looks like this:

Now when you click this you will have the option to enter your Mobile Phone Number. Once the fruit tree becomes available we will send you an sms as well as an email to tell you that it is ready for sale.

Western Australia - Mail Order Fruit Trees

Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery will now mail order to Western Australia.

To satisfy your quarantine requirements all the plants need to be sprayed and a member of the DPI is required to check all the plants for pests. Therefore there is an extra charge called "Spraying, Packing and Quarantine" which starts at $25 per order and increases depending on the number of fruit trees you order.

To find out exactly how much it will cost to send to your address simply add the fruit trees you want and enter your postcode. All the costs are displayed for you online.

Orders to W.A will be sent every 2nd month or perhaps more frequently depending on the number of orders we receive.

Cape Trib Exotic Fruit Farm

If you are ever going up to the top of Australia near Cape Trib then you have to go to the Cape Trib Exotic Fruit Farm.

They have a bed and breakfast on the edge of the Daintree Rainforest but what I like best is that on their farm they grow 150 species of exotic fruit species many of which we have here at Daleys. They use WWOOFAS to help maitain over 2000 fruit trees.

Each Day at 2pm you are invited to taste at least 10 of these exotic fruits depending on the time of the year.

Definitely on my list of places I must visit before I die.

Forum Prizes

The first 10 people to Create a forum with a picture of a fruit tree from their backyard will get a $20 Voucher.

So all you have to do is find a fruit tree from your backyard that you have a question about. Take a picture of this tree and upload it to our forum with your question.

If you are one of the first 10 people to do this we and maybe some others will try answering your question on the forum and email you a $20 voucher which you can use on our website or in person. We think the forum is a great way to learn about fruit trees.

Forum: http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/

Terms

* 1 per person

The ten $20 Vouchers go to these forums (they all have pics)

1. Frequency of repotting - By Andrew From Black Forest SA

2. Guava Trees in Melbourn - By Richard From Lysterfield

3. Satsuma plum tree - By Brian & Elaine From HipperBlackbutt, QLD

4. Black Sapote not growing - By Jared From Goonellabah

5. Jaboticaba - By Helen Haining From Gympie QLD

6. Grumichama - By Diane From Flaxton Qld

7. Wolf Berries - By Greg Burchell From Largs

8. Fig Tree - By Enid Stillhard From Yamba

9. When Should I Pick Olives - By Kym Howard From Boonah

10. Dragon Fruit Blisters - By Aaron From Forbes (Aaron I didn't get your email can you send it to me so I can send you the $20 voucher)

Video: Paw Paw or Papaya (Cutting)

Learn More About Southern Red Paw Paws

Persimmon Hachiya

Dwarf Fruit Trees - Bonsai Bags

This video was created for our Dwarf Fruit Tree Pack

Grafting Aftercare

How to care for your grafted fruit trees.

We Now Have a Forum

You can now take a picture of a plant using your digital camera then upload it to our website and ask a question about it.

Be one of the first to Use our:

Fruit Tree Forum

Request A Plant or Cultivator

Is there a Fruit Tree that we Don't have or we never seem to have in stock?

You can let us know by commenting below.

Queensland Home Garden $50 Rebate

Home Garden Waterwise Rebate Scheme

The Queensland Government is offering up to a $50 rebate when you purchase drought tolerant plants. It works like this you get 50% off any plant that your nursery recommends as drought tolerant. This is capped once the rebate reaches $50. It is open for both renters (OK it with your landlord) and of course home owners. (Full Details)

Click To View all the plants suitable for this scheme from our nursery:

Drought Tolerant Plants for the QLD Waterwise rebate scheme

Further Discussion about the scheme

In the last few years there has been more talk about looking after our environment. The best ways are usually:

1. Use our resources wisely.
2. Plant trees suitable for their climate.

The Queensland Government Home Garden Rebate we think is the best response yet because rather then just rebates on energy efficient washing machines, water tanks etc They actually are encouraging the people in their state to plant more trees. (of course we are biased to this solution) If you are from another state why not ask your local member to do something similar.

How it works: Click to go to our Queensland Home Garden Waterwise Web Page and add any of the plants on this page to your shopping cart. You will notice that each item when added to your shopping cart will have underneath it "Suitable for the QLD Waterwise Rebate Scheme".

When we mail order your plants to you we will include this invoice with the plants. You then fill out this form and attach your invoice and send it to: Home WaterWise Rebate Scheme, GPO Box 2454, Brisbane, QLD, 4001. And they will send you back up to $50.

You can certainly order other plants from us such as fruit trees that are not suitable for the scheme on the same invoice. However only the plants marked "Suitable for the QLD Waterwise Rebate Scheme" will receive the 50% rebate.

Grafting Fruit Trees

Kath and Katie show the why and how of grafting fruit trees.

4 Month Old Paw Paw - Cutting Grown

Cutting grown Southern Red Paw Paw outside our office after 4 months

Paw Paws in Pots

We are currently trialing cutting grown paw paws and as you can see the results have been spectacular.

Advantage 1
Instead of taking 18 months to fruit a cutting grown paw paw takes only 4 months.
Advantage 2
Sick of getting a ladder to pick your paw paws? Cutting grown pawpaws fruit at ground level.
Advantage 3
You can even grow them in a pot.
Disadvantage
Cost. There is a lot more work involved in preparing the cuttings so they would cost $29 each as opposed to $10 for the seedlings. If we get enough people interested we will start making them a regular selection from our nursery.

Would you like to be Emailed when they are ready for Sale?
(Email me when the Cutting Grown Southern Red Paw Paw is ready)

Passion Flower

There is a lovely place in our orchard at the moment near the passionfruit vines. The aroma is the first thing that I notice as I near the trellis, there is a heady spicy scent in the air. I am then stopped in my tracks by these strikingly beautiful flowers which are produced in great numbers. We have the hybrid vines in the orchard these are a cross between the Giant Grandilla, Passiflora quadrangularis and the Sweet Lilikoi, Passiflora alata, both of which have equally beautiful flowers. It can be a little difficult to get them to set fruit and often hand pollination with a soft paint brush is the only way to ensure fruit set but they are worth the effort for their delicious fruits and are stunning if grown for the flowers alone. Picked flowers can be used in shallow saucers as table decorations or they are gorgeous when used to scent rooms with their magnificent fragrance, I often bring them up to the office to enjoy both the amazing complicated flower and the unusual perfume.

Murray Darling and Fruit Prices

With Prime Minister John Howard announcing that the Murray Darling will not be used for agriculture the price of Fruit & Veg in Australia may be set to skyrocket.

A current affair did a video estimating price hikes once the restrictions are in effect (per kilo)

Oranges - $4.97 - $8.70
Apples - $2.71 - $4.74
Pears - $3.98 - $6.97
Plums - $5.94 - $10.40
Macadamia Nuts - $19.98 - $34.97

To combat prices they suggested some people would eat canned fruit or buy imported fruit.

I have a better idea: Why not Grow Your Own Fruit

Find the Perfect Fruit Tree

There are many considerations in choosing fruit trees that are right for you such as frost tolerance, Dwarf, pollination, fruiting times etc

How it Works

You use a menu (pictured left) to select what you want and the web page shows you plants that match.

What do you Think?

Be the first to use our new web page choosing fruit trees but please remember to tell us what you think below. We will use your feedback to make it better.

Panama Berry

I love my panama berry it is my favourite fruit tree, especially at the moment when it is fruiting. The tree itself is very attractive with soft foliage that hangs almost to the ground it is evergreen, fast growing and always looks beautiful. Fruits are produced for months so at this time of the year the tree is adorned with both the delicate white flowers and the pretty red fruits that are about the size of a small cherry. In ideal conditions the trees can grow to about ten meters but I have no intention of letting mine get that tall as I would not be able to reach the tempting little fruits.
It is a browsing tree, none of the fruit that my tree produces ever make it inside, all my fruits are eaten in the shade of the tree. My birds have not yet realized that the fruits are delicious, I am not sure if this is because they are hidden under the soft weeping foliage but I feel lucky about that. My neighbours wallabies feed on the foliage of his tree but mine have never munched a single leaf on my tree so the foliage weeps to the grou

nd. The fruits are very sweet, I think they have the flavour of vanilla ice cream and I just love to suck the inside flesh out of the skin even though the skins are edible.
Correy will want to know if he can grow a panama berry in a pot in his garden and yes they grow beautifully in large containers, as with any fruit tree in a container it will require regular watering, a good quality potting mix and a healthy layer of organic mulch to keep the moisture in. The panama berry is a must have as a snacking tree for children and adults alike, anyone who like sweet think will love the panama berry.

Feijoa - Feijoa sellowiana

We have been enjoying a bumper crop of feijoas from our orchard at the nursery this year. Our fruit fly controls are certainly paying off as the fruits are 90% free of fruit fly grubs. Greg has been spraying the orchard with eco-naturlure since August 2006 on a weekly basis. The underside of the leaves of selected trees are sprayed so that it sticks to the back of the leaf and does not get washed of in rain. Feijoas and guavas are particularly attractive to fruit flies so it is wonderful to be eating fruits that are not infected with fly. This is an Apollo feijoa, it has large elongated oval fruits that are delicious and it has cropped well in the orchard this year. They are sweet and have a delicate flavour that is a combination of pineapple, guava, strawberry, passion fruit and lemon. Fruits are refreshing and delicious eaten fresh and they can be used in desserts and preserves.

Feijoas are well known and popular in New Zealand where many of the modern cultivars

have been developed, they do however originate from south America where they are common in the mountains of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Feijoas are easy to grow, they are hardy and can be grown in full sun or part shade, they are even tolerant of maritime conditions although this will slow their growth and will reduce the crop. They are ideal to use as a wind break, flowering and fruiting hedge to protect more sensitive plants in your garden.

Talking Gardening with Col Campbell

Colin Cambpell is my favourite celebrity gardener. He has a talk show that you can listen to in Brisbane on 4bc (you can also listen online like I do) on Saturday morning where he gives spot on advice.

Why I like listening to "Col" is simply because he inspires you to get out into the garden and enjoy it. I notice that most people who ring up talk back radio ask questions about their fruit trees which is a great way to learn.

Also with water restrictions and govt hurting those who want to have a garden I believe collin really does stand up for those of us in the cities who want to contrast the pollution with a few trees.

Goji Berry & Sandpaper Fig

We have two great new additions for you:

Goji Berry

Sandpaper Fig

Dragon Fruit at Mount Warning

Mount Warning Holiday Park has a massive dragon fruit growing on a palm tree near their swimming pool.

Notice how the yellow flowers are drooping. This is because it is night flowering. The dragon fruit is quite happy to hang itself off this tree and it loves getting all the sun near the pool. It climbed to the very top of the palm tree with ease.

Because the Dragon Fruit is self pollinating it does need ants or bees to pollinate it so sure enough it was covered in ants.

The above pictures are of a Yellow Dragon Fruit and it will still be a while before you can pick the fruit. However they had another Red dragon fruit again on a palm tree which was fruiting.

I notice that in Brisbane at the moment some shops are selling imported dragon fruits (around $4 each yet you can grow your own for $12.90) from Vietnam however after seeing these huge dragon fruit vines there is no reason why in the near future we will be eating commercially grown dragon fruit from Australia hopefully a bit cheaper as well.

Another thing I noticed is that they don't have any roots in the ground. I could be wrong but once they are established they seem to dig themselves into the host tree and I assume feed themselves this way perhaps like a strangler fig however not as aggressive as they rely on the host tree for survival. Am I right?

Fig Black Genoa

The Fig Black Genoa is in our Australia's top 5 most popular plants so when I was down at Daleys Nursery it was on my must have list.

Figs have an amazing flavour but you need to eat them at the right time as they are highly perishable once picked so I am guessing that is why supermarkets and fruit markets have a hard time keeping them on their shelves and charge like a wounded bull for them.

Because I live in the city I am growing it in a pot to keep it dwarfed and also it means that I can move it into the perfect sunny position. I have 5 figs coming on even though it is only a baby. No wonder people like the fig black Genoa so much they fruit from a young age and for a large part of the year as well - October through to March.