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 Resources
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
Australia
Australian Tropical Fruits Portal Various information about using tropical fruits and links to various industry association websites. Northern Territory Horticultural Association
International
If you're looking for information on a particular species, try the larger sites' menus or search functions.
Hort Extension Aggie Horticulture Extension, Texas A&M University, USA
Farmer's Bookshelf Information on Tropical Crop Production in Hawaii, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA
Asia Food A glossary of Asian ingredients including many fruits. Asia Society
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
Fruitscapes Information about fruit in Florida landscapes, University of Florida
Flowering and fruiting, Pollination
Go to: Flowering and fruiting issues
Growing fruit in pots or small spaces:
See also links on multigrafting and dwarfing rootstocks below
Check also information about individual species/varieties for more about growing that type of fruit in pots
Propagation, grafting
Propagating trials with some tropical species (Discusses the difficulty of vegetative propagation of many tropical tree species, fruit and ornamental) Reproduction of a 1974 article, Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society (PDF)
Here are some other sites/pages dealing with individual species or genera:
Avocado
These links have been moved to a new page: Avocados
Black Sapote, Chocolate Pudding fruit, Chocolate Pudding Tree
Black Sapote from the online version of Fruits of Warm Climates by Julia F. Morton
Black Sapote (includes recipes) Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Diospyros digyna Black Sapote, Black Persimmon, Chocolate Pudding Tree. Online Manual of Subtropical Landscaping Plants, Palm Beach Community College, Florida
Blueberry
Blueberry The Pollination Program, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Australia
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
Tropical blueberries have bright future
Analysis of two species of wild blueberries from Central and South America has shown them to contain 2-4 times the antioxidants of commercial fruit and have potential as a food or health supplement. More information from New York Botanical Garden here: Scientists Find Some Tropical Blueberries Have Higher Levels of Antioxidants Than U. S. Blueberries (July 2011)
Citrus
These links have been moved to a new page: Citrus
Coconuts, dates and other palms with edible products
Custard apple and relatives
Annona cherimola (Cherimoya) Ecocrop database, Food and Agriculture Organization
Annona squamosa (sugar apple, sweetsop, scaly custard apple) Ecocrop database, Food and Agriculture Organization
Annona atemoya (A. cherimola x A. squamosa hybrid) Ecocrop database, Food and Agriculture Organization
Annona reticulata Netted Custard Apple, Bullock's heart, Bull's heart Flowers of India
Dragon fruit
Jaboticaba
Jaboticaba Myrciaria cauliflora at the Grow Me Instead website (Australia)
Jaboticaba Fruit Facts Myrciaria cauliflora, M. jaboticaba, M. tenella, M. trunciflora. California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.
Jackfruit and relatives
Artocarpus heterophyllus Jackfruit. Online Manual of Subtropical Landscaping Plants, Palm Beach Community College, Florida
Jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus. Flowers of India
Lychee, Longan, Rambutan
Lychee and Longan The Pollination Program, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Australia
Lychees Online U.S. website with lot's of information on growing and using lychees
Macadamia
These links have been moved to a new page: Macadamia
Mango
These links have been moved to a new page: Mango
Mangosteen
www.mangosteen.com Lots of information about the renowned mangosteen, its biology and cultivation
Melons
These have been included with othe pumpkins & cucumbers: Cucurbits
Monstera deliciosa
Some links about this species have been included on the page covering Philodendrons and similar plants here:
Olive
Passionfruit
Papaw (Papaya)
These links have been moved to a new page: Papaw
Persimmon
Persimmon The Pollination Program, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Australia
Growing Persimmons Backyard Gardener column, January 7, 2004. Arizona Cooperative Extension, University of Arizona
Pomegranate
Pomegranate The Pollination Program, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Australia
Growing Pomegranates Backyard Gardener column, August 29, 2001. Arizona Cooperative Extension, University of Arizona
Sapodilla
Pacific flora database of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, USA. Select Manilkara zapota (Sapodilla) from the "Choose A Plant" menu
Manilkara zapota some photos (click on the thumnails) Aquatic, Wetland and Invasive Plants, Florida
Starfruit
Stonefruit
Peaches and Nectarines The Pollination Program, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Australia
Prunus persica Peach. Ecocrop database, Food and Agriculture Organization
Peach and Nectarine in: Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants. USDA Agricultural Research Service
Strawberry
These links have been moved to a new page: Strawberry
Tamarillo
Tamarillo Harvest and storage advice. University of California, Davis
White Sapote
White Sapote from Fruits of Warm Climates by Julia F. Morton
White Sapote in: Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants. USDA Agricultural Research Service
Assorted Others
The Abiu (Pouteria caimito) Qld Dept of Primary Industries
Ambarella ( Spondias dulcis syn. S. cytherea) from Fruits of Warm Climates by Julia F. Morton
Pepino Harvest and storage advice. University of California, Davis
Ananas comosus Pineapple. Ecocrop database, Food and Agriculture Organization
The name of the apple Scientific article about the nomenclature of cultivated apples. Telopea (Journal of plant systematics) (PDF)
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
Morus alba Ecocrop database, Food and Agriculture Organization
Morus nigra Ecocrop database, Food and Agriculture Organization
Mamey Sapote in: Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants. USDA Agricultural Research Service
Pistacia vera Ecocrop database, Food and Agriculture Organization
The Equilibrium Fund The Maya Nut Program promotes the use of the tropical tree species Brosimum alicastrum as a healthy and sustainable food source
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