Subtropical Trees Thrive in Frost at Monto

The Grapevine August 2014 Subtropical trees Thrive in Frost at Monto Subtropical trees Thrive in Frost at Newsletter of the Hinkler Monto branch of Rare Fruit Australia, Inc. By Peter Myers P.O. Box 5839, Bundaberg Allan Knight grows West, Qld 4670. subtropical trees in the frost, at Mungungo, near Monto in President: Eddy Dunn the North Burnett region. ph. (07) 4154 4466 (m) 0427 794 524 It's a highland area 120 km [email protected] west of Bundaberg. Secretary: Laree Chapman He bought the 800-acre [email protected] block in 1972, but it was not until about 2000 that he began an orchard, growing Treasurer: Kevin Chapman Allan with Red Shahtoot mulberry. "A lot better than the White," ph. (07) 4155-3331 stone fruits, Finger Limes and other natives. He only started he says. The White is sweeter, but the Red has more tang. Notice growing "exotics" about 6 the bare earth - Allan says it keeps his trees warmer in winter. Editor: Peter Myers, 381 years ago, when he joined the Goodwood Rd, Childers 4660. Rare Fruit Council (now RFA). ph. (07) 41170125 [email protected] His orchard is a work in progress, currently about 3 acres, and he also has a few acres of rainforest. He cultivates about 80 kinds of exotic trees and In this issue 160 kinds of natives. Access to the coast is difficult: circuitous dirt Subtropical trees at Monto p.1 roads through Mt Perry or Kalpowar State Forest, or a roundabout bitumen road through Biggenden, Mimusops Maxima p.3 so Allan has only occasionally been able to attend meetings. However, he was able to obtain plants, Fruit tree Ratings p.6 especially from Ray Johnson, but also from Lenzie and others. Hinkler branch held one meeting at Minutes from Last Meeting p. 8 Allan's place. Botanic Gardens RF orchard p. 8 A Finger Lime in fruit. Allan grows them Allan's orchard is on a hill sloping towards the commercially. Note the bare ground once again. south-west – the worst possible aspect, a real- Photos from Last Meeting p.9 estate agent would say. The hill is steep enough for cold air to drain away, but, even so, frost sets on still nights about 4 months a year. In winter, the sun Atherton Raspberry p. 10 does not reach it until about 8.30am, by which time the air temperature has warmed up. Thus the frost does limited damage. But around the house – at the bottom of the hill – cold air pools, and President’s Report p. 10 Allan has recorded -10ºC. The coldest he's recorded on the block was -14ºC about 20 years ago; the coldest in the last ten years has been -10ºC. Next Meeting p. 10 Others in the area are unable to grow exotic fruit Billets for 2015 AGM except for mangos, so Allan had no idea of what was Hinkler branch is offering billets possible – he just had to try. for members from other areas Each success led to more attending the AGM on the plantings, and now he grows weekend of May 23rd 2015. the same fruits as members in frost-free areas close to Some branches may bring a bus the coast. Not only that, but and stay in a motel. But for his trees are thriving, fruiting smaller numbers, billets can be early, and looking better than requested. Best plan in advance many grown in more and work out your car pooling. favourable locations. Hinkler members who wish to In recent years we have been offer billets, and other members beset by floods and who wish to request them, droughts. Floods do not should contact Peter Myers ph. worry Allan, because of the (07) 41170125. slope of his land. The Monto A luxuriant Rollinia, five years old. Allan rates the area has about 28" rainfall, fruit at 4/5; Cherimoya & Pinks Mammoth score 5/5. 1 and Allan feels that the dryish climate has helped avoid disease problems. There are heavy dews and fogs, but the main saviour during dry times has been a A native raspberry, Rubus Mollucanus. It's better-tasting reliable than the Atherton Raspberry and, although it suckers, bore. A thriving avocado. Allan has four easy to control. Allan got rid of his Atherton Raspberry. varieties; this one is Wurst It's 1 ½ km away, on the flat, so away. Allan has to pump water all that way, plus up the hill. But it produces 500 gal/hr, and is good, drinkable water. In the dry In addition, Allan says that the climate has warmed up over the season, and in summer, Allan irrigates each row for 2 hours each years. In the past, the water-pipes at the house would regularly weekend. The main is 1 ¼", and the spray lines ¾". freeze in winter. Residents in the Dallarnil area said so too. As a result, droughts have not been a problem. The soil is red volcanic, on the left side of the orchard, looking up the hill, and sandy on the right side. Both types dry out Allan grows Finger Limes commercially, sending them to Eumundi Market. He also grows Desert Limes, outside their natural area. A grower from Roma, which is their natural area, could not get over Allan's lack of disease problems. Allan says that the dry climate helps, and the cold makes the trees bud better. The rows run up Kwai Muk, a beautiful tree with rounded shape. It and down the hill; bears some fruit, which Allan rates 4/5. Is much more this might facilitate cold-hardy than Jakfruit. drainage of cold air. But Allan's other secret has been his Allan with Sapodilla "Tropic". It bears quickly. Allan does not apply fertilizer or lime, except Rocket Bare-Earth strategy. "heaps" of fruit, which tastes good if Fuel pellets around some, not most, of the trees. "I don't really there's no Fruit Fly. fed a tree unless it needs it." A visitor would be shocked to see bare earth rather than grass between the trees. Alan says he does not prune much, but "I'm going to have to get Allan sprays Roundup four or five times a year. He says that bare into the stone fruits". Several trees show signs of getting away on earth helps prevent frost damage: it absorbs heat fromn the sun him – e.g. a White Sapote about 6m high. during the day, and radiates warmth at night. Rocks do the same. Some early successes have been: In the early years, frost burned the top off a grafted Black Sapote - a Rollinia which looks luxuriant and has fruited lower down the hill, but it re-sprouted from below the graft, - Wurtz and three other varieties of Avocado becoming a seedling tree. Nevertheless, it bears delicious fruit. A - a Sapodilla which bears heavily (though the Fruit Fly get it) Jakfruit has also been knocked by frost; it has never fruited. - a Kwai Muk, a rounded, beautiful tree with some fruit (more cold-hardy than Jakfruit) Allan says that there's less frost damage higher up the hill; the - Black Sapotes, a seedling and a grafted Mossman, both with Black Sapote should have been planted there, but he didn't know beautiful fruit at the time. - a Pinks Mammoth custard apple which bears a dozen fruit a year without hand pollinating As the trees have grown, they have created a micro-climate, - Mangoes – 400 fruit last summer. reducing frost damage. Nowadays, there's hardly any frost higher up the hill, because of the trees. It was often white, in years past; Allan started out as an amateur, and became an expert. It's the now, that's rare. But it still gets down to -4ºC in the flat, 2 km old story we hear so often. 2 (above) This Black Sapote was originally a grafted tree. Its top was killed by frost, after which it re- grew as a seedling. It bears beautiful fruit, 5/5. (below) A Jakfruit knocked by frost. No fruit. It should have been planted higher up the hill. Caimito (Star Apple), green. Has not yet A Green Sapote seedling, 4 years fruited; frost caused it to drop its leaves. old. Has not fruited. (left & right) A Canistel, four years old, with fruit. Allan rates the taste 3-4/5. (left) This Pinks Mammoth custard apple bears a dozen fruits a year without hand pollination (right) Archer Cherry, a native cherry (Aidia Racemosa). Tastes like Blackcurrants. You have to pick the small fruits individually. (bottom left) A Capulin Cherry, thriving. Has not fruited yet. Allan has two for pollination. (below) A Lychee "Tai So" which bears delicious fruit. (below right) A Sugar Apple. 3 Mimusops Maxima: Mystery the sapodilla. Native to the Fruit Caribbean, and from Mexico through Brazil." By Peter Myers Fruitipedia has an article on Many fruits have been independently Mimusops Balata, which it says discovered and named, and it is up to is also called Ausubo and plant experts to work out which Manilkara bidentata: ones are the same (synonyms of one http://www.fruitipedia.com/ another). ausubo_mimusops_balata.htm Mimusops Maxima, a fruit from AUSUBO (Mimusops Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius balata) (in the Indian Ocean), is widely Family: Sapotaceae reported to be the same as Synonyms: Achras balata, Manilkara Bidentata, a fruit Manilkara bidentata from the Carribean. Both are in the Other names: Assapookoo, Sapotaceae family. Mimusops Maxima (above & below) Peter Salleras with Mimusops Maxima - balata is reportedly Canistel-like, and 2010 AGM Field Day at Fruit Forest Farm, Mission Manilkara Bidentata is a relative of Beach.

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