Nursery

Hello Wendy,

Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately we don’t stock any citrus trees as its a bit marginal for propagating and growing citrus where we are – too much frost. Daley’s Nursery might be worth a try.

In terms of peaches, the closest we have to what you describe is an old Australian-bred variety called ‘Anzac’. It’s a large, white-fleshed, freestone that ripens relatively early and makes nice eating.

Hops, we don’t sell, sorry. Not sure who’s selling them actually. Might be worth hunting around with some of the Tasmanian nurseries.

Hope that helps answer your questions.

Cheers,

Justin

Hello Garlic Girl,

Depends whether you’re planting potted plants, or bare root plants. Autumn is generally the best time to get potted plants into the ground, with the next best option spring. Because bare root plants are sleeping through their winter dormancy, they are best planted in winter, but can go in as late as early spring with care. So yep, any of the plants from our winter catalogue can go in the ground now – the cold won’t pose an issue at all.

Bye for now,

Justin

Hi Ruth,

My sister and her family live in Alice Springs, so I’m reasonably familiar with the kind of conditions you get out there. You’re right – figs and mulberries flourish, but I’d also suggest that apricots, almonds, and quinces should do well. It’s true to some extent that domestic figs can develop an extensive root system, but certainly noot to the same degree as some like a Moreton Bay Fig, for example. Figs actually crop much better if their root system is kept in check, so a good way to grow them is in a large container (half wine barrels are perfect) or by chopping the roots every couple of years with a spade. Mulberry roots will spread a bit beyond the dripline, but nothing too invasive. Mine is planted about 5 metres from the vegie garden, and I haven’t had any trouble with it so far.

Hope that helps, and let me know if you need more info.

Cheers,

Justin

Hi Rachael,

To date we have two varieties of quince, a persimmon, two crabapples, a plum, and two hazelnuts alongside some maples, liquidambars, and birch. This winter we’ll be planting more crabapples, a damson, another persimmon, a medlar, and more if we can find the sapce. All are being grown informally without much training or attention.

Cheers,

Justin

Hi Carolyn,

Glad to hear that most of the trees are away and doing well. Quinces tend to be slow in their first year after planting, but it really should be starting to leaf out by now. Try doing the scratch test – simply scracth off a sliver of bark with your fingernail. If the wood underneath is green the tree is alive. If the bark is hard to scratch and the layer underneath is brown, the tree is likely dead or close to it. The other thing you might try to enourage the tree to shoots (assuming it’s alive), is to cut it back by about a third to half, pruning a centimetre or so above an outward facing bud. Often this will free the bud up to shoot. If the tree’s caput, we can look at replacing it for you next year.

Orders start in early March with the release of our 2012 catalogue, so you should have enough time before you go away. I’m guessing your garden is looking good at the moment.

Cheers,

Justin

Hello Stella,

Rhubarb does best in cooler areas, but with care, you might be able to get it growing okay in Brisbane. Plant it in a pot, or choose the coolest part of the garden, and make sure it gets at least afternoon shade. In a sunny position you will need to throw some shadecloth over the plant during the hottest part of the day, and ensure it receives regular watering. The soil will need to be full of organic matter – this will improve drainage, but also retain moisture like a sponge.

The problem with rhubarb in the subtropics isn’t so much summer temperatures (it gets just as hot, or hotter, in Victoria), but the lack of cold during winter. In my climate the plant dies back to the crown during winter, giving it a rest and saving energy for the growing season ahead. In the subtropics, the warm winters mean that the plant tends to lack vigour. To overcome this, some growers dig up the crown during winter and put it in the fridge or freezer for month, others leave the plant in the ground, and put ice around the crown once a week during winter. If this is too much mucking around, there’s always the option of buying stems from Queensland growers. There’s plenty of rhubarb grown here at Hampton and more at Highfields closer to Toowoomba.

We sell crowns in bare root form from late June until the end of August, with orders starting with the release of our catalogue in March next year. Varieties include Highfields Ever Red, Wandin Red and Sylvan Giant, though supplies are usually very limited.

Hope that helps,

Justin

Thanks for getting in touch Jacq. Unfortunately we only sell our plants bare rooted during winter, so we won’t be able to attend the festival. Hope it’s a great event though!