Blueberries ripen between December and April or even later.
OPINION
Grow your own Groceries
In these times of economic challenges looking for ways to stretch the budget further are always welcome. Growing vegetables at home is good for the wallet as too is having fruiting plants and trees.
Here we are now in autumn and it is the best time for making new plantings for most trees and shrubs.
Planting now allows plants to develop their root systems well into the soil before the hot, dry summer months arrive again. New plantings made close to the summer months can often struggle to get established unless intensive watering is maintained.
This week we are looking at a number of fruits that are good for planting out now.
A recent release – dwarf grafted cherry compact stella
Many know the compact stella cherry with its bright red heart-shaped fruit and ripening with its delicious produce around Christmas each year. The tree is usually a reasonable grower reach a size of 4-5m. This can provide a feast for the birds if not carefully pruned and managed.
The dwarf grafted compact stella has a root system that is far less vigorous and maintains a more manageable size of 1.8m to 2.5m in height.
This size is far more realistic to cover with bird netting and to reach the fruit with the same fruiting attributes as the regular stella.
Blueberries
A much-enjoyed fruit, the berries are pleasant eaten fresh and may be cooked in pies, muffins, jams and hot fruit sauces. The fruit ripens between December and April or even later.
Though often an expensive fruit to buy, as garden plants they are easy to grow and crop well in the home garden. The plants themselves are quite decorative.
Smaller growing varieties can be maintained to about 1m but others will grow to 2m or more if allowed. Blueberry plants prefer acid soil conditions like that of rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias.
They should be fertilised in spring and autumn with both acid fertiliser and citrus fertiliser to give the ideal blend. For maximum cropping potential plant two different varieties which increases pollination and subsequent fruiting.
If you are limited for space you can consider growing blueberry plants in pots. They will grow and fruit well in reasonably sized (approx. 35 litre) pots and containers for five to eight years before becoming too pot-bound.
Citrus
Includes lemons, oranges, grapefruit, mandarins and tangelos which are best known, and limes, kumquats and lemonade fruit (a sweet lemon hybrid) are also worth growing in the garden. Most are good tub or container subjects which is useful when space for a fruit garden is limited.
Citrus left to grow without pruning usually form naturally well-shaped trees and produce good crops. Removal of dead, damaged or tangled branches is the main pruning requirement for the majority of citrus varieties. Lemons do benefit from a light prune or trim just after harvest.
Most citrus may be lightly pruned or headed back at the time of planting to assist their establishment. Pruning cuts should be treated with pruning paste such as “Yates PruneTec Sealant” or “Grosafe Prune n Paste” to help healing and prevent infection and pest attack.
A large proportion of good fruit is borne around the outside of citrus trees, so this should only have a light prune, if any at all. Allow enough space for the lawnmower and maintenance access.
It is important to keep the area under trees clear of fallen mouldy fruit, which can spread infection back onto the trees. Citrus trees can be pruned at any time of the year and it is usually most convenient when the fruit is being harvested.
Raspberries
There are a number of varieties available but one of exceptional quality is “Raspberry Aspiring”. This brilliant variety is a dual cropper fruiting in both summer and autumn.
Summer fruits are produced on last year’s canes. Autumn fruit is produced on the top 10-20 buds of new canes. Aspiring has large dark red conical firm fruit with excellent flavour. It has been developed by Plant & Food Research NZ.
This raspberry grows as a bramble on upright canes. Covered with rose-type leaves, simple small white flowers are followed by luscious sweet delicate fruit. Aspiring is a strong and productive plant, which spreads fast and is one of the easiest of all to grow.
Feijoas
Grow and fruit well in Whanganui. They are a delicious easy-to-grow backyard fruit tree that requires little or no care and does not seem to be susceptible to many pests or diseases. Feijoa are often planted for its multi purpose attributes. A good productive fruit tree, good ornamental value with its red pōhutukawa-like flowers and as a hedge for shelter where it can handle some coastal exposure. Feijoas ripen between March and June and grow approximately 3m tall, the trees can be kept pruned to a much smaller size if desired. Many varieties need to be planted in twos for cross-pollination.
Three favourite varieties are:
Feijoa Unique; traditionally one of the most popular feijoa varieties grown in NZ because it is self fertile. It is a prolific bearer of fruit from a young age of medium size with smooth soft and juicy flesh. Early season bearer.
Feijoa Sherbet; Super early fruiting variety (late February, Early March) with very large fruit. Smooth white flesh with a sweet, tangy flavour. Vigorous growth habit.
Feijoa Bambina; is a dwarf variety growing only 1.5m x 1.5m. It produces miniature sized fruit which can be eaten skin and all. It suits small gardens as well as being excellent for growing in containers with its abundance of bright red Christmas flowers followed by delicate wee fruit. Thin edible skin surrounding sweet aromatic pulp bursting with flavour. No need for the spoon! Mid-season harvest, April to May. Description provided by incredible edibles.
Figs
Grow well in a sunny, sheltered spot in the home garden. They like plenty of water and bear their heaviest crops when roots are restricted. Figs prefer a heavier rather than a lighter soil. If left to their devices, they grow 3-6m tall and can spread equally as wide. Fruit is harvested from late December to April. Figs are deciduous and bear fruit that range in colour from yellow through green to purplish black.
Other fruits which grow well in Whanganui gardens include; apples, pears, peaches, olives, plums, quinces, gooseberries, cranberries, guavas, kiwifruit, grapes, walnuts, hazelnuts and persimmons. Don’t forget - many varieties of citrus fruit.
Happy gardening!
Gareth Carter is general manager of Springvale Garden Centre
Comment: There are food sources that have a stronger attraction for certain birds.