Time To Plant Fruit Trees - Jul 03, 2008
This month garden centres will be taking delivery of there new season deciduous fruit trees. Sales of fruit trees have increased by 25% in the last 5 years because people have realised that healthy food means a healthy body.
Backyards might be getting smaller but plant breeders have responded by breeding smaller growing fruit trees that still have real sized fruit. Look for the Trixzie range of Peaches, Nectarines and Apples in your local garden centre now. These small growing trees produce excellent ,sweet flavoured full sized fruit. Because they stay so small they are perfect for compact gardens. If you don't own a garden grow them in large pots on sunny patio's and you will have great success.
If you have a narrow garden check out the range of Ballerina apple trees. These pole like trees only grow about 600mm wide by 3 metres high. There are five delicious eating apples to choose from. You will need to buy at least 2 of these because they need cross pollination to produce fruit. These are the crispiest apples I have ever eaten so I recommend them highly.
The problem with fruit trees in the past is that the fruit get attacked by fruit fly and then fall on the ground. These small growing trees are so much easier to look after and new sprays are available now that kill the pests without killing you.
The supply of fruit trees is very seasonal so once they sell out you have to wait 12 months before they become available again.
Tim Pickles is a horticulturist , CNP and director of Tim's Garden Centre 2 Queen St Campbelltown 46267022.