Beurré Bosc Pears, or Bosc Pears as they're more commonly known, are by far the best eating and most intriguing pear available. Their leathery, mottled skin often turns most people away from trying them - especially kids - but these appealing fruits hold a distinct flavour masked by their blemished packaging.

The most popular varieties, Bartletts, Red Bartletts and Anjous, will continue to dominate the pear market as their "normal" shape, size and colouring appeal to the fussy consumer more readily. However, if you've never tried a Bosc pear then you really are settling for second best.

One of the common myths of the Bosc pear is that they must be peeled, and cooked, before eating which simply isn't true. This fruit can be eaten straight from the tree and while the skin may feel like a different texture it is still very edible.

Once you've realised that this wonderful pear is far more delicious than the popular varieties you will soon discover that they are also reasonably difficult to source in the supermarkets. Due to their lack of populus appeal many grocers won't stock them, or if they do it will only be a limited supply. Therefore you may need to grow your own Bosc pear tree if you want to enjoy more than a few offerings.

How to Grow a Bosc Pear

A good starting place is to read this post on growing apple trees. Growing pears from seed - even seed from a Bosc pear - will not guarantee the production of Bosc pears. The best specimens are grafted onto rootstock and showing signs of good leader growth.

You can often buy grafted Bosc pears as bare rooted stock towards the end of winter and early spring. This is usually the best way to buy them because it allows you to investigate the root system before planting ensuring that no disease, or potential for disease, is obvious.

The next part is quite simple and just involves following this tutorial on how to plant a tree and then how to stake it correctly so that it's not blown around in the wind.

You should prune the leader, once it's in the ground, down to where the other outer branches are protruding from above the graft. This will assist your Bosc pear to push outwards rather than clutter in the middle allowing better air movement through the leaves and fruit. Then, before each spring, prune each branch by about a third and continue shaping your tree so that it opens outwards.

As the fruit begins to bloom, cut off any branches that are producing too many fruit buds. This may sound counter-productive but it will ease the weight on your branches and help the tree not to split.

Fertilise your Bosc pear at the start of spring with a rich, organic manure around its dripline.

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If you've been reading this blog for a few years you may have remembered a post I wrote on Vegiforms, styling veggies with plastic moulds as they grow. Well...one young Aussie has taken it to the next level and is now producing strawberries shaped as hearts...that will be harvested just in time for Valentine's Day.

The 22-year old engineering graduate from Melbourne has teamed up his invention with a Tasmanian strawberry farm and plans to have these out within the next 3 weeks. Could this be the ultimate gift idea for Valentines?

However, in the true essence of Valentine's they will be suitably priced at $2 each. For the frugal romantics, buying a punnet of strawberries and some dipping chocolate may prove a little cheaper.

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Berries come in all shapes and sizes yet the only thing that seems relevant to each is the term "Berry". They come from different genera, have vastly different growing conditions yet somehow they've been lumped into this category of "berries" that blindly pigeon-holes them for us.

The botanical definition of a berry is: a simple fruit produced from a single ovary. This includes grapes, tomatoes and the assortment of fruits which we colloquially bundle into the berry cart.

So, if they're so vastly different can any single rule simplify the process of growing these delicious fruits? Sure, they do have some common traits and requirements;

• Sun - all berries require full-sun to grow and produce their fruits during the warmer months


• Water - berries contain more than 90% water as part of their make up. So, it makes sense that regular watering is an essential element in successfully growing them


• Well-Nourished Soil - this may not be as important once the plants become established (for example, mulberry trees, once mature, can source many of their own nutrients and require very little on-going care). However, for smaller plants such as strawberries this is a must.

Types of berries

As mentioned previously, there are a myriad of berries available that offer both nutritional and flavour benefits. Here is a list of some of the more common ones;

• Strawberries Probably the most common berry, strawberries have been enjoyed throughout the centuries. Synonymous with love, they are often symbols used to accentuate Valentines Day and other embracing moments. They are quite easy to grow and maintain and I have previously written a post on how to grow strawberries that may be helpful for you.
• Blueberries
  Blueberries grow on bushes and are also a favourite type of berry. Their plump, juicy flesh pops on your tastebuds with subtle ascetic flavours and they are wonderful to consume with bucketloads of double cream (not helpful for the waistline though). Growing them requires a few pointers and these are best pointed out with this earlier post on how to plant blueberry bushes.
• Blackberries, Raspberries, Loganberries (Tayberries) and Boysenberries
  These berries all grow on canes that can be pruned in their dormant season much like a climbing rose, cutting out the dead canes and allowing the new ones to be pruned for future fruit production. They are a feast for local birds and often become invasive plants in the wild due to birds carrying seeds away from the garden.
• Mulberries
  A childhood without a Mulberry tree is like snow without a snowman. These large shade trees produce the most wonderful fruit and many a mulberry war has been started underneath their big boughs. Today, many gardeners opt for weeping mulberry trees due to size limits on their gardening space and these still produce the delicious fruit without having to climb ladders to obtain them.
• Elderberries
  These are an interesting berry as everything else about an elder tree or bush is toxic and contains high levels of cyanide. Even unripe berries can be detrimental to your health or that of your children. However, ripe elderberries are delicious and can be consumed in abundance.
• Goji and Acai berries
  These two berries have been growing in popularity over the past decade due to their many health benefits. If you haven't heard much about these two then you can get up to speed by reading these earlier posts; growing goji berries and What is Acai fruit?.
  

Common questions about berries

Q: How you tell the difference between edible berries and poisonous ones?
A: There is no easy way to determine whether a berry is poisonous or edible. There are some ways to test edibility but they require some effort to conduct properly, and still not always conclusively. It is far better to educate yourself of the edible varieties before exploring.

Q: Why does my berry plant have more leaves than fruit?
A: The soil they are growing in is too high in Nitrogen (the major chemical element needed for leaf growth). Take a soil test and amend your growing medium with increased doses of Potassium (K) - required for fruit production - and Phosphorous (P) - required for fruit set.

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Fruit is often one of those foods that we plough into our mouths without taking the time to savour. Sure, we'll comment on a crisp apple, a juicy peach and even a sweet strawberry but how often do we slow down, reach for a spoon and tickle our tastebuds with sensations to die for?

Perhaps you haven't had the delightful experience of gently exhuming a cold, delectable teaspoon from between your lips. In its place a glob of fruit gently stirs the tastebuds, rendering them jelly-like as it meanders across the tongue and you speak phrases to yourself like, "Oooh...I'm in heaven."

"What's this to do with gardening?" you may be asking. Well, everything! The reason we garden is to enjoy the fruits of our labour [pun fully intended]. They are God's reward for tending our trees, shrubs and plants and helping them grow so successfully. Their yield becomes our reward but unless you take the time to enjoy them, gardening can never truly be appreciated.

So, here are eight fruits that you can cut open and force a spoon into and let your tastebuds be the judge of your gardening efforts.

1. Kiwi-Fruit Also known as the Chinese Gooseberry the kiwi fruit is the best spoon-eating fruit. Many grocers now sell spoon-like tools with these fruit because they understand how delectable they are being eaten this way. Kiwifruit don't have to be consumed when they're mushy and are usually best when they are still semi-hard to the touch.
2. Pomegranates
   One of my favourite fruits the pomegranate is a bundle of edible seeds wrapped in a pliable jelly. They have a very distinctive flavour with a hint of sourness to enjoy and make really good-eating.
   
3. Passionfruit
   Probably the best fruit to eat with a spoon is the passionfruit. Similar to the pomegranate's structure, a passionfruit has masses of seeds swirling inside their tough exterior and taste scrumptious straight from the vine at the end of a hot summer's day. Some people prefer to chill these overnight before eating but it's purely personal.
   
4. Grapefruit
   Often known as the breakfast fruit, grapefruit's are best enjoyed halved horizontally and covered lightly covered with sugar. Left for 10 minutes before eating the sweet and sour flavours combine beautifully to orchestrate a taste sensation that is very refreshing. Diving into one without adding a little sweetness may force the inside of your cheeks to pucker with each spoonful.
   
5. Dragon Fruit
   You remember that dragon fruit you started growing at the back of your yard, well now it's time to start consuming a few. This fruit's soft, leathery texture makes an ideal fruit to eat with a spoon and the riper the better.
   
6. Feijoas (Guavas)
   Similar to kiwi fruit, the feijoa is best eaten with a spoon - especially the very ripe ones. Their outer casing provides a practical container for the juicy flesh inside. These, like passionfruit, are best devoured directly after picking but can also be chilled if preferred.
   
7. Melons
   It may be time to trade up to a bigger spoon if you're about to enjoy any of the wonderful melons that grow during the warmer months. Watermelon, honeydew (canteloupes), champagne - they all make delightful eating with a spoon. Plus, it's possible to enjoy the experience with at least one other person due to their size.
   
8. Custard Apples
   Now this fruit can really only be enjoyed once it's very ripe, and once it is the only way to eat them is with a spoon. As their name suggests, the fruit becomes like custard as it ripens so scraping it out with a spoon is the only way to enjoy these.
   

Now that your tastebuds have been tickled it's time to grab a few and start the experience. If none of them are growing in your garden at the moment then head off to your local nursery or plan to get one or two in the ground for next season. You'll appreciate that you did.

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Citrus are one of those ubiquitous plants that adorn most gardens offering fruit for the home gardener but also producing their fair share of problems too. It seems that many home gardens offer at least one lemon, orange, or grapefruit tree while others have delved into the less traditional varieties and explored tangellos, mandarins and the odd kumquat tree. Yet, for many reasons, the quintessential lemon is now being replaced by dwarf citrus trees.

It's no surprise, really. Our diminishing yard sizes and the limited space we now have to garden in primarily dictates the type of plants that we grow. No longer are home gardeners able to plant 2-3 citrus trees, plus a few other fruiting trees and ornamentals. Now we have the choice to select one small tree - and one only.

So, it makes sense that dwarf citrus trees are growing in popularity. Their small stature works in confined spaces yet their yields are disproportionate to their dwarfish size. Plus, if you're not into the idea of growing a fruit salad tree then it makes logical sense that dwarf is the way to go.

To define what a "dwarf" citrus tree is it makes sense to start with what it's not. Some gardeners can often be duped into buying so-called dwarf citrus trees that are really just immature versions of a larger tree.

True dwarfs are grafted onto smaller growing rootstock and produce same-sized fruit even though the tree remains small. It's almost impossible to identify from the graft whether the tree is a dwarf or not as most citrus are grown from grafted rootstock these days so it pays to buy from a reputable dealer that is willing to guarantee their stock.

Looking after dwarf citrus trees is a cinch and provided they are kept moist, fertilised twice annually and pruned every 2-3 years you can expect your tree to produce happily. They are no more susceptible to pests and diseases than their towering counterparts but they do have problems with branches breaking under the strain of the fruit. Therefore, it is wise to remove some of the fruit prior to maturity to aid the tree in supporting it all.

These trees are great pot specimens and can happily exist in containers for many years provided they are repotted every 2 years and their root structures trimmed back. Don't try this when they're fruiting but wait for their dormant period.

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In our efforts to use every piece of land available it seems a preposterous notion to plant trees that only produce a single type of fruit these days. Instead, growers and hybridizers have been toying with growing different fruits on the same tree - hence the name: Fruit Salad Tree.

Instead of growing a lime tree, a lemon tree and an orange tree and taking up half your backyard, you now have the option to buy a citrus fruit salad tree that may contain all three on the one plant - plus more. It's quite possible that you could also have a grapefruit, tangello and mandarin grafted into the same tree. Or, you could have different varieties of the same fruit - ie, instead of just growing a single mandarin tree, you could have the same tree producing Murcott's, Imperials and Fremonts.

A fruit salad tree is only limited by its size and the tribe of fruit that will grow upon it. For example, while it may seem wonderful to have a tree that grows pineapples, grapes, cherries and mangoes on the same trunk it's just not possible (with the current level of technology) to achieve that. Rather, having one tree grow stone-fruits, one that grows citrus and another that grows pears, apples and nashees is not only possible but already been done.

So, the question that's on your lips now is, "How do they get them on the same plant?" Quite easily. It's a propagation method called grafting that has been utilised for centuries. The gardener starts off with one dominant root stock pruning it to one main leader. Then they graft scions of plant tissue into the trunk which becomes the basis for another type of fruit. Depending on how many varieties you want growing on the same tree depends largely on the size of your initial rootstock and the number of different scion types you have readily available.

While a fruit salad tree is very possible to create yourself, in most cases the hard work has already been done for you if you buy them ready made from your local nursery. However, while you may benefit from the convenience and save time by having a tree that's all ready to fruit you may be limited to the types of hybrids available. If you want your fruit salad tree to your personal specifications then you will have to create it yourself and have access to the fruit trees that you want to graft into the rootstock.

The downside - and there's always a downside - of fruit salad trees is when it comes to pruning. You need to have your wits about you when trimming these plants in the off-season or you might end up cutting off one, or more, of the grafts. Also, ensuring that the tree is shaped well to handle the weight of different fruits or even their cropping yields is another consideration that can't be taken lightly.

One of the main benefits of a fruit salad tree is the ability to grow fruits that produce at different time periods. You may be able to graft an early fruiting variety with one that delivers at the usual time and another that fruits towards the end of the season. This ensures that you have fruit for an extended period of time and you won't end up with a concentrated glut all at once.

So, if your yard doesn't have a fruit tree yet, a fruit salad tree could just be the answer for your garden.

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If you've been waiting for your avocado fruit to ripen on the tree, you may be in for a long wait. For, like bananas and kiwi fruit, avocados are climacteric - which means they mature on the tree but ripen only when picked. This might explain why your avocado fruit always seems so hard.

Yet most avocados can take between 6-18 months to mature - depending on the variety - and only when they appear to take on a mature size and shape are they ready to be picked.

So, obviously the best way to ripen avocados is to pick them. However, how many times have you had an avocado sitting on your bench and three weeks later it still feels as hard as the day you bought or picked it? For me, it's been a few.

To understand how best to ripen avocados it is worth understanding the process that occurs in order for them to ripen. As a climacteric fruit, avocados dispel a chemical called ethylene as they ripen. (Supermarkets often use a synthetic ethylene to speed up the process - but you probably won't have this available). The ethylene builds up as the process continues until the fruit actually ripens.

Therefore, if you were to put them in a container or paper bag you would retain the ethylene build up and the ripening process would occur much quicker. Put them in the fridge and the process stops - which is helpful to know if you're trying to stop them over-ripening. Even putting other climacteric fruit alongside them will hasten the process.

Yet leaving them on a bench in a vast and airy room will ensure that they won't ripen any time soon.

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I spent the weekend pruning our lemon tree, not to mention the lime, the crab apple, the overarching ceanothus, my Albany woolly-bush and a raft of other trees and plants. The rain clouds had dissipated long enough to show the sun for most of it so it was a real joy being outside again.

The middle of winter is a great time to prune a lemon tree or any type of citrus. It's the small window of opportunity you get with citrus trees where most of the fruit has become harvestable and it has only just started blooming new buds. If you wait any longer then the tree will be covered in new buds and if you prune any earlier then you will lose most of the still immature fruit.

When pruning citrus you will have to forego some of the fruit as there will always be some unripe ones left. Yet this is a small price to pay for the abundance of fruit you will yeild next season after your tree has been pruned properly now.

So, how do you go about pruning citrus? Here are some starting points;

1. Cut out any dead or diseased wood. Often branches will have snapped during the growing season either due to the weight of the fruit or from extreme weather conditions, or both. This kills the branch yet still leaves it hanging from the tree. If you don't cut these limbs off then it can become an entry point for disease.
2. Prune any branches that are becoming a hazard. If your lemon tree is on the edge of a path like mine is then invariably it will grow branches that hinder your travel. Many times I've been crowned by a bunch of green fruit and apart from being dangerous these limbs can just be downright annoying.
3. The next step is to reduce the remaining limbs by about 1/3 in height. This does two things; (1) it allows the tree to bush rather than continue its journey heavenward, and (2) it allows next years fruit to be accessible.
4. Once the above steps have been completed you will be able to stand back and consider the plant's balance. Any criss-crossing limbs or branches that grow inwards should now be pruned to open up the canopy and allow light and airflow into the tree. This enables the fruit to ripen better and helps avoid future disease.

Now that your pruned citrus is finished it's time to mulch the removed limbs for your compost and then fertilise your lemon tree with a generous dose of urea and a well-rotted sheep or cow manure. This will get your tree back up and sprouting new growth in no time and it will certainly reward you for your effort.

The above listed steps will work for any citrus tree whether it be mandarins, limes, grapefruit, oranges or cumquats. The main consideration when pruning citrus is that your tools are clean and sharp and any cuts made on a limb are one action without damaing the branch.

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Persimmons are one of those odd fruits that seem to fit somewhere in the middle between kiwi fruit and custard apples. What makes them so different is that very few people seem to know what to do with them once they've harvested a few. Some eat them like apples, but the majority take a sample bite and discard them just as quick.

The persimmon has a flavour that's quite distinct but is often found quite bland and wanting. The colour of the skin is the giveaway clue in what the inside tastes like; deep orange - full of flavour: pale orange - bland. But, the flavour may also depend on the variety being grown.

Astringent persimmons - the ones that make your mouth all puckery after you've taken your first bite - are probably the least preferred varieties. Instead, the Japanese 'Fuyu' or the Israel's 'Sharon Fruit' are both non-astringent and are commonly grown and sold commercially.

So, how do you grow your own persimmons?

Before you go and grab a tree via some mail-order catalogue you may want to assess your climate and soil type as these trees are fairly 'picky'. Unless you reside in a semi-tropical or Mediterranean-type clime your chances of success with a persimmon tree are largely limited. This is a tree that hates frost and struggles to survive in temperatures that are below 0°C (32°F).

The next thing to check is if your soil is able to adequately accomodate these trees. It should be free draining as persimmons don't tolerate 'wet feet'. It can affect their root systems and also produce poor quality fruit.

If you've convinced yourself that your yard might possibly house one of these 10m (30ft) mini-giants then you may be disappointed to find that growing one in isolation isn't going to be too 'fruitful'. Persimmon trees require a mate as they can't self-pollinate - however, some of the Asian varieties are able to produce single-gender blooms.

The final hurdle to prepare yourself for is that persimmons usually take years to mature before bearing fruit. The trees will still require ongoing maintenance, pruning and fertilising over the years but it may be some time before they eventually reward you for your efforts.

But, once they do, the "fruit of the Gods" should produce in abundance. Then it will be a question of what to do with them so here's a few suggestions.

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Most gardening questions about fruit trees revolve around getting your tree to produce rather than making it stop. In fact, most gardeners would consider it pure sacrilege to force a tree to no longer produce fruit.

Yet, if you've ever had a fruit tree that produces in abundance and become a menace more than a pleasure, you will understand the desire to stop it fruiting. Excess fruit can become a hazard in your garden, not to mention the problem with rotting fruit covering your yard.

Then there are other associated problems that some gardeners don't appreciate about trees that fruit. Some, like the female ginkgo, emit a rancid aroma while the fruit sets on the trees. Others attract flocks of birds that pick at the blooms or fruit and others can produce problems with hiving bees.

So, while that gorgeous old tree may provide the benefits of privacy or shade for the garden the problem of fruit production may cause a gardener to consider their options about keeping it.

One obvious choice is to remove the tree altogether and replant an alternative that doesn't offer the same problems. Many gardeners inherit these nuisance trees so this might be the likely outcome.

Another option is to use a growth regulator such as Florel®. Florel® is the brainchild of Monterey and inhibits the production of fruit when applied during the blooming stage. The active ingredient, Ethephon, is non-toxic and converts quickly to ethylene when it comes in contact with plant material.

However, if using chemicals in the garden concerns you then there are only two other options available. The first is removing the flowers by hand which on a small tree may be a good alternative but once the tree increases in size becomes a tad untenable.

The second is to spray high-pressure water at the blooms in order to knock them off. This method has its own faults in that it could also strip the tree of its foliage if the pressure is too high. Therefore, take care if opting for this choice and test a few branches before committing yourself to the whole tree.

As a last resort, you could always offer friends, charities or local community groups to access your unwanted fruit for free. Depending on what fruit your tree offers this may be the best way to rid yourself of your excess produce.

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When you have unlimited resources and enough space to fling a Mack truck it doesn't matter what you grow. Even if you're trying to escape the supermarkets and remain self-sustainable, unlimited resources allows you to to be frivolous with your choices and grow any plant you like.

However, confine yourself to a suburban backyard and the options become very limited. No longer can you grow every exotic fruit or experiment with boutique vegetables. It now comes down to finding the most appropriate plants that will supply your needs throughout the year, and limiting your choices to just those ones.

So, if you were given the task of restricting your choice to just 10 plants, what would they be? Here's my 10 MUST grows for a suburban self-sustainable garden;

1. Lemon/ Lime Tree - ok, this one may border on the luxury end of the choice scale but when it comes to flavouring and preserving other foods, acidic limes are one of the best options you could grow. Plus, if you had a surplus you could always make lemonade or churn out your own marmalade.
2. Apple Tree - this is your source of winter fruit. If you're not into apples you could always grow pears or even mandarins. The beauty of an apple tree is that it produces abundantly and can easily be espalliered against a boundary fence to minimize space. A good apple tree can keep you in fruit for most of the cooler months.
3. Peach / Nectarine Tree - then there's the summer fruit to consider. You could opt for a berry vine instead but for the sheer amount of fruit that glupe producers offer it would be hard not to choose at least one. Not into peaches or nectarines? Then you could choose from apricots, plums or even loquats.
4. Cabbages - a winter-growing vegetable. Cabbages are a great storing vegetable with a superb shelf-life. If you grow too much they can always be pickled and stored as sauerkraut.
5. Tomatoes - tomatoes are the best fruit/veg that the self-sustainable gardener could grow. Not only do they taste great during the summer months but you can easily produce enough to can, bottle or freeze for the cooler months.
6. Potatoes - the ultimate carbohydrate vegetable can be grown for at least nine months of the year and produce brilliant harvests. Potatoes, like cabbages, have a great shelf-life and provided they're kept in a cool, dry yet dark location should be able to keep you in stock for most of the year.
7. Beans - with the range of beans available you can have these growing for almost six months of the year as well (depending on your climate). Beans are a great vegetable that lend themselves easily to being blanched and frozen for the winter months.
8. Carrots - the ultimate all-rounder vegetable that will grow as a continual crop. Carrots can be grown at any time but if your area is too cold to support them during winter then they can be blanched and frozen like beans.
9. Lettuce - while mostly considered as a summer vegetable, lettuce can also be grown indoors in a small hydroponic setup that gives you year-round supply. It's a great vegetable, especially the many new varieties that avail themselves to be picked indiscriminately and still continue growing.
10. Onions - the final choice in this list. I would have said garlic if I had another option but we're trying to limit ourselves here. Onions are a great option for the home self-sustainable garden. They store really well making them available in the off season and are great producers. Plus, like lemons, onions are a great flavouring for many dishes and are useful in pickling and preserving other vegetables.

Could that list satisfy you and your family? Or, would you need to embellish it with a few more choices or even replace some the ones I've mentioned.

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There is no better summer fruit than the humble apricot, especially if it's grown on your own tree. Supermarket apricots lack the intense flavour - to be honest, they lack any flavour - and more often than not they're heavily bruised and under-ripe or very over-ripe. Finding nice apricots from the grocer is a challenge too hard to comprehend.

The only alternative then is to grow your own apricot tree but with fruit flies and marauding birds to contend with, is it really worth your while?

Of course it's worthwhile? Growing any tree that produces fruit in your own home garden must be worthwhile.

Prunus armeniaca (the Armenian Plum) has been grown successfully for millenia yet today's varieties are so much more robust and consistent compared to their predecessors. They're typically a cooler climate tree fruiting earlier than most other summer fruits but can also be grown just as well in sub-tropical climes.

The key to guaranteeing an abundant harvest from your apricot trees is all in the pruning. Sure, they need adequate sun exposure and a loamy rich soil that drains well. They also an prefer adequate supply of water and additions of compost around their drip line. But, the key really is pruning.

Like most drupe fruit - peaches, loquats, plums and nectarines - apricots blossom and produce on second year wood. Therefore, the last thing you want to be doing with your apricot tree is pruning them back hard. In the dormant period they will only require a light pruning both to enable the branches to support the weight of the fruit, but also to
keep its shape.

The most successful pruning shape for apricot trees is the "vase" configuration. It allows easy access for fruit picking, enables good air movement throughout the limbs and encourages strong leaders to grow ready for future year harvests. The "fan" shape is also useful for those with smaller yards but it will limit the amount of fruit you produce and does make the tree weaker if your area is prone to strong winds. For gardeners with really small yards, apricot trees lend themselves very well to being espaliered.

Once the fruit has set, it may pay to fertilise again to help the tree sustain itself. You may also want to check the loading of fruit and cut some off, or support the tree, if the amount of fruit being produced appears to overburden the tree. While it may seem that you're losing fruit this way the effects of not being lenient on your tree could produce irreversible damage to limbs and even the supporting trunk.

Most apricot varieties fruit early, that is within the first week or two of summer while others don't blossom until late spring and produce their harvests well into the summer period. Those that produce early are usually less likely to suffer from fruit fly infestations, while late-harvest varieties typically produce sweeter fruit.

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One of the questions that is raised ad nauseum on gardening forums and on garden talk-back radio is, "Can I plant an avocado seed and will it grow into an avocado tree?" Duh! Of course it will grow into an avocado tree - were you expecting to see pumpkins!

The question really isn't about whether it will grow, it's more about whether it will produce - and if that produce has any resemblance to a 'normal' avocado. Just like the question I answered on planting apple seeds you want to know that your effort is going to be rewarded.

Well, can I start off by saying that if you want to grow an avocado tree from its seed you will need the 'patience of Job' to see it through to completion. This is no overnight process and Voila! you're eating your own avocados next season. No, this process takes years and years so don't plant it in the ground if you're planning on moving within the next 5-10.

Germinating an Avocado Seed

The first step in the process is to get the seed to germinate. The best way to do this is to suspend the seed, using a few toothpicks dug into the sides, above a glass of water. The base of the seed needs to be resting in the water so this will require refilling during the process. Then, leave the suspended seed on a window sill or in a cold frame where it will be kept warm by the sunlight.

Eventually the seed will crack open and new sprouts will emerge and roots will begin to feed into the water. This can take anywhere between 3-6 months depending upon the amount of sunlight the seed receives and whether you've been disciplined in keeping the water level up to the base of the pip.

Once the sprouts and roots emerge, it's time to begin planting.

Planting an Avocado Seed

The next step is to get the seed into some growing medium. A mix of one-third compost, one-third vermiculite and one-third river sand would be ideal to start your propagated avocado. In the centre of the pot, make a small hole where you can plant just the roots and bottom base of the seed. Then back-fill and shake any air bubbles out the mix before lightly watering.

This new plant will then need to go into a location where it can receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight every day. A small greenhouse (aff.) is ideal but if this isn't a possibility then the edge of a sheltered porch or patio may be a great option.

Once it has grown about a metre tall it will then be ready to start transplanting.

Transplanting Your Avocado Plant

As I mentioned earlier, if you're planning to move from your current residence in the next 5-10 years then planting this in the ground will be a waste of time. You're probably far better off to transplant it into a large mobile pot that you can take with you.

Prepare the pot with a good draining potting mix and place the avocado plant into the middle keeping the top of the avocado soil level with the height of the new pot. At this point, add a stake before backfilling and tie the plant securely to it. You may even want to tie some hessian cloth around the pot to protect the plant from the elements.

If you do decide to plant your avocado in the ground then dig a hole twice as wide as the current root-ball and twice as deep. Add some well-rotted compost into the hole and plant the avocado on top. Stake it as mentioned before and then backfill the hole. Water deeply to remove any air-pockets and to help the plant deal with the transplant shock.

Finally, in both cases - pot or ground - I would add some bonemeal fertiliser and then mulch with lucerne hay.

Enjoying the fruits of your labour

Now, while your avocado tree may grow quite quickly once you've transplanted it out it won't produce any fruit for possibly the first 7 years of its life - hence the 'patience of Job' required. Most growers usually become disenchanted with their trees long before this and either remove them or just ignore them. But, if you're willing to wait the time they will eventually produce the most amazing avocado fruits and will continue to do so for years to come.

If you've decided that this process is too long and you want to buy an already established tree then make sure you ask the nursery owner how long the trees have been growing for. If not, you may end up only missing the first two steps in the process and still have years before you get to enjoy any fruit.

All the best.

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Whenever the claims of a new 'wonder' fruit or veg make the rounds, you're always left trying to decipher fact from fiction - or in this case myth from miracle. Yet after reading a few journals, chasing links around the web and testing the solidness of some of the claims, it appears that Miracle Fruit, Synsepalum dulcificum, is all that it claims to be and more.

The fruit, shaped the size of a grape with bright red skin carries a rather large pip for its size - think avocado or mango here. Within 24 hours of picking it begins to deteriorate and turn brown, not that this changes any of its effects, it just doesn't look as appetising.

So what's so miraculous about Miracle Fruit? It's active protein dubbed 'miraculin' has the ability to turn everything sour to sweet. Within an hour of eating the fruit, the protein activates the 'sweet-receptors' of the consumers tongue and makes everything taste like a desert.

People have consumed bitter limes after eating the miracle fruit as though they were lollies. Tart Kiwi's, citric acid, hoppy beers and tannin-laden wine all become incredibly sweet.

As a novelty, this fruit seems incredible but when you think of the benefits this fruit's qualities could bring to diabetics, dieters and even our own eating habits we must surely acknowledge that this fruit is truly miraculous.

For us gardeners, the good news is that not only are they becoming more wide spread as fruit but propagated material is also increasing. It's quite probable that you could be growing one of these in your own backyard - providing your climate doesn't suffer frosts. Apart from this, they seem to be very compatible with most climates and will fruit within a year or two.

Sources:
The Old Sweet Lime Trick
To make Lemons into Lemonade

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My childhood is expressly remembered reaching into the limbs of our pineapple guava trees and filling our faces with this gorgeous fruit. The supply never seemed to wane nor did our appetites, and we would often chase down the plumpest specimens to gorge on.

So it was with fond memories that I purchased our own guava tree and planted it in the backyard. This feijoa, a member of the Myrtaceae family and a resident tropical fruit, was perfectly suited to our garden. The climate, the soil, the annual rainfall - all good.

And so it was with sheer anticipation that I watched the buds expand, burst open, then flower, then die - and heartbreakingly drop off. What went wrong? Had I not watered them enough? Was there something wrong with the soil?

Alas, I tried a myriad of possible solutions attempting to keep the remaining blooms from falling, yet they continued to do so. Not one of them set and my dreams of once again tasting this luscious fruit dissipated like fog on a warm day. Disappointment was an understatement.

I expressed my despair with a friend who was boasting about their bountiful harvest from their pineapple guavas to which I received the reply - "You know you need 2 to cross-pollinate don't you?" Two? Well of course I knew that - I do have my own gardening blog, you know! Feeling like a 'goose' was an understatement.

In my haste to enjoy this fruit I hadn't bothered to research the plant and had just whisked it out of the container and into the ground without bothering to read the labels. Duh!

Yet now I'm faced with a dilemma. Guava trees are not small. They max out about 5m high and have a fairly similar spread and resemble a shrub more than a tree. Even planting ONE in our garden was a stretch on resources and space but TWO? Mmmm...

So now I'm faced with a dilemma. Do I rip out something else to make way for a second plant? Or, should I remove this one and replace it with a self-fertile cultivar like Apollo or an Edenvale Late? Perhaps I could just keep it as specimen plant and enjoy the flowers.

I'm thinking the second option will win out. This is too big a plant to keep as an ornamental unless, of course, you had some acreage and space wasn't an issue.

I'll keep you updated with the outcome.

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Of all the fruit and vegetables we could grow in our veggie patches, tomatoes are probably one of the easiest. If you leave the fruit to rot and shower its seeds over the soil you will most likely be rewarded with a fresh batch of seedlings the following season.

But growing tomatoes to maturity uninhibited by disease, nutrient deficiency or free from pests is a challenge worthy of commendation. Which is why most tomato farmers pour oodles of pesticides over these endearing fruit.

However, pests weren't my problem this year. No, this year it was time to learn about blossom-end rot a fungal disease that eats away at the bottom of each fruit scarring them as if their bottoms had been seared on a hot plate. Much like this;

My limited understanding of blossom-end rot led me to assume that this was merely a problem caused during the initial fruit development stage. That is, each tomato seemed to be restricted as it grew by rubbing on something like the plant stem, the side of the container, or even the stake supporting it. Alas, this is not the cause.

In fact, the problem of blossom-end rot in solanaceous vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants and capsicums is due to a lack of calcium in the soil. Tomatoes need a large amount of calcium to ensure proper growth and when the demand exceeds supply blossom-end rot sets in.

The main reasons for calcium deficiency are;

• Not enough water (or inconsistent watering)
• Too much nitrogen (or the wrong nitrogen source)
• Alkaline or very acidic soil

Watering Problems

This year I decided to grow my tomatoes in a container which is far different to growing in soil. One of the problems of growing anything in containers is they have a tendency to dry out faster than soil does. Therefore, my plants went from 'feast to famine' in their watering schedule as I struggled to find a balance between their needs and my time constraints.

Next season, I will try them again in containers but will attach them to the main reticulation line.

Wrong Nitrogen Source

Tomatoes need a nitrate nitrogen source as opposed to any Ammonia based nitrogen. Unaware I religiously fed my plants every two-weeks with a foliar fish emulsion inadvertently adding to my blossom-end rot woes. Instead I should have been feeding my tomatoes with animal manures, especially poultry which is high in nitrate nitrogen and very efficient on a weight basis.

Deprived soil

Tomatoes prefer a slightly acidic soil - possibly 6.5pH. My soil was bagged potting mix bought from the cheaper end of the market with the intent to bolster its gumption with some homemade compost. The compost never made its way into this mix, hence the blossom-end rot problems.

I should have definitely added the compost - or bought superior quality potting mix - and even added some lime to it. This would have enabled the soil to readily adapt to the demanding needs of the tomato crop and calcium wouldn't have been an issue.

Conclusion

We live and learn and as this was the first time I'd ever grown tomatoes in containers or even fed them with a fish emulsion, it wasn't too hard a lesson to cope with. As they say, "There's always next year!" (Carlton supporters say that, anyway).

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Taste good? And now you want to grow your own apple tree from the seeds, right?

It's certainly possible. Believe it or not, apple trees originally come from seed germination. However, the commercially grown ones we enjoy today are probably more a product of engineering than germinating from seed.

See, the problem with growing apples from pips is that you're never sure what you are going to get. You could be enjoying a gorgeous Red Delicious and then decide to germinate the seeds only to find that the result is less sweet, less red and perhaps even less delicious.

On the bright side though, God could have blessed you with a brand new variety that becomes the 'Apple of the Century' with commercial growers clamouring for the patent rights. However, chances are small that this will happen.

How are apple trees grown?

Apple trees are perpetuated predominantly by grafting. New rootstock is embedded with a scion of the preferred cultivar and the tree grows and produces from this point forward. This method of propagation almost always results in the same apple grown.

The rootstock which is produced by apple seed germination is really just a dumb host. It can't produce anything apart from what has been grafted on to it. Occasionally it will send up a few suckers but if you were to grow these - keeping the roots intact - you would produce a very different apple that bears little resemblance to the grafted variety.

So, you still want to germinate your own apple seeds

Sure. Let's give it a try.

Once you've finished chewing the core of your delicious apple, extract the seeds and leave to dry in a cool place until it the exterior is devoid of any moisture.

Then, place each one into a seedling tray and bury in some well-draining potting mix to about 10mm (1/2 in) deep. Cover or place the tray into a cold frame and leave until the seeds begin to germinate and sprout.

Once the seedlings have two or more leaf levels they can be potted out individually into bigger containers where they can continue to grow until they're ready to go in the ground.

Keep in mind that it usually takes 2-3 years for a nursery bought apple tree to produce fruit. So, plan to not see any results for at least 6+ years from an apple tree that's been propagated by seed.

Where can I buy apple seeds

Did you just miss the rest of the article? You can't. And if someone is selling you apple seeds and guaranteeing the result then make an appointment with your lawyer now.

This doesn't mean that you can't buy antique or heirloom apple cultivars. It just means that you can't buy them as seed.

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If you're wondering what to do with all those tomatoes that are ripening quicker than a bride's cheeks on her wedding night then you might find this guest post that I wrote about sun-drying tomatoes at Tomato Casual, helpful.

Drying tomatoes is the most satisfying way of storing this abundant fruit and it's so respected as a gourmet delicacy. After writing the article, I noticed that Colleen had also written her own post on drying these gorgeous fruits. Colleen's tips are very helpful for those who don't get copious amounts of sun and don't want to risk losing their produce.

If you've never tried drying your own, then there's no time like the present to start.

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John Lennon dreamed about fields of them - and can you blame him?

Arguably the most delectable fruit known to home gardeners is surprisingly one of the easiest to grow as well. Though I'm still unsure as to why I nurture my strawberry plants because either their fruit shrivels and disappears upon ripening or my children are feasting at my expense. I'm tending toward the latter.

Nevermind, at least someone is benefiting from these wonderful fruits.

I've always grown strawberries, experimenting with different varieties and techniques hoping to achieve better results each year. And bit by bit my success is slowly improving. Yet I find my biggest distraction is comparing my yields to those in the local supermarket. I've had to console myself that unless I give my strawberries the attention and "cotton-wool" treatment they receive from professional strawberry growers, they will always look second-class.

But that's okay. They taste better than those bought from the shop.

So what have I learned about growing my own strawberries?

1. Insects love them. Especially the two-legged variety who fight over the TV Channel and dirty the bathroom.

   Aphids and Slater beetles are also particularly notorious and while most advise using some sort of chemical repellent or spraying your fruit, I've found that by keeping them up off the ground in a container or hanging pot can almost halt most infestations.

2. Keeping strawberries from coming in contact with the soil has the added bonus that they're given more space for airflow. This way they ripen more evenly.
3. After 2-3 years strawberry plants slow down in production so it's time to start again with some new runners. Accept this as a positive option to try some new varieties.
4. Allowing too many runners to be produced is bordering on 'evil'. Firstly, it means that the strawberry plant is putting all its energy into producing these rather than yielding fruit. Second, if too many runners are allowed to grow in the same bed it restricts the availability of nutrients and crowds the plants ability to grow.
5. If you have to grow them in the ground, mound the soil and cover with some gauze matting. Don't use black plastic unless you live in a cold climate and you want the soil to heat up otherwise it will become unbearable for your strawberries and they will struggle.
6. When planting strawberries, always leave the crown just above the surface otherwise the plant will rot.

Finding a variety that will grow in your garden is as easy as finding a neighbour who is keen to let you dig up a young runner.

There are also usually a few varieties available from your nursery at the start of spring.

Do you have any preferred varietals? Any tips that I didn't mention here? Share your thoughts in the comments below...

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If you've been following the health industry with any interest you would have noticed a product called Himalayan Goji juice being touted as the next big thing in health food supplements. We've seen it all before with mangosteens, acai and even hoodia gordonii and I'm sure goji berries won't be the last.

Each of these so-called 'incredible health supplements' have surpassed each other making mangosteen and acai juice so yesterday! But, for the time being goji berries are the flavour of the month which entitles manufacturers of goji juice to charge a truckload for their products - apparently.

So, I'm not about to argue whether the hype is real or not but for those who are convinced it's the health supplement of the century, let me show you how to grow goji berries.

History of goji berries

Before you race out and buy some goji seed it may pay to read up on it's preferred climate and history.

Firstly, as most overzealous marketers would want you to believe that goji berries are grown in the Tibetan Himalayas according to this report at least, it's most probably not the case. It is far more likely that goji berries come from Lycium barbarum a plant native to China.

Having grown well in the UK since 1730 and now being tested by home gardeners in the US there's reason to believe that goji berries could survive many of our gardens.

Goji berries are not keen on tropical climates but are able to stave off frosts in cold climate gardens.

How to grow goji berries

While many nurseries are now stocking goji plants the easiest, and by far the cheapest, way to start a goji is by planting from seed. If dried goji berries are available in your area then its possible to remove the seeds and germinate as you normally would for any seed propagation.

Once the seedlings have produced 3-4 leaves repot them and continue growing in containers until they are at least 15-20cm tall. When they reach this height they can easily be transplanted to their garden position in late autumn or early spring.

A good dose of slow-release fertiliser around their drip line in spring will help them with fruit set and encourage strong root growth.

How long do goji berries take to mature?

Lycium barbarum will set its flowers in summer to early autumn and the berries will mature by the end of autumn and into early winter. The goji berries start off green and ripen to a dark red and look similar in shape to tamarillos.

Are goji berries edible?

Of course, however they are not usually eaten fresh but are either cooked or dried. They are used extensively in Chinese cooking flavouring rice and wet dishes. However, they can be eaten dried and apparently are similar in taste to a dried tomato with the texture of a raisin.

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Peter from Backyard Organic Farming has recently started cultivating dragon fruit cactus - you know, the fruit that Andrea thought mirrored David Bowie's hairstyle.

These tree-like cacti, Hylocereus undatus, produce the most amazing fruit commonly referred to as dragon fruit. Admittedly, I have never tasted one but they are touted as the new fruit of the gods - maybe the gods were getting bored with sapotes and could no longer endure the smell of durian!

Greenhouse Girl has a great wrap-up post on how to grow these awesome fruit trees. They can even be propagated from seed!

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UPDATE

Dragon fruit is growing in popularity mainly because of its versatility as a fruit but also for its nutritional benefits. Like many of the new exotic fruits, dragon fruit (pitaya) is high in antioxidants but also contains an abundance of Vitamin C - sometimes as much as 25% of its weight.

They are an easy to cultivate fruit, especially in areas where the climate is temperate. Dragon fruit is not partial to frost so growing them in areas that are frost-free is advisable.

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For some time I've kept a cherry tree in a tree bag waiting for some construction to be completed so that I could plant it. Some of you may remember the day I did finally plant it out and what a relief it was.

Our climate is a little too warm to grow cherries normally so every time my cherry tree would blossom it would never result in producing fruit. The tiny flowers would just wither and die.

Well...I'm here to show you my very first cherry...

Actually, I wish that was how my first cherry looked. Here's the real un-Photoshopped version

Something else had already found my cherry even though I had been watching it ripen for days. Needless to say I was a little less than happy....Trying to be organic has nobs on it!

This cherry tree was a present from my sister nearly 4 years ago and this is the first season that it's been in the ground. Unfortunately it was the only blossom that continued to mature but I'm optimistic - at least it produced one!

So, I shall feed it again with some good fertiliser, continue to mulch it with a feeding mulch and make sure it gets watered well over the summer growing season. Hopefully next year will be even more productive.

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One of the most exotic - and in my humble opinion the most delicious - fruits available is the mango. Its fleshy pulp wraps itself around a ginormous hairy pip that challenges you to suck it dry. This of course then becomes a challenge to keep those fine hairs out from between your teeth.

If you have ever experienced the delight of eating a mango you will understand the description. Not a fruit to be digested in front of a potential spouse - certainly not on your first date anyway - the mango has no close cousins. If you tried explaining it to someone who had never seen or heard of this fruit the nearest example would be a ripe peach crossed with an avocado.

But of course, like most things in life, all good things must come to an end. However, with a mango the end is just the beginning.

The hairy pip that gave your teeth a natural flossing is the seed for a brand new mango tree.

How to Grow a Mango Tree

Step 1

Let the seed dry out in a cool location. I find that a bench in the kitchen on top of some paper towel is probably the best place.

Step 2

With a sharp knife open the pip as you would a mussel or an oyster taking care not to cut too deep into the flesh. Prise the casing open and you will find a white, fleshy pip inside that resembles an oversized lima bean.

Step 3

Place the mango pip vertically into a pot that has been prepared with a good seed-raising mix. Dampen the soil and then place a plastic bottle over top to act as a mini-greenhouse.

Leave in a warm shaded spot until the pip germinates.

Step 4

Once the mango pip has germinated it will begin to produce a few leaves at the top of its green stalk. This is the sign that it is growing well and a mango tree is not that far away.

At this point you can remove the plastic bottle provided you have somewhere warm to store it.

Mango trees originate and grow well as a tropical fruit tree so if you plan to grow them out of the tropics you may want to keep them as a container plant. This may be helpful as a mango tree can grow up to 40m making fruit picking an arduous task.

The benefit of keeping a mango tree in a container is that you can move it indoors or into a greenhouse during winter and bring it out again in the summer months. It will take approximately 5 years to reap any fruit from your mango tree but if planted in the ground a mature 20+ year old tree will produce thousands of fruits per annum.

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My variegated Nagami Kumquat is a happy little plant at the moment producing a flourish of citrus blooms. It's spring and after a light tip prune in winter, mainly for shape, and a dash of slow-release fertiliser at the same time, this kumquat should go on to bear masses of fruit in Autumn.

I have two kumquat trees both kept in containers. This has kept their size to a minimum only growing to about 1.5m (4.9ft) while kumquats planted in the soil can grow to 3.5m (11.5ft) and prefer full sun and a sheltered position.

Kumquat trees originate from China and grow well in moist coastal areas and also tropical regions that have milder winters. Our gardening zone would fit the moist coastal descriptor and our kumquats seem to enjoy this climate.

The thing I like about our kumquats is that while they're not the only citrus we grow (we also have a Tahitian Lime and a Eureka Lemon) they seem to be the tree with the least problems. My other citrus have struggled in the poor sandy soil we have here and are only now coming good after constant feeding and mulching.

My parents inherited a kumquat tree when they bought a house during my early teens. We'd never seen one prior and apart from using the fruit as childish projectiles, my mother would make a great kumquat marmalade from them every season. She also would pack them into jars and then cover with brandy leaving them to infuse for a few months. The results were incredible and after a few, especially at my tender age, would make one feel a little tipsy. Great as a winter warmer.

There are quite a few varieties including our nagami, the meiwa and the marumi. The nagami is the the most tart but still edible straight from the tree while the marumi has a soft sweet rind. Kumquat fruit doesn't need peeling to be eaten and apart from the pips are a perfect finger sized citrus.

If you're interested in making some kumquat marmalade here are a bunch of recipes.

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HortResearch, a New Zealand fruit science company, unveiled a brand new apple that gives a new dimension to the "Red Apple". Not only is its skin red but also when you cut it open, so is the flesh all the way to the core. It derives its red flesh from a high concentration of anthocyanin - a healthy antioxidant.

However, while this news is already a month old you may be waiting up to 6 years before you could buy a tree to plant. This may seem a long time but in the world of breeding fruit trees this is ground-breaking fast. Without current technologies we may have had to wait decades before ever seeing the fruit in the corner grocer's store.

The fruit has not been genetically modified but rather genomically bred. The difference is that genetic modification is the artificial manipulation of genes while genomic science records and breeds fruit with like genetic makeup. In its simplest form you could take a yellow-fleshed potato and cross it with a purple skinned potato to create a new purple-skinned, yellow fleshed potato - if only it were that simple.

This isn't HortResearch's first new fruit in the market either. This company was also responsible for the yellow-fleshed kiwi fruit we know colloquially as Kiwi Gold and they have big plans for many other radically new fruit to emerge into the marketplace in the ensuing years.

Keep an eye out for this one though.

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If there was ever a growth industry in the 21st century alternative medicines would be it. There seems to be a plant discovered almost every other week claiming to cure people from bunions to heartburn, chronic fatigue and even arthritis. So what is it about Mangosteens that gets people all excited?

This little known fruit originated in South East Asia where it is known as the 'Queen' of all tropical fruits (Apparently Durian is the 'King' - but that's another post for another day). The fruit grows on a slow-growing tree Garcinia mangostana which usually doesn't fruit for the first 10 years. It's a tropical plant so enjoys a humid climate and can grow up to 25m in perfect conditions.

Growing a mangosteen tree outside of the tropics is almost impossible as they cannot tolerate temperatures below 4C(40F) or greater than 37C(100F).

Continue reading "Mangosteen fruit juice - Why the hype?" »

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Summer certainly has its benefits. The days are hot but the evenings are still warm. Plants are still flowering and the lawns are looking green, really green. But the biggest benefit of all is enjoying the fruits of your labour and this time of year stone fruits are in big supply.

Peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines, loquats and cherries. Left alone to ripen on the tree the sugars concentrate and give a sweeter, maturer flavour. They also retain more moisture and hence their flesh becomes juicier. Shop bought stone fruits are usually picked well before they're ripened and brought to maturity unnaturally leaving the fruit tasteless and sometimes quite sour.

While most people prefer not to grow their own due to lack of space or perhaps the abundant yields you're likely to get, there is a great alternative. Many nurseries now sell grafted stock which means you could have a peach, nectarine and plum all on the same tree. Or if you only like peaches you could get a grafted plant that has 2 or more different varieties growing on it. Another alternative is to have a grafted plant that spreads the fruiting season so rather than dealing with an abundance for a short period one variety begins fruiting as another finishes.

These are great spacesavers and obviously limit the yield you're likely to deal with. It's also possible to grow them in a pot although they will need to be repotted every couple of years.

There's really no excuse for not having some variety of stone fruit in your garden and you're the one that will benefit from having them.

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