Growing your own fruit is such a rewarding hobby. Understanding weather patterns and how they can affect your fruit is all part of the edible gardening experience. We've compiled a guide full of things you can do to prevent frost from damaging your fruit trees in the colder Australian climates, like Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and some areas of New South Wales.
Late frosts in Spring can affect your fruit yield resulting in little or no fruit and our early fruiting varieties tend to be more susceptible to late Spring frosts. But don't fear, there are a few easy things that you can do to protect your beautiful fruit blossoms from frost.
Planting your multi-grafted Fruit Salad Trees in a spot in the garden that doesn't accumulate cool air is best (choose a spot up on the top end of a slop instead of the bottom section). Choose a place that is near a sun-facing stone or brick wall, as their warmth can help create a microclimate and generate extra warmth in Winter by soaking up heat during the day and releasing it at night.
Growing your fruit Salad Tree using the espalier fan method against the wall will ensure that your tree will enjoy this radiated heat and help protect your blossoms.
Keep the area around the trunk of the plant weeded and use a good mulch like pea straw or sugar cane. Wooden mulches tend to soak up excess moisture from the soil.
Wet soil is also said to radiate more heat than dry soil, so it may be worth giving your garden a deep watering when a frost is forecast.
If you are growing your Fruit Salad Tree in a cooler climate, then feed your tree liquid seaweed at a rate of 10ml/watering can, plus liquid potassium (20ml/watering can) to strengthen cell walls and give the plants a few extra degrees worth of protection.
You can also add extra nutritional elements to the soil by adding a mix of Potash and gypsum, which will increase nutrition and improve leaf appearance without stimulating a flush.
Even with the best planning, late frosts in Spring can still be a problem in colder areas. Covering up your multi-grafted fruit trees can help protect the blossoms.
Our dwarfing/semi-dwarfing multi-grafted fruit trees are easy to protect, especially if they are grown in pots or espaliered.
Drape a frost cloth over your plants (a hessian bag, plastic, old sheets or any light material will do)
Make sure it extends to ground level (don't tie it around the trunk) to trap warmer air next to the tree. To prevent the cover from sitting directly on top of blossoms, and to help avoid branches poking a hole in the material, suspend your cover on canes or stakes. If a protective frost cover is used at night, make sure that it is removed each morning to allow bee pollination.
Also check with your local nursery if using a liquid frost cover spray would suit your fruit tree, it will coat the leaves with a waxy coating - its an organic application (always follow the directions on the packaging).
Remove the rootstock (anything that’s not a fruit graft), balance your tree and remember to thin the first fruit.
We'd love to hear them and see photos if you have any. Simply email sales@fruitsaladtrees.com or leave us a reply in the comments below.
Each fruit variety retains its own flavour, appearance and ripening time. We graft citrus, stone fruit and multi-apple trees.
Our fast fruiting trees can be grown in the ground, or in pots on your balcony.
Shop our wide range of trees now and check out our current specials here!
Comments will be approved before showing up.
There are a few things you can do each season in your garden to prevent pests and diseases causing grief to your Fruit Salad Tree.
We've broken this down into the 3 varieties so you can find the information specific to your tree/s.
