EDIBLES

Imagine having fruit to pick from your garden 365 days of the year. With careful planning it’s more than possible, even in a town sized garden.

Fruit all year round

To make space for more fruit choose dwarf varieties and those that can be trained against a wall. Fruit trees don’t just provide fruit they’re multifunctional. For instance, if you need shade, plant a fruit tree or a fruiting vine over a pergola. Double and triple grafted trees allow you to grow two varieties on one tree, ensuring pollination and extending the harvest season at the same time.

Take time when planning your planting to select varieties with different fruiting times and those that also suit your climate. Some fruit trees need a certain amount of winter chilling before they will produce fruit. Others are for warm frost free climates only.

A great way to get help with your future food forest is to visit your garden centre and ask which varieties will be the best for your area and climate. Visit www.gogardening.co.nz for further ideas and inspiration.