Grow, fruit and nut trees, grow!

Teralba’s Fruit and Nut Tree Plans

Going with the present evidence of kiwifruit, fig, nectarine and citrus trees currently growing on the property, I’ve taken on a gamble and took out a large list of fruit and nut trees to plant.

According to this chart of chill hour factor (http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/fruit%20pages/chillfactor.htm):

Avocado - None

Citrus – None

Pomegranate – 100-300

Fig – 100-500

Grapes – 100-500

Quince – 100-500

Persimmon – 100-700

Peach – 150-1200

Nectarine – 150-1200

Pear – 150-1500

Pecan - 150-1600

Plum – 275-100

Apricot – 300-1000

Apple – 300-1200

Almond – 400-700

Olive – 400-700

Chestnut – 400-750

Kiwi – 400-800

Walnut – 400-1500

In my area, it is officially a Warm Temperature with a mean annual rainfall of 1300mm. Frost starts from March and ends around Sept, with the mean annual temperatures going high at 23°C (although a record of 43°C were recorded a number of times) and the lowest at 11°C (and the recorded lowest at -4.2°C). The property is situated at the near bottom of a valley sheltered from East, while bearing the brunt of elements from South and West.

So with the list of trees listed here – it will be a trial and error process for us to see which actually thrives out here on the property and which doesn’t. We have gone to mix the list of trees that covers cool, warm temperatures and subtropical regions to test with.

Fruit Tree List:

· Apples (20 varieties) x 22

· Apricots (5 varieties) x 5

· Avocado (4 varieties) x 4

· Bananas x 6

· Cherry (3 varieties) x 3

· Cherimoya – Custard Apple x 1

· Citrus (Lemon x 4 varieties, Mandarin x 4 varieties, Orange x 6 varieties, lime) x 17

· Fig (2 varieties) x 3

· Grapes x 3

· Kiwifruit x 4

· Mango (3 varieties) x 3

· Mulberries (2 varieties) x 2

· Nectarine x 4

· Passionfruit (3 varieties) x 6

· Paw Paw x 1

· Pear (13 varieties) x 17

· Peach (4 varieties) x 4

· Plum (15 varieties) x15

· Quince x 1

Total Fruit trees = 119

Nut Trees List:

· Almond x 3

· Chestnut x 7

· Hazelnut x 7

· Macadamia x 3

· Pine nut x 2

· Walnut x 1

Total Nut trees = 23

Others List:

· Lillypillies x 18

· Bamboo x 4

· Elderberry x 4

· Ice Cream Bean x 8

· Guava x 1

· Strawberry x 40

I have planted a variety of windbreak and shade trees for those fruit and nut trees, along with existing Golden Robinia trees:

· Silver Birch x 4

· Forest She-oak x 4

· River She-oak x 6

· Swamp paperbark x 4

The structure of fruit and nut trees planted is a form of food forest – we do not have the time to let the legume trees to grow before the fruit and nut trees. So in our situation, everything get to grow at the same time!

Photos coming soon...

Cheers till later!