plus other fruiting plants & nut trees

This page will have special emphasis on the home garden, especially the small modern suburban garden in the subtropical and tropical parts of Queensland.

Note that fruits grown as annual crops, noteably melons, have more in common with vegetables than fruit trees in terms of cultivation, and you may find additional information via the Vegetables page.

Related topics:

Herbs

Vegetables

Cottage Gardens

Self Sufficiency

Where to buy fruit trees, fruiting plants

More about fruit

As garden sizes shrink, home fruit growers face a variety of problems besides a simple lack of space. For example, the roots of vigorous trees could threaten pipes or foundations (not only yours but your neighbours').

The close proximity of neighbours to food-producing gardens could also create conflicts with respect to sprays, smelly fertilisers, potential to attract birds, bats or vermin, or even just the look of your yard. Such factors have to be considered when planning your garden and in the ongoing maintenance.

One of the key factors in any garden design is of course the plants. There are lots of fruiting plants suitable for small spaces, from strawberries up to dwarf fruit trees or fruit trees grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock. Ask your local garden centre about dwarf trees available locally, or better still, find a good fruit tree nursery in your area.

A subject that is bound to get more and more interest is the subject of growing fruit in containers. While lots of crops can theoretically be grown in pots, whether it is worth the effort in terms of yield is another matter. (How to get the best harvests and the best varieties to grow under these conditions is also something to explore via these pages in the future. Meanwhile, do take the time to explore the links provided at the bottom of the page.)

A good fruit for a beginner might be a lemon tree. Even if your fruit-growing skills or local growing conditions are less than perfect, they are still very useful trees to have. The problem of fruit not being sweet enough is not going to be such an issue as it is with oranges and mandarins. Low yields aren't a great problem either because even a few are handy to have on hand for cooking and other uses around the house. They even look good just aranged in a bowl. There are many varieties to choose from, depending on your situation. If you have the space, why not try a couple?

Another advantage of a lemon tree is that it looks good too, in the ground or in a pot, especially for a Mediteranean or cottage garden style. Many fruiting plants are attractive in their own right and, mixed with non-edible ornamentals or other edible plants, could be incorporated into a visually appealing garden design.

The Coastal regions of Qld, being subtropical or tropical in climate, are well suited to fruits from those regions. Special varieties of other fruits such as peaches and nectarine and blueberries, may be grown in warmer climates than normally associated with such fruits. Look out for cultivars labelled "low chill". better still ask a good fruit tree nursery in your district for advice on what grows best locally.

More Links

The following links have been mostly selected with an emphasis on tropical, subtropical and Mediterranean fruits. This collection is an ongoing project. There's a long way to go, but you may find some useful background information here.

Note that some of the information in links may be targeted at farmers rather than home gardeners, and originate in many parts of the world. Therefore, regulations may differ (e.g. with respect to pests, diseases and pesticides). Even information of local origin could be out-of-date. Check with a relevant authority in your region, if in doubt.

Furthermore, some species/varieties referred to in links may not be available in Australia.

Queensland

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Queensland. (check the Qld DPI website for news about pest and diseases etc in Queensland, in addition to cultural information about a variety of fruit species)

Rare Fruit Council of Australia

Ian and Judy Wintle's Birkdale garden filled with fruit trees and tropical plants

Australia

NSW Department of Primary Industries

Northern Territory Government Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines

Rare Fruit Society S.A. Inc. South Australia

West Australian Nut & Tree Crop Association

Atcros On Internet an online version of the Australasian Tree Crops Source Book

RIDC Free Research Publications includes articles on various fruits. Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation

International

If you're looking for information on a particular species, try the larger sites' menus or search functions.

Fruits of Warm Climates by Julia F. Morton information from the book available online at the NewCROP^TM website (Center for New Crops & Plant Products, Purdue University, USA)

Hort Extension Aggie Horticulture Extension, Texas A&M University, USA

Free CTAHR Publications College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA

Farmer's Bookshelf Information on Tropical Crop Production in Hawaii, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA

HawaiiFruit.net Assorted information about fruit production in Hawaii

University of California Fruit & Nut Research and Information Center

The Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA. Check the section on Economic Botany

California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.

Tropical Fruit Club of Central Florida

North American Fruit Explorers

International Plant Genetic Resources Institute

Asia Food A glossary of Asian ingredients including many fruits. Asia Society

New Fruits for Arid Climates Unusual fruits trialled in Israel

Florida Food Fare Includes notes and recipes for several unusual fruits such as cumquats, jaboticaba, black sapote and others. Univ. of Florida Extension, Sarasota County

American Pomological Society (some info on registered cultivar names for fruit and nut crops)

The Fruit and Spice Park, Florida

Small Trees for Miami-Dade Landscapes (selection includes some fruit trees) University of Florida (PDF)

Growing Fruit Trees in Limited Space California Rare Fruit Growers

Flowering and fruiting

Fruit Set in Fruit Trees An overview of various factors which can affect fruiting. University of Florida

Why Fruit Trees Fail to Bear New Mexico State University

Why Fruit Trees Fail to Bear University of Illinois

Fruit Tree Chilling Requirements Backyard Gardener column, March 2, 2005. Arizona Cooperative Extension, University of Arizona

Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service

Lack of fruitset (Grapes) Michigan State University

Gibberellic Acid for Fruit Set and Seed Germination California Rare Fruit Growers

The following links address the issue of growing fruit in pots:

Growing Fruit Crops in Containers at the California Rare Fruit Growers website

Growing Tropical Fruit in Containers Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information, University of Arizona

A Houseplant Harvest-Tropical Trees That Really Do Fruit Indoors Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, New York, USA

Fruit trees for pots and smaller gardens Royal Horticultural Society, UK

Container-grown olives Royal Horticultural Society, UK

Growing Fruit Crops in Containers California Rare Fruit Growers

More about container gardening in general here: Gardening in Containers

Propagation, grafting

Plant Propagation Chart California Rare Fruit Growers

Grow Different Types of Citrus Fruits On The Same Tree Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information, University of Arizona

Growing Rare Fruit From Seed California Rare Fruit Growers

Gibberellic Acid for Fruit Set and Seed Germination California Rare Fruit Growers

Starting a peach from a seed New Mexico State University

Lemon Tree from Seed New Mexico State University

Here are some other sites/pages dealing with individual species or genera:

Avocado

Avocado growing NSW Department of Primary Industries (PDF)

Bulletin 4484 : Avocado culture in Western Australia WA Department of Agriculture (PDF)

Avocado.org California Avocado Commission. Lots of information including recipes

Avocado Production in Asia and the Pacific Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

How To Plant An Avocado Tree, Revised California Rare Fruit Growers

Growing Avocados from Seed California Rare Fruit Growers

Avocado in: Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants. USDA Agricultural Research Service

Black Sapote, Chocolate Pudding fruit, Chocolate Pudding Tree

Black Sapote

Black Sapote from the online version of Fruits of Warm Climates by Julia F. Morton

Diospyros digyna NSW Department of Primary industries

South Florida Tropicals: Black Sapote University of Florida

Black Sapote (includes recipes) Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Blueberry

Blueberry research launches exciting new California specialty crop University of California

Chilling out important for blueberry varieties University of Georgia

Blueberry Clemson University, South Carolina

Blueberries: An alternative crop for Florida University of Florida

Blueberry University of Florida

Vaccinium cylindraceum An unusual blueberry species from the Azores. Botany Photo of the Day, University of British Columbia Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research

Blueberry in: Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants. USDA Agricultural Research Service

Citrus

A classification for edible Citrus (Rutaceae) Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney

Citrus Offers Year-Round Options Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems, California

Belize Citrus Growers Association

Australian Citrus Growers Inc

Citrus (Orange, Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Naartjie genus) Biodiversity Explorer, Iziko Museums of Cape Town South Africa

Sorting Citrus names Plant Name Database, University of Melbourne

Lemon (Citrus limonia 'Lisbon') Moody Demonstration Garden, Arizonia

Orange (Citrus sinensis) Moody Demonstration Garden, Arizonia

Fairchild Tangerine (Citrus reticulata "Fairchild" or Clementine). Moody Demonstration Garden, Arizona

Grapefruit Moody Demonstration Garden, Arizona

Poncirus trifoliata at the Green Beam website (USA)

Dwarf Meyer Lemon Bush Perfect for Tiny Gardens! Shirley Bovshow's Edenmakers' Blog (California)

Pomelo Germplasm in Vietnam Food & Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific region

Dragon fruit

Pitaya - Dragon Fruit Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines

Pitaya (Dragon Fruit) Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines (PDF)

Pitayas (Genus Hylocereus): A New Fruit Crop for the Negev Desert of Israel at the Center for New Crops & Plant Products website

Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus), a Potential New Crop for Australia

Introducing the Dragon Fruit Agriculture Business Week, Phillipines

Mango

Mango University of Hawaii

International Mango Festival 2004 - Curator's Choice Cultivars Several varieties for suburban gardens, with descriptions and illustrations. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Florida, USA

Mangifera indica Meet the Plants database of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, USA

Potassium Deficiency in Mango (Mangifera indica) A photograhic illustration. University of Florida NutDef Plant Nutrient Deficiency Database

Mango in: Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants. USDA Agricultural Research Service

Monstera deliciosa

Some links about this species have been included on the page covering Philodendrons and similar plants here:

Philodendron

Persimmon

Growing Persimmons Backyard Gardener column, January 7, 2004. Arizona Cooperative Extension, University of Arizona

Oriental Persimmons - Attractive & Delicious! Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information, University of Arizona

Persimmons, an unusual fruit in out supermarkets and Astringency in the persimmon Two articles in Harrisiana, Newsletter of the friends of the Harris Garden, UK

Pomegranate

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Horticulture Update, Texas A&M University

Punica granatum Pomegranate. University of Arizona

Growing Pomegranates Backyard Gardener column, August 29, 2001. Arizona Cooperative Extension, University of Arizona

Pomegranates Well Suited to Tucson Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information, University of Arizona

Home fruit production - Pomegranate Texas A&M University

Pomegranate fruit facts California Rare Fruit Growers

The Pomegranate University of Florida

Pomegranate Virginia Cooperative Extension

Assorted Others

Annona squamosa Trees of Miami, Florida

Artificial Pollination of Sugar Apple and Atemoya Food & Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific region

Averrhoa carambola Trees of Miami, Florida

Averrhoa carambola (Recipes) Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Averrhoa carambola Spring Plant Sale 2002, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) California Rare Fruit Growers

Selected Eugenia Species (Cherry of the Rio Grande, Grumichama, Pitomba, Surinam Cherry) University of Florida

'Egami', a new longan cultivar from Hawaii University of Hawai`i at Manoa (PDF)

Passiflora edulis (Passion Fruit) Landscape Plant Fact Sheets, University of Florida USA (PDF)

Passion Fruit, California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. USA

Passionfruit and Giant Granadilla in: Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants. USDA Agricultural Research Service

Pepino (Solanum muricatum) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Solanum muricatum - Aiton. Plants for a Future

Pepino fruit in Batu Indonesia Now blog

Pepino Harvest and storage advice. University of California, Davis

Tree tomato (Cyphomandra betacea) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Tamarillo Harvest and storage advice. University of California, Davis

Tamarillo troubles Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture

Tamarillo won't fruit Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture

Ficus carica Edible fig. University of Arizona, USA

Fruiting Fig Well Suited to Desert Landscapes Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information, University of Arizona

Feijoa sellowiana Pineapple guava. University of Arizona

Lychee Litchi chinensis Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Tamarindus indica Meet the Plants database of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, USA

Pacific flora database of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, USA. Select Pouteria campechiana (Canistel) from the "Choose A Plant" menu

Red, White & Black Mulberries for Florida yards University of Florida

Myrciaria cauliflora Jaboticaba. University of Florida (PDF)

Mamey Sapote (Recipes) Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

www.mangosteen.com Lots of information about the renowned mangosteen, its biology and cultivation

Artocarpus heterophyllus hybrids - Jackfruit University of Oklahoma

Jackfruit Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus. Flowers of India

Macadamia in: Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants. USDA Agricultural Research Service

Transplanting Mature Pecan Trees New Mexico State University

The Cashew Apple (Anacardium occidentale) in Florida University of Florida (PDF)

Olive Variety Assessment for Subtropical Summer Rainfall Regions Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation

Olea europaea Olive tree Arid Plant List, University of Arizona

Olive in: Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants. USDA Agricultural Research Service

Edible Palms and Their Uses University of Florida (PDF)

Phoenix dactylifera Date palm. Arid Plant List, University of Arizona

The Equilibrium Fund The Maya Nut Program promotes the use of the tropical tree species Brosimum alicastrum as a healthy and sustainable food source

Non-wood forest products from conifers Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Zinc Deficiency in Peach (Prunus persica) A photograhic illustration. University of Florida NutDef Plant Nutrient Deficiency Database

The Production and Potential of Dates in Australia

Introduction to Multipurpose Palms The Overstory, Agroforestry ejournal

Sapodilla California Rare Fruit Growers

Manilkara zapota some photos (click on the thumnails) Aquatic, Wetland and Invasive Plants, Florida

Pacific flora database of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, USA. Select Manilkara zapota (Sapodilla) from the "Choose A Plant" menu

Sapodilla Manilkara zapota (Recipes) Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

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