Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Mar 08, 2007 11:10 pm We'll be moving into our new house soon (yay!)...which means it's time to plan the garden.
I'm originally from New Zealand & am relishing the thought of being able to grow some fruit & vege I couldn't grow back home. Can someone recommend some nice sub-tropical fruit that do well in Melbourne, please? We're on a 888m2 block, so have some room for 1 or 2 trees (as long as they're not too huge), as well as shrubs & dwarfed trees. The choice is a wee bit overwhelming & because I haven't been here long enough to really appreciate what "normal" Melbourne weather is like, I'm not 100% sure what grows really well here, what's marginal & what absolutely won't grow here at all. Thanks for any help. Re: Fruit in Melbourne 2Mar 09, 2007 9:34 am Stuff like lemons and limes will grow really well, even apples in the right place....we even had a nectarine tree in a previous yard that went well. I think the most improtant thing for most fruit trees is a sunny spot with some shelter from wind and frosts! Re: Fruit in Melbourne 3Mar 09, 2007 1:50 pm You might want to have a look at these guys for a great selection:
http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/ 3xb Re: Fruit in Melbourne 4Mar 09, 2007 2:21 pm Oooh...I've spent hours & hours on the Daleys website over the last month or so
That's the problem - the choices really are endless. But unfortunately not everything clarifies whether or not it will grow this far south. The standards such as citrus, stonefruit (peaches, plums, necterines, apricots, etc) & apples are a given - I was thinking of getting a fruit salad tree of each of those (more varieties in a small space). And I'll definately try items I could grow back in NZ that are firm favourites with our family...such as rhubarb, feijoas, tamarillos, blueberries, cape gooseberries, grapes, etc. But I'd also like to grow a few more exotic things. Maybe babaco, white sapote, cherimoya (will that grow here?), loquat, jaboticaba, strawberry guava, etc...the list is endless, to be honest (so many yummy sounding fruit!!). But I have no idea which will do well & which to steer clear of. Then there are things like coffee, pineapple, & miracle fruit - I know they are tropical fruit but could I grow them indoors? And finally - are fruit fly a problem in Melbourne? Re: Fruit in Melbourne 5Mar 09, 2007 2:29 pm I dont think we have any fruit fly down here - mainly a northern states thing. When you drive over the border youre not supposed to take fruit in or out of vic - they have a "fruit fly exclusion" zone Join Diggers Club 7May 15, 2007 9:28 pm Hi
A late post on this topic ... we're members of the Diggers Club and they have fantastic heirloom fruit trees, largely dwarf varieties that will suit a suburban garden. Well worth taking a look, as their prices are great and they take the issue of taste very seriously. They can give you lots of info about what will grow where and under what conditions. See their website at www.diggers.com.au. Hope this proves fruitful (sorry, I couldn't resist!). e. Re: Fruit in Melbourne 8May 16, 2007 12:11 pm NZ to OZ is a major move, but not one of tropical proportions.
Contact the VIC department of primary and Industries department and they might have a list of waht can grow where etc for gardens and what planst are good or bad. But I reckon sapote in Melbourne is a touch too cool in a standard garden. and while I have heard someone has a mango tree in Perth WA, it is in a very well sheltered locatrion, up against a brick wall, gets the best sun etc etc, and it does fruit. But you'd have to be dedicated to do it. Hope this helps. The other one is check the yellow pages for fruit growers and see what is grown comercially in the vicinity. Cheers Good luck and happy farming. Steve Re: Fruit in Melbourne 9May 18, 2007 11:33 pm Thanks for your replies
I actually joined up with the Digger's Club a month or 2 ago & have been having a read through the latest catalogue & eyeing up a few plants. I also purchased Lewis Glowinski's book "The Complete Book of Fruit GRowing," which has proved very handy - he is in Melbourne as well & his book has a lot of helpful info on what does well here. So I've modified my choices a bit & am getting ready to plant out the garden now that we've moved. But first I have to rotary hoe the entire site & do a lot of work to get it ready - the ground is heavy clay & it's going to need a lot of gypsum & compost to make it nice to plant in. Sigh. Re: Fruit in Melbourne 10May 24, 2007 1:22 pm I know this is probably a little late but i have just come across this site as well which graft fruit trees and deliver them to you......
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