NEW-AGE APPLES
Good Organic Gardening|Good Organic Gardening #10.5
AS OUR BACKYARDS GET SMALLER, SO DO THE TREES: PART ONE OF OUR APPLE COVERAGE
Jennifer Stackhouse
NEW-AGE APPLES

Fruit trees are changing. Most are becoming smaller in stature and more compact overall. This downsizing is in line with a move to apartment living and smaller gardens. Today there’s a dwarf form of just about every popular fruit tree including the apple. Some are grafted on dwarfing rootstock while others are naturally compact or narrow (such as the Ballerina apple series). Despite being smaller in stature, fruit is usually normal-sized.

While small-growing varieties are likely to suffer the same pest and disease problems as their larger relatives and may also require cross-pollination for fruiting, smaller trees are easier to manage than large, particularly for pruning, crop protection and harvesting.

DWARF AND COLUMNAR APPLES

The trend to small wasn’t driven by the home garden. Apples have long been grown on dwarfing rootstock to make these naturally tall trees more accessible for harvesting and management in commercial orchards. Wild apples grow into huge trees (around 6–8m high and 4–5m wide).

As well as being more manageable, many of the dwarf or compact varieties also bear early, producing fruit in their first two years of growth, which is an advantage for commercial orchardists who can respond quickly to changing demands from consumers as well as the availability of new varieties.

The potential of narrow-growing fruit trees for Australian gardens was highlighted more than 20 years ago when Fleming’s Nurseries, a Victorian-based wholesale nursery, launched the Ballerina series, a selection of narrow apple trees.

These became very popular and led the charge to smaller backyard apples such as Trixzie ‘Gala’, a red early-to midseason apple that grows to around 2.5m high and wide. Plant this variety with its pollinator, ‘Pink Lady’, which is also available on dwarfing rootstock.

Bu hikaye Good Organic Gardening dergisinin Good Organic Gardening #10.5 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Good Organic Gardening dergisinin Good Organic Gardening #10.5 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

GOOD ORGANIC GARDENING DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Glamour girls
Good Organic Gardening

Glamour girls

EVERYONE LOVES A HARDWORKING ISA BROWN BUT GET A LOAD OF THESE CHIC CHICKENS AND FEATHERED FASHIONISTAS

time-read
5 dak  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
FRIED VEG
Good Organic Gardening

FRIED VEG

IT’S POSSIBLE TO ENJOY A FRY-UP IN A DELICIOUSLY HEALTHY WAY BY TURNING TO SOME FRY-FRIENDLY PLANTS

time-read
4 dak  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
BEYOND BIG RED
Good Organic Gardening

BEYOND BIG RED

TOMATOES COME IN ALL SHAPES, SIZES AND COLOURS, SO NOW’S THE TIME TO EXPLORE THEIR INFINITE VARIETY

time-read
4 dak  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
EVEN MORE TROPPO
Good Organic Gardening

EVEN MORE TROPPO

ANOTHER SENSATIONAL SIX TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR GARDEN — OR YOUR FRUIT SALAD

time-read
5 dak  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
LET'S STALK RHUBARB
Good Organic Gardening

LET'S STALK RHUBARB

JUST AS TOMATO IS A FRUIT USED AS A VEGETABLE, RHUBARB IS A VEGETABLE COMMONLY CONSUMED AS A DESSERT

time-read
5 dak  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
FOOD OF THE GODS
Good Organic Gardening

FOOD OF THE GODS

THE FLESHY FRUIT OF THE FICUS WAS MUHAMMAD’S FAVOURITE AND BUDDHA FOUND ENLIGHTENMENT UNDER A FIG TREE

time-read
5 dak  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
MAKING GOOD BETTER
Good Organic Gardening

MAKING GOOD BETTER

THE IRREPRESSIBLE TV PRESENTER WRITES ABOUT HOW SHE, WITH HUSBAND ANTON AND DAUGHTER FRIDA, TURNED A STEEP HOBART BLOCK INTO A PRODUCTIVE GARDEN

time-read
7 dak  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
True lily
Good Organic Gardening

True lily

MANY PLANTS ARE CALLED LILIES BUT IT’S THE MEMBERS OF THE GENUS LILIUM THAT ARE THE REAL DEAL

time-read
5 dak  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
SALTY BUDS
Good Organic Gardening

SALTY BUDS

THE CAPER BUSH PRODUCES TWO DISTINCT BUT EQUALLY DELICIOUS, TANGY MORSELS: CAPERS AND CAPERBERRIES

time-read
5 dak  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
Ducks on duty
Good Organic Gardening

Ducks on duty

BUSY, VIGILANT, HARD ON GARDEN PESTS AND GENEROUS LAYERS — YOU’VE GOTTA LOVE A DUCK!

time-read
5 dak  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.4