Big fruit on small trees - Jun 18, 2010
There is a backyard revolution going on that is seeing homeowners growing fruit trees again. 50 years ago almost every house had a lemon tree down the back near the toilet. Today the toilets are inside and the backyards are smaller but nurseries have responded by producing dwarf sized fruit trees that still provide normal sized fruit.
The selection is increasing every season so now you can buy dwarf growing Lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Oranges, Apples, Pears, Nectarines, Peaches and Cherries.
The best news is that most of these varieties can also be grown on sunny balconies in big pots. That means if you move house you can take your fruit trees with you. Many of the dwarf fruit trees are sold under the brand name "Trixzee".
These deciduous fruit trees are available in your local garden centre now. They are dormant at the moment so they can be transplanted safely. These are all grafted trees so they can produce fruit in the first season.
Non poisonous sprays are now available that control fruit fry so the fruit you grow at home will be safe to eat.
Ask for advice from a horticulturist when choosing fruit trees because some varieties need cross pollination from another variety or they will never produce fruit.
Tim Pickles is a CNP horticulturist and director of Tim's Garden Centre 2 Queen St Campbelltown 46267022.