| Looking around Garden Centres, I don’t think I have ever seen as many lovely citrus trees available as there has been over the last few years. Multi Grafted Citrus Splitzer, (Eyles NSW), Dwarf Citrus (Engalls NSW), Lots A’ Lemons (Clyde Plants Vic) and Sublime (Touch of Class Vic) are just some of the growers with wonderful plants on offer. It appears to me that any Garden Centre having a mass display of these plants will sell heaps of them and they command a ‘highish’ price too. Price, now that’s an interesting subject isn’t it? Perhaps it’s a subject for another day!
Grower Comments
Fruit is back in a big way according to one of Australia’s largest tree growers, Fleming’s Nurseries; a trend they believe is likely to stay.
While fruit has long enjoyed cyclical periods of popularity this recent boom appears to have a stronger undertone with a shift in lifestyle and social behaviours driving a demand for home-grown and organic produce.
Third generation grower, Wes Fleming, said, “The home gardener return to produce-bearing gardens is stronger than ever with new varieties that offer smaller trees with full size fruit, sweeter varieties and hardier, pest resistant cultivars; it’s easier growing at home”.
He said, “Social movements and a wider push to healthier, greener and to live all-round less mass produced lifestyles, is helping to lead the charge”.
“We have had trouble keeping up with the demand on our fruit – especially the dwarf trees that offer smaller trees but full sized and flavoured fruit … we just cannot grow enough.
Smaller trees won’t over load home gardeners with too much fruit so it will get picked and eaten, cooked with and used … rather than rotting on the ground.
This appeals to the new era of home growers that don’t want too much fruit because they no longer mass preserve or create jams like our parents did – so a little goes a long way.
People are also far more aware of the benefits of growing their own produce and with cultivars such as the new Easy Care Apple’s for example, that are powdery mildew and pest resistant, maintenance is less of an issue.
Not having to continually spray and use chemicals is also hugely appealing to consumers who want a more organic lifestyle and are less trusting of bought fruit and veg,” Mr Fleming concluded.
And from JFT
“We have had very strong sales in fruit trees over the past couple of seasons and predict that this will continue. The demand for bare rooted trees is still positive, which is our specialty, although we do have a few varieties of dwarfing fruit trees potted up for sales throughout the year as well. With the backyards getting smaller, the future will see a lot more dwarfing rootstocks become available for fruit varieties. This will allow home gardeners to better manage their trees with less spraying for pests and diseases and pruning more to shape rather than heavy pruning. Also with a trend towards espalier, we are producing a larger range of trees grown with a central feathered leader system, which will allow gardeners to choose which style of tree they would like to grow.”
Heather Sands, JFT Nurseries P/L
Editor’s note: JFT’s Dwarfing Fruiting trees include a range from PLANTNET called 'Backyard Beauties'.
I also discussed the GYO market when I met with David Van Berkel regarding bulbs.
LS - Are you forecasting continued growth in 2010 and are you taking any specific 'tricks' to keep it going?
Grow Your Own will continue to develop as a market. In the past we saw incredible purchasing levels of berry canes, dormant fruits, berries, rhubarb and garlic; many of the European culinary plants. Unfortunately the producers of such plants are now few and far between, many not surviving the ten year period where these sales were almost non-existent in retailers. The demand will continue to grow for anything edible, potted or dormant, it won’t matter. We have developed packaging under a generic brand called ‘Grow Fresh’, emoting those aspects of Grow it and Eat it, Fresh. We have also encouraged others to do the same, and make hay while the sun shines on this traditional Winter’ market. I wish that we could keep producing the number and types of plants that could expand this market, although I fear that growing enough raw produce to meet the market demand will continue to fall short for the next couple of years. We’ll keep trying.
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David Van Berkel – Van Berkel Distributors & Garden Express, Vic.
From an article by Gavin McEwan, Horticulture Week UK
Suppliers are working to meet the untapped potential of gardeners turning to fruit trees and bushes.
Grow your own has rapidly gone from being a minority interest to a majority pursuit among Britain's gardeners. Horticultural Tades Association (HTA) figures show the proportion of gardeners growing food crops has shot up from 22 per cent two years ago to 54 per cent now.
But only 36 per cent of gardeners — two crop growers in three — grow fruit trees and shrubs. Yet a far greater share — 62 per cent — say they would like to. Among the reasons respondents gave for not doing so are lack of space, lack of knowledge and simply not having considered the option.
"Despite the surge in grow-your-own gardening, many people still overlook the possibilities of home-grown fruits and berries," claims HTA business improvement consultant David Gilchrist.
"But there is an increasing number of tasty, unusual fruit such as gooseberries and loganberries that will happily grow in the UK climate. Growing your own fruit can be very rewarding. Not only does it taste better but it is friendly to the environment and, more importantly, you know where it has come from."
Bransford Webbs Plant Company managing director Geoff Caesar said: "We have offered top fruit for nearly 30 years and have seen it come and go. It tends to follow the housing market because people are more likely to plant a tree when they move into a new house."
Also based in Worcestershire, Frank P Matthews supplies more than 230 garden centres with fruit trees and bushes under its ‘Trees for Life’ brand.
"There is also tremendous breeding going on elsewhere in things such as vines and blueberries. Hundreds of varieties are coming through that are hardier, easier to grow or have bigger fruit. We also trial plants here and are cautious not to introduce any that have false promise.
"It's important to give Garden Centres a good choice. We provide a range of both varieties and forms of fruit trees that will suit small gardens and even patios."
There is a natural progression gardeners should go through. The first fruit tree you buy should be an apple, then move on to pears and stone fruit, with apricots being the most challenging. Then if you have some glass or a polytunnel you can consider citrus trees.
The traditional early winter peak for tree sales is a thing of the past now that container-grown trees dominate Garden Centre sales. The market for bareroot trees survives in direct sales to the customer by mail-order and, increasingly, via the internet.
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