Looking after your Fruit Salad Tree will keep it happy and healthy and in turn, it will look after you by providing different, delicious fruit!
Watering
Keep your tree moist at all times, especially in the hotter months. A good layer of mulch promotes a more consistent moisture level.
We recommend 'deep watering' your tree on a weekly basis over Summer, so leave your hose on a trickle overnight. This will promote deeper root development, rather than just watering the surface. You can then reduce watering during the winter months.
In Winter, don't let your soil dry out and deep water fairly regularly, to your conditions. In dry Winters especially, check your soil to regularly to ensure it doesn't dry out.
Fertilizing
Fertilize your tree at least twice a year, in late Winter and late Summer. Older manure is better than younger manure. Your compost is also a great fertilizer. You can also try mixing a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote into the soil or Blood and Bone or Dynamic Lifter. But, limit to only one of two of these fertilizers each application.
In Winter, insects such as aphids burrow down into the tree and will then appear in Spring, so it's best to fertilize in Winter (towards the end of winter).
When using fertilizers, keep them away from the trunk of the tree, and top up the mulch when required.
Did you know that you can also train your tree to grow and spread its branches by using stakes and ties. Read more about espaliering here and also training your Fruit Salad Tree here.
As your tree grows
Remove the rootstock (anything that’s not a fruit graft), balance your tree and remember to thin the first fruit.
Happy Harvesting!
Here at Fruit Salad Trees, we stock a wide range of fruit trees, which all boast different fruit on the same tree. Each fruit variety retains its own flavour, appearance and ripening time. We graft citrus, stonefruit 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!
Hubby loved our double Apple tree…… till the Hares gave it a prune to just above the graft. Treating it with kid gloves atm, hopefully she will come back!
Thanks for the great tips!
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How does your edible garden grow? Whether it's a balcony garden, a backyard oasis or an extensive orchard, there are a number of items that will help you grow your delicious, fresh kitchen ingredients. Growing a multi-grafted fruit tree isn't as simple as sticking your tree in some dirt and walking away, but they are pretty easy to grow!
Here are some tips to help you keep your Fruit Salad Tree at it's best throughout the year. We all get busy and sometimes the garden jobs get forgotten. We get it!
We've popped these tips and tricks into categories (eg Citrus or Apple or Stonefruit) and then into seasons (eg in autumn remember to do this or keep an eye out for this in summer, etc.) to make things as easy as possible.
Happy, healthy fruit trees grow more fruit and that will make everyone happy!
There are many ways that you can become more sustainable and growing your own beautiful fruit tree at home is a great way to start!
In this short video, Kerry shows her veggie garden and the different types of Fruit Salad Trees to compliment edible gardens big and small.
Julia
August 25, 2020
Hello, in this article what do you mean by “thin the first fruit”?
Thank you, Julia