Barrel into Summer

... To all avid fruit Gardeners

Containers are ideal for the small garden, renters or apartments with limited outdoor space. Many of our plants can be grown in a container be it a wine barrel, ceramic pot, wooden trough or an easy-lift bag. These containers can be a work of art beautifying your outdoor living as well as functional and rewarding with fruit. The ease of being able to move them so you can change your décor, like changing the furniture in your living room. Especially good where plants look good in one season but not so good in another.

A question I get asked now and again is 'I wish to grow my incredible edibles® in a container but what size container should I pot it into?' As a general rule the diameter should equal a third to half the height of the plant. Fast growing plants will need to be potted up annually and the slow growers every 2-3 years. Pot up 1-2 pot sizes larger than presently in or in the case of our Fig Mrs Williams who has been in the current pot for 8 years and fruits every year (figs love their roots restricted) remove from pot, remove and replace some of the soil. This is a form of bonsaiing. Idea to loosen roots if they have started to grow around and around the pot.

Make sure you use a good container mix from your local garden centre. The addition of water crystals will help to retain moisture. Containised plants are more dependant on you for food and water because the plants have limited soil. Roots are restricted and the plant is more exposed to the elements far more than if planted in the ground. The biggest death on container plants is either over watering or under watering. Both these stress the plant and they will become infected with pest and diseases. Plants will dry out quickly so need watering more often. Set up an automatic watering system, very important for our busy lives and if you are away for any length of time. Frequent watering will also wash out plant food so is it important to feed little and often.

Sheryl's Comment
to the right ... Sheryl, our Production Manager

Summer is the season of productivity in a fruiting garden with things like Mountain Pawpaw, some Figs, Avocado, Tropical guava, Passionfruit, Cape gooseberry and Orangeberry all fruiting. Coffee plants should be putting on their red-bean display in time for Christmas, and a potted Pinenut makes a fragrant festive decoration. What would summer be without all those colourful berryfruit combinations to tempt the palate? ... blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries in red, gold and black…

Workwise there is the challenge of getting plants that need extra water watered and supervising the shaping of young plants while nurturing fruiting canes and branches of the more established trees. Generally young trees should have their crop load reduced for the first fruiting season enabling them to get established and cope better with a heavier crop the second season.

Donna's Treat
to the right ... Donna, our Despatch Manager (aka Queenie)

WIN 1 X Persimmon Fuyu
Food of the Gods

Go into the draw for a Persimmon Fuyu plant (link to Persimmon page on web) if you email me your favourite garden centre and location. Include your phone number.
Drawn 1/02/10 results in Autumn Newsletter.

Congratulations to Jan Culy the plant winner of the Spring newsletter. Jan will collect her two Grape Niagara plants from California Garden Center in Miramar.

No need to have a large tree espalier against a wall or fence.

Persimmon Fuyu
Food of the Gods

Good levels of vitamin C and fibre. High levels of vitamin A and useful amounts of calcium, iron, phosphorus and vitamin B.

• 'Food of the Gods' is an excellent way to describe this wonderful winter fruit.
• The bright orange fruit will bring a cheerful sight as the days draw greyer as winter closes in. The fruit continues to hang on the tree even after the beautiful autumn leaves of rich golden colours have fallen to the garden floor.
• A handsome specimen tree with stunning beauty all year round from its dark green leaves that provide shade in spring and summer to its rich autumn colours and delicious winter fruit. Any size garden is ideal for a Persimmon and its position is only limited by your own imagination.
• The fruit are sweet, juicy and crisp to eat. The mouth-watering flesh is eaten fresh, dried or in fruit salads, and never forget the 'oh so decadent' - dipped in rich dark chocolate!

Click here to find out more.

Frequently Asked Question: Citrus

High levels of vitamin C 32mg/100g of flesh. Also good levels of vitamin A and fibre.

Query

My mother bought a mandarin/tangerine hybrid sapling of Incredible Edibles three years ago, and planted it in a plastic container, something like a pick-up recycling bin. The tree is now about 1.5m high and producing plenty of fruit.

I now want to transplant it into my lawn. I envisage digging a hole, cutting the plastic container off the plant, and placing the tree into the hole. Do you have any advice for the plant to survive and thrive in the new location immediately after transplanting?

I may need to trim the branches to transport it by car. Would this harm the tree? I plan to do this within the next few weeks or so, once the current fruit has been harvested. I would be grateful for any advice you can provide.

Response
No problem transplanting your tree. Good idea to wait until you have harvested the fruit or if you have to remove the fruit.

If you need to trim the tree to move it to its new location, trim to shape and take some internal branches out to open up the tree. This will not harm the tree. Apply a pruning paste to make sure no pests or diseases enter the plant through the wounds.

Make the hole slightly bigger than your container. Make sure the plant firming positioned, you may need to stake if in a windy position. Depending on the time of the year make sure your plant receives plenty of moisture to make sure the roots do not dry out adding more stress to the plant.

Fiona's Choice
to the right ... Fiona

Pepino

A fairly easy plant to grow and takes a relatively short time to reward you with its delicious fruit.

Good levels of vitamin C, A and foliate. Low in calories.

A hardy plant performing at its best in a warm, relatively frost free climate. If a light frost does tickle its leaves and burns them the plant will recover and grow on to produce more flowers and fruit. Well draining fertile soil with irrigation in the drier months is all that is required.

It is important where ever you grow your pepino to make sure the fruit is off the ground so the slugs and snails can not attack and eat the fruit. Ideal for this is plastic coated netting that you can mould to desired shape. The only other pest that can cause a problem is the whitefly which becomes a problem in the months of January and February; see your local garden centre for control of this.

The fruit flesh is sweet and tasty, providing a welcome addition to many desserts, side dishes and health conscious meals. Add small slices to your party fruit platter to accompany cheese and crackers.

incredible edibles® grows three varieties:

• El Camino
• incredible Blush™
• incredible Ruby™

Click here to find out more

Fruits to Harvest - December, January and February

Sharing Recipes

Guacamole

1 large avocado
1tbsp lemon juice
1-3tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
(plain or garlic chives may be used)
salt & pepper
1-2 tomatoes, finely chopped (optional)

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mash them together well. You may blend in a blender for a smooth texture. Serve as a dip with chips or corn chips, or as a spread on toast or bread.

Share your favourite recipe or gardening story with us. Email me on admin@edible.co.nz.

Avocados - Guacamole on Tap.

The complete food. High in oil (the good stuff), protein, minerals, calcium, iron, potassium and Vitamin A & B. Packaged in a tough skin ready for you to scoop out with a rice cracker or make into avocado ice cream. A beautiful evergreen tree.

Avocado flower	Avocado flowers
Avocado Hass fruit	Avocado tree

Interesting Tit Bit

Vitamins and Minerals - What is their purpose?

Mixed Berries