Looking for something that will do well in Melbournes climate and low maintenance. I'm really considering a mulberry tree as I've never had Mulberry's before and they look so cool. But maybe something like apples or pears would be easier to grow.
In my garden I already have thriving nectarines, olives and loquats.
And I recently planted; lemon, orange and pomegranate. But I've only had these for 1 year so no idea if they will survive and thrive.
So I have space for 1 more fruit tree, what can I grow in Melbourne? What are your thoughts on Mulberry's?
Also any links to where to get fruit trees from would be great.
by AnonymousFruit69
11 Comments
Mulberries are delicious but only have a short season where I am in SEQ. They also stain everything a dark purple so factor this in if you have any paths/paving where you want to plant it.
Mulberries are easy to grow, delicious and prolific fruiters nice and early in the season. They can get huge though so you’ll need to prune them yearly really. Depends how much room you have.
There is a white variant that the birds don’t attack as much and doesn’t stain as much. Harder to find but worth it.
Bulleen Art and Garden is my favourite nursery if you’re anywhere near there.
I live back in the subtropics these days but I remember seeing my first cherry tree ever absolutely covered in fruit in Thornbury when I lived there and it was BEAUTIFUL
Feijoa or cherry guava. Apricots and plums. Figs.
A lot of apples require a fertiliser partner and in Melbourne there is a lot of cherry/pear slug, so a pear can be a bit of maintenance. I wouldn’t recommend these based on your brief.
Mulberry is a good call. They’re almost impossible to find at the shops or markets, so growing your own is the best way to have access. Recommend considering a shahtoot variety, pretty hard to beat and personally I find are the better mulberry varieties.
Other suggestion is figs, if they’re your thing. Not much maintenance. Stone fruit and cherries can be a bit of work. Besides fruit trees, something like a cold climate macadamia (there is a really nice pink one) or self fertilising almond could be interesting.
Daley’s is great. Another reliable option is Ross Creek Tropicals. But there are also some great nurseries around Melbourne and I’d suggest sourcing what you want locally. A lot of the colder climate fruit trees are grown in Victoria and shipped to these online suppliers.
Think about what fruit you are likely to consume and cross match that against your soil type, soil pH, and Melbourne’s climate. That should narrow down your choices somewhat and make a decision based on that criteria. Wishing you all the best!
Mulberries are so delicious.
Someone will correct me if im wrong but just make sure you know the space required for it.
The roots can be a bit aggressive
I’m in Melb also and I adore my dwarf mulberry tree. I find it’s quite resilient and does well enough with just regular repotting and daily watering and the occasional fertilising. I’ve had it 4-5 years and this will be the first I’m pruning. It’s fruited every year, even it’s first.
Edit to add, I got mine at Bunnings; someone else mentioned they were difficult to find.
Mulberries are good if you like the taste because you can’t find them to buy.
I spent a lot of time trying to grow unsuitable fruit trees in an inhospitable frost prone climate (The Yarra Valley) and I’ve given up. Now I will only grow fruit trees suitable for my climate. In my experience, these include:
Figs
Feijoas
Pomegranates
Jujubes
Strawberry Guava
(Also stone fruit and citrus grow here but I havent had any luck with them)
Mulberries should be fine as well.