Jostaberry (forum)

SueBee starts with ...
Hi All, My oldest (2.5years) Jostaberry is growing well and is now around 1.5 mt high and wide.It has had very few fruit and I am wondering if it is in too much shade? Other cuttings I took from it are doing well in more sun but no fruit yet to tell me the difference. I took it to be a forest dweller so allowed it to be in my shady understory...was I wrong? or am I being too impatient for fruit?
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Time: 1st February 2017 9:16am

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About the Author SueBee
SW Vic.
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loewenzahn says...
I don't think it is an understory plant. Generally, it grows in the shade but does not fruit well in the shade. There could be another factor: in our region there is a pesky worm(??) Which eats a hole, eats the inside of the stem and further up it flies out. Have a close look at the stems for holes or strange deformed parts.

Time: 5th February 2017 3:09pm

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About the Author loewenzahn
KATOOMBA,2780,NSW
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SueBee says...
Thanks Loewenzahn, No sign of bug holes in any branches.Colder winters and cooler summers here in SW Vic make for some differences in our bugs I suspect.I think lack of light under the loquat is the problem.Have taken lots of cuttings so will plant more in lighter areas..am also trying an espalier on one cutting that has grown really well.

Time: 7th February 2017 11:21am

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loewenzahn says...
Never heard of espaliering josta, but why not? They also need water and a bit of an acid soil.

Time: 8th February 2017 8:51pm

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About the Author loewenzahn
KATOOMBA,2780,NSW
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SueBee says...
Yes I have plenty of both,love my bore (pure and drinkable) and my soil is acidic volcanic =yumm.

Time: 9th February 2017 1:25pm

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About the Author SueBee
SW Vic.
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Linton says...
Dear Lucky, Lucky, SueBee

I've been thinking about how lucky you are having unlimited water and rich volcanic soil so good you could almost eat it. It's sounds like every plant growers dream and it's the opposite of the bone dry sand that I have at my place. That's why the majority of the fruit trees I grow have to be kept in pots. So you are even more lucky that you can grow so many more species that I can here.

I would like to know what types of fruit trees can grow productively in arid conditions like the soil at my place and with none or very little water so I would be happy to receive suggestions. Not interested in growing cactus species though.

The most suitable ones I have so far are things like Monkey Orange, both green and black types which can grow in dry sand, Carissa species, Chanar trees, and even the Monk Fruits seem to be fairly drought proof. Wonder what else there is.
Thank you, NotSoLucky Linton.

Time: 13th February 2017 8:25pm

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Original Post was last edited: 14th February 2017 10:19am

About the Author Linton
NOBLE PARK,3174,VIC
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SueBee says...
Linton I lived in the Wimmera for many years and dry sand was all there was. I grew almonds,peaches,apricots and pomegranates well,plus grapes but didn't try for exotics as it was just too hard,too hot for pots and so little water available.
I lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for five years and did look into what grew there(had a small garden in our compound). Dates were the main thing,with figs of all types- very little edible exotica to be seen there either.

The reason I moved here was soil and water exclusively-I didn't know a soul- but oh the soil and water are to die for.
The bore cost a bit to put in but the water table is fairly high here so not too bad.There is a once off fee for a licence then no more payments after that so I can use as much as the garden needs with no guilt.
Added to that our rainfall is good (thus far at least), so the aquifers down below are regularly replenished - so I don't need to feel guilty- mine and my neighbours' bore have never run dry despite many farmers nearby using spray irrigation on their paddocks, dairys are notorious for high water use as well, and we are surrounded by dairy farms.The three water tanks I also put in are really overkill I must admit. I suspect the only better area to grow plants may be central/East Gippsland and the Dandenongs perhaps?

Time: 14th February 2017 10:20am

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Original Post was last edited: 14th February 2017 10:21am
About the Author SueBee
SW Vic.
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