Tamarillo (Tree Tomato – Cyphomandra Betacea)
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Tamarillo (Tree Tomato – Cyphomandra betacea) Sun Type Plant Width Shelter Harvest (metres) (metres) Spacing Height x Soil type Moisture Pollinator Evergreen Deciduous/ Autumn– E 2–3.5 x 3 3 N Y Oct–Nov winter Site • Needs a warm summer, mild winter and • Fruits on new growth. Needs pruning to sheltered site. keep the fruiting wood near the tree's strong • Very frost tender, with large, thin leaves and framework – each year, cut laterals that have brittle branches that break easily. Evergreen fruited back to the tree's basic framework, unless frost removes the leaves in winter. and remove dead or diseased wood, and any • Prefers deep, rich, well-drained soil that suckers. retains moisture during summer. • Prune from after the last of the big frosts • Does not tolerate waterlogging – grow on a until as late as October. The timing of slope if this might be a problem. pruning determines the timing of the next season's fruit. Care Harvest • A short-lived tree (5–12 years). • Plant in October or November. Stake the • Bears fruit within 18 months – fruit takes 8 tree against winds and protect from frosts in months from pollination to ripening. the first winter. • Ripens from April to November. • Has very shallow roots – water regularly • Pick when the fruit is slightly soft and pulls during dry periods. Doesn't tolerate off the tree easily. competition from weeds – mulch thickly to • Eat fresh, add to fruit salad, or use in sauces, control weeds and keep the roots cool and chutneys, savoury dishes, jams, juice and moist (but keep the area next to the trunk jellies. Preserve in jars, or puree the flesh clear so it doesn't rot). and freeze (it turns brown, but is still good • Established trees can survive brief frosts – to eat). To remove the skins easily, cover the the leaves might fall off, but new leaves will fruit in a bowl with boiling water for a few grow again. minutes then peel. • A fast-growing tree. Fertilise four times Health per year, when the soil is wet – in early • High levels of vitamins A, B6, C (when eaten spring, after pruning, in November, and in fresh) and E, iron and potassium, fibre. February. • Self-fertile. Pollinated by insects and wind. Plants for free • Take 30cm cuttings from 1- or 2-year-old Training & pruning wood on disease-free plants. • At planting, shorten the main stem to 1m to • Cut the stem square, just below a leaf node, encourage low branching. and remove the leaves. • When side shoots (laterals) grow, pinch them • Insert the cuttings into firm soil until they've back when they're 50cm long, to create a taken root, then plant in late spring. strong framework. 58 PART 3: FRUIT & NUT GUIDE www.nec.org.nz/growing-fruit-and-nuts.