Spring flowering fruits

In spring there are many gorgeous deciduous fruit and ornamental trees in full display of flowers and fresh foliage. 

These spring blossoms are essential to keep track of on your fruit trees as pollination of these flowers must take place for fruit to form. If you have ever thought about starting a garden diary, now is the time to do it! Jot down when each fruit tree begins to flower, and whether its’ pollination partner (if required) is also flowering. Check throughout the day to see if you can observe any pollinators on or around the tree. In the absence of clear days while your fruit tree is in flower, you may find that fruit set is poor because pollinators can’t do their job in unfavourable conditions.

You should also look for signs of flowers dropping prematurely and try to identify environmental changes that could have caused this to happen. Some examples are hail, extreme wind, or heavy rain. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do about this, but at least you won’t be left wondering if you don’t have a whopper harvest!

Deciduous trees that have been recently planted in winter can stay dormant for a long time. Keep an eye on the buds to see if there is any activity as the weather warms. If you’re not sure that the tree is alive, scratch the bark with your fingernail. If it’s green underneath, it’s alive – if brown, the area you have scratched is dead. Keep scratching further down the tree until you find green and prune to this point. Your tree will bounce back faster than if you leave all of the dead/dying material in place!

One of the earliest deciduous fruit trees you can harvest is the delectable apricot. There are many self-pollinating varieties suited to different areas of Australia, with the main harvest season being late spring (November) to summer (February). The traditional areas for growing apricots are cool and warm temperate climates.

In these areas, Moorpark apricot is an absolute cracker with rich flavour. You could also try Trevatt for an old-fashioned mid-season variety. Storey’s apricot is a good choice for gardeners who want the rich Moorpark flavour and a touch earlier in the season. Finally, Fireball™ is a newer variety with a traditional flavour, ripening mid-season, and is suitable to warmer climates. Whilst it isn’t suitable for subtropical or warmer coastal climates, it can fruit very successfully in areas where other varieties are less reliable, for example in Sydney and Perth.

All these varieties are now available on dwarfing rootstocks making them suitable for small spaces and growing in pots.