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Fruit Salad Trees | Planting your Fruit Salad Tree in a pot or in the ground

September 07, 2018

Fruit Salad Trees | Planting your Fruit Salad Tree in a pot or in the ground

Fruit Salad Trees allow you to grow different and delectable fruit on the same tree. They are perfect for pots on your balcony or in your edible garden. Our trees are delivered via Australia Post and you'll receive an email notification when your tree is despatched so you have an indication of when it will arrive. In the meantime, you can prepare for when your tree arrives, and here's a handy guide for what to buy and what to do in the lead up to receiving your tree!

Shopping list:

  • If potting, a 30cm pot with tray
  • Potting mix or Topsoil
  • Organic matter
  • Slow release fertilizer with trace elements (eg Osmocote or Planticote)
  • Mulch
Planting in pots

Fruit Salad Trees can be planted in pots at any time of the year. Terracotta pots look great but can lose water, read more about sealing them here.

Plant your tree late in the day when the weather is cooler if you have the option.

  • Quarter fill a bucket and pour over the tree to wet the roots, and then remove from the bag by cutting it with a knife.
  • Knock off about half of the existing soil and tease the roots out.
  • Place in the centre of your pot ensuring the tree is pointing straight up.
  • Fill with potting mix leaving a 2-3cm gap
  • Add a layer of fertilizer but make sure it doesn't touch the stem of the tree so that it doesn't rot the trunk.
  • Sprinkle with a slow release fertilizer
  • Water to settle the soil
  • Add a thick layer of mulch to hold the moisture
  • Lastly, keep a tray under the pot to catch excess nutritious water so that your tree can reabsorb.

It's best to replace with a larger pot each year as the tree grows so that you'll end up with a large pot which is a similar to half of a wine barrel in size. You can keep the same pot size, however, note that the size of the tree and the amount of normal size fruit will be determined by the size of the pot.

Watch this short video demonstration of Scott planting in pots here.

Planting in the ground
  • Cut off the plastic bag
  • Dig a shallow hole (not too deep to allow drainage)
  • Knock off about half of the existing soil and tease the roots out.
  • Place tree in the hole (half of the base should be sticking up from ground level)
  • Ensure the tree is pointing straight up.
  • Fill with potting mix
  • Add a layer of fertilizer but make sure it doesn't touch the stem of the tree so that it doesn't rot the trunk.
  • Sprinkle with a slow release fertilizer
  • Water to settle the soil
  • Add a thick layer of mulch to hold the moisture

Plant your trees at least three metres apart if you want the canopies of neighbouring trees to touch when the trees are full grown. If you are concerned about your soil quality, plant your tree on top of the ground and mound soil up onto it. This will prevent your trees from becoming waterlogged.

Watch this short video demonstration of Scott planting in the ground here.

Where should I plant my tree?

Fruit Salad Trees love the sun, so best to position where they can enjoy full sun, at least half a day's worth of sun and in a spot where they are sheltered from the wind if possible.

Citrus Fruit Salad Trees require sun all year round and Apple and Stone Fruit Salad Trees are dormant only during late Autumn and early Winter months when the sun is not required.

Training your tree

You can train your tree to grow and spread its branches by using stakes and ties. Read more about training your Fruit Salad Tree here.

As your tree grows

Fertilise about four times a year, remove rootstock, balance your tree and 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!




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