FAQ - All your Fruit Salad Tree questions answered

The best way to purchase our trees is by ordering directly from us using our website. The website has a secure banking facility with Afterpay, Paypal, Credit Card and Bank Transfer. We accept Cheques/Money Orders, so follow the ordering online method and click ‘pay by cheque or money order’, then print out your order confirmation and post us your payment with the reference of your order confirmation OR name and order number.

We also attend a number of Shows / Field Days during the year and sell the trees there. You can save the delivery/freight costs and pick out your own trees! Come along and see these unique trees, meet our team and ask us any questions, we’ll be happy to advise. See Show Dates Here for a list of Shows we are attending and dates.

Please contact us by email sales@fruitsaladtrees.com or phone us if you wish to discuss anything before making your order.

Our trees are sent around Australia with Australia Post. They are shipped in specially designed boxes, that allow light and air circulation. This method of delivery has proven to be very satisfactory over the many years (20+) we have been shipping.

We ship out all orders (except WA/TAS) including Express Post, on Tuesday each week. Please have your order in by Tuesday 9AM to be included in the dispatch.  An Express Post option is available for an additional cost. See Shipping options during Checkout.

Note: If EXPRESS POST is selected, your tree will be shipped out during our normal weekly dispatch day (Tuesday) but will go Express Post, not normal Parcel Post.

WA & TAS orders

Some states (WA and TAS) require an Inspection Certificate from the Department of Agriculture. The cost of an Inspection Certificate is $29.90 per shipment (not per tree). An Inspection Certificate will be automatically added to your Cart when you tick the check box under the cart indicating your trees will be shipped to WA or TAS. WA and TAS dispatches are scheduled for the start of each month.

If Express Post is selected for WA and TAS orders they will be shipped out as part of the once a month dispatch (start of each month) but go as Express Post not normal parcel post.

Note: Dispatch day may change if we are attending a Garden Show. 

Free pick up (local delivery)

You can pick up your order from the Liberty Petrol Service Station, 101 Mooney Street at Telegraph Point NSW 2441 on Wednesday - Friday (7.00am - 6.00pm). Please note that you cannot pick up your tree from our nursery.

What happens if my plants are damaged in transit? 

The majority of our trees arrive in perfect condition as we hand pack our trees in specially designed boxes for shipping. In rare cases the plants may be damaged. We will act in good faith to explain how to revitalise your tree. Please contact sales@fruitsaladtrees.com in this case.

Coronavirus/COVID19 Update
We have very strict processing as far as hygiene is concerned whilst packing the trees into their boxes. We don’t have control of the handling of those boxes once they enter Australia Post system so we recommend that the customer wears gloves to unpack the trees or wipe over the box with a disinfectant mixture before handling the box to open it. Australia Post has advised that there may be extended delivery times. To minimise the risk of contracting or spreading coronavirus, all parcels will no longer require a signature for delivery and/or collection.

In all cases, whether a driver or postie delivers to the door or a customer goes in to their local Post Office to collect a parcel, Australia post staff members will ask and record the customer’s name and sign on their behalf.

As a general rule, we don't ship trees internationally. Some countries allow the trees to be imported under certain Quarantine conditions. Some countries only require Phytosanitary Certificates. Please enquire with the destination country as to the requirements needed to import. e.g. U.S.A. does not permit entry

Yes! Each tree has the fruits on it listed in the Options dropdown box or tree title.

You can also see the description and more information on each of the fruits on our trees in our Variety Information pages.

Stone Fruit Varieties Here.

Citrus Varieties Here.

Apple Varieties Here.

If the tree you would like is sold out, please add your name and contact email address to the 'Back in Stock" list by clicking on the banner at the bottom of the main collection page. We will contact you once more trees become available.

The ‘Back in Stock Banner' link can be found at the bottom of each collection page. Click the link below to take you to the desired collection page.

Stone Fruit

Citrus

Apples

If you would like to send a tree as a gift, simply follow this guide.

1. Choose your Fruit Salad Tree or Trees and Click on the ADD TO CART button on the product page

2. When you are ready, Click the CART to see your selected trees in the cart.

3. Just underneath the cart, tick the WA/TAS box if sending the tree/s to WESTERN AUSTRALIA or TASMANIA

4. Write a note in the DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS or GIFT MESSAGE BOX if needed

5. Please tell us how you HEARD ABOUT US by selecting the correct drop down item

6. Click on the CHECKOUT button

7. Enter your CONTACT and DELIVERY details

EMAIL ADDRESS  Note: if you want the tree to be a surprise, DO NOT add the recipients email address here, as this is the email we send the order confirmation to.

8. If you have a DISCOUNT CODE, enter it here

9. Click CONTINUE TO SHIPPING Button and select your SHIPPING OPTION

10. Check your contact and shipping information at the top of the page, then click CONTINUE TO PAYMENT

11. Enter your BILLING details, then do a final check on the order information at the top

12. Click the PAY NOW Button to Finish

Well done, This is exciting! You will make someone very happy when they receive their Fruit Salad Tree!

Why not send an electronic gift Card to a friend or loved one, then they can choose the tree they would like. Simply click on the Gift Card product, then select the amount and proceed to checkout.

You can also choose the Fruit Salad Tree yourself and have it delivered directly to their address.  Simply add a tree/s to cart on any product page and follow the instructions here.

With all the rain we have been having, these are some things to look out for to make sure your tree stays healthy.

Note: Rain impacts all of our Fruit Salad Tree types but Citrus are the most susceptible to impacts from prolonged rain.

Excessive rain usually impacts fruit trees in two common ways.

Drainage Impacts

If you suspect your tree could be suffereing from inadequate drainage, there are a few options to follow.
If your tree is planted in a pot, raise the pot off the ground by putting it on 'feet' to encourage drainage as we dont want the drainage holes to become clogged
If your tree is planted in the ground and you see the leaves yellowing and dropping off after prolonged rain, this is a symptom of poor drainage. (see below for nutrition information as well). To fix the poor drainage issue, carefully dig out your tree, fill in the hole, and then replant your tree on top of the ground. This will allow the water to drain away from the roots rather than saturating them. You may need to stake your tree until the roots grow back down into the soil.

Yellowing / Poor Nutrition

With all this rain, the excess water leeches nutrients from the soil, and causing your tree to become 'hungry'. Before you fertilise your tree, do a pH test and correct the pH of your soil if necessary to make sure the pH of your soil is in the right range. Correct soil pH will allow the tree to absorb the nutrition from the fertiliser you give it.
Following periiods of prolonged rain, its a good idea to add fresh fertiliser as rain will have washed it out or away from your tree. Also note, any existing slow release fertiliser on your tree will not last as long as it should, and may need to be reapplied.

In addition to the above main concerns due to excessive rainfall, the increase in humid warm conditions favors fungal and bacterial growth. Now is a good time to check your tree to make sure the center of the tree is open and allows good airflow through it.

If not, prune out the inward growing branches and you can also spray your tree with copper when the rainy weather stops. Its a good idea to follow the Winter Care Reminder instructions.

Seasonal changes have an effect on the size of the trees in stock as we regularly balance the trees and prune them through the Winter period. New stock coming out in Spring will also be smaller because the growing season has just started. Saleable tree size is also limited by shipping requirements and costs.

Stone Fruit Salad Trees are usually between 75 - 100cm tall when they are shipped out.

Citrus Fruit Salad Trees are usually between 65 - 90cm tall when they are shipped out.

Apple Fruit Salad Trees are usually between 75 - 100 cm tall when they are shipped out.

Yes, we have them available for dispatch all year and Australia wide. Due to the growing popularity of the trees, we may run out of stock of a particular line for a short time. Check our website regularly and sign up to our Back in Stock notification to be notified when new stock is added to the website.

Yes! There are 2 special care points for Fruit Salad Trees.

1. Keep the tree ‘balanced’. While the tree is young, it's most important that a comparison is made between the growth and vigor of each fruit’s branch work (we call this branch work: graft). If one of the fruit grafts is growing faster, compared to the others, then it should be cut and stopped to ensure that each separate graft is growing at a ‘balanced’ and even rate.
If all the grafts are not ‘balanced’ regularly, especially when the tree is young, then the faster growing grafts will become bigger, stronger and dominate over the others, thus depriving the slower growers of nutrients and growth. We recommend to look at the tree for ‘balancing’ about once a month.
BEST TO: Keep each graft confined to grow in its own area of the tree. This separation will assist in recognizing the faster and slower growers.

2. Remove Rootstock Growth. Any ‘rootstock’ growth on the tree must be removed as soon as possible.
To explain: the rootstock tree is the main central stem of the tree and its root system under the soil. This is the ‘mother’ tree and it hosts the fruit grafts that have been attached (grafted) to it. If the roots shoot any growth out from the soil, then cut it off as low as you can, as soon as you can. You don’t want that growth to take energy away from the fruit grafts attached higher up on the central stem.
The anchor points of each fruit graft have been marked with some white paint on the central stem rootstock tree. This is the point from which each graft begins its growth so make sure you never cut these branches off. However, if any growth begins from a dormant eye anywhere else on the central stem rootstock tree, perhaps between the paint marks, then remove it, as it would be rootstock growth.

Have you lost the Care Instructions that came with your tree? They are a great quick source of important information on how to look after your Fruit Salad Trees.

You can view or download a pdf version of them Here.

Mature height of the trees in the Ground are:
Citrus tree is a dwarfing tree, height about 2.5 metres, width 2.5 metres
Stone Fruits tree, height about 3 metres, width about 3 metres.
Apples tree, height 3 meters, width 3 metres. (Good to Espalier)

All 3 trees types are well suited to grow in the ‘stand-alone’ position and can also be grown in pots….. or kept shorter by the ‘Espalier’ method (see Tree Care).

Grow in Pots
Trees grown in a pot will be smaller in size. Their height is determined by the pot size. Example: If the tree is grown in a half a large wine barrel, it would grow to approximately half the “in the ground” size.
Fruit size remains the same.

You can see the description and more information on each of the fruits on our trees in our Variety Information pages.

Stone Fruit Varieties Here.

Citrus Varieties Here.

Apple Varieties Here.

The varieties grafted onto the tree already cross pollinate each other. No additional trees are required for cross pollination.

All our trees can be espaliered. This method saves space and is especially helpful for apple trees as it provides extra support for heavy cropping. Attach the branching sideways along wires or framework. Secure branches with expandable ties to allow expansion as the branches grow.

Best to place in a position with full day sun. There is a minimum of half day (4-5 hours) of sunshine required however, Stone Fruits and Apples trees don’t need sun during late Autumn and into Winter because they’re dormant at this time. The Citrus trees need sunshine all year.

It is also best to plant your tree somewhere that is sheltered from very strong winds if possible.

First fruits will appear in approximately 6 - 18 months. It's best to remove most of these fruits when they are the size of a pea and allow the framework (branches) of all the grafts to develop first. This is especially important whilst the tree is young.

As the tree grows, thin out/reduce the amount of fruit that has set, always promoting branch growth as well as fruit production. Branch framework needs to be ahead of fruit production to carry the weight of the fruit and establish correct tree shape.

More fruit may be allowed to set on any faster growing grafts however, as the fruit production will slow the growth of the branches.

Always reduce the number of fruit on the slower growing varieties to allow more energy to go into developing the branches.

How does it work?

Paying with Afterpay allows you to purchase your trees and pay in four equal installments, due every 2 weeks. For example, if you purchase an item for $200, you pay 4 installments of $50. There is no additional cost to use Installments by Afterpay as long as you pay on time. All of your payments are interest free and you will receive your order right away.

Ok, how do I use it?
Select your Tree/s, add them to your Cart and Checkout. Select Installments by Afterpay as your payment method. Use your existing payment card. Complete your checkout in seconds. Pay over 4 equal payments, every two weeks. Enjoy your purchase now. It's that easy!

Shop Now with Afterpay

It is important to identify what stage of 'waking up' your tree is, when the weather starts warming up, after winter dormancy, in Spring. Timing is important when spraying your tree for certain diseases, and if the correct stage is missed, you may need to wait another year until you can spray for that disease again.

See the Stone Fruit and Apple Blossom Development Stages images to help guide you in determining the various stages of your tree waking up from dormancy.  

Click on the link to view the Apple and Stone Fruit blossom development stages, in our Pest and Disease guide.

Here at Fruit Salad Trees, we realise there are lots of different levels of gardeners out there and we want to make it easy for you to pick a tree that best suits your gardening (or green thumb) level.  We created the green thumb rating system to help you choose the number of fruits on your tree that best matches your gardening experience.  

1 Green Thumb = Easy: Great for beginners.  Learn to grow and care for Fruit Salad Trees.

2 Green Thumbs = Medium: Understand and follow Fruit Salad Tree care requirements.

3 Green Thumbs = Experienced: Familiar and diligent with Fruit Salad Tree care.

Be sure to read the 2 special care points on the care instructions included with your tree.