Spring Gardening

Avocado

Inject sick trees with half-strength Phosphorous acid end of Oct. early Nov. when spring growth matures.  You can spray but one injection equals 3 sprays. 2gms per sq mtr of Borax or half strength if using Solubor.  100gm sq.mtr Gypsum.

Bananas

Plant out now. Fertilise established clumps.

Citrus

Watch for Leaf Miner which affects new growth – spray only the new growth with Confidor & Seasol.  Spray Citrus with Pest Oil to control Aphids/Scale and Leaf Miner. Bronze Citrus Bug – use Baythroid or above or pick off by hand. One kilo of Dynamic Lifter and a closed hand of Nitrophoska Blue per sq mtr plus Gypsum and occasionally Dolomite. If you’re on sandy soil, one dressing of Zinc Sulphate 30gms per sq mtr will do the trick for 4 years for zinc. Also Sulphate of Potash & Magnesium/Boron.
Spring is the time to bud graft.

Custard Apple

Leaf loss should occur.  Time to prune new shoots on trees so growth goes into fruit.  Mulch and low irrigation. Fertilise with chook manure and foliar fertilize with zinc. Lime Potash and Calcium = sweet fruit – 2 handfuls (it needs trace elements now) Start watering in October when flowering commences. With shy-bearing Pinks Mammoth, spray the flowers with a mixture of 1tsp Borax, 1tsp Urea with 1ltr water. Use zinc on Cuban Fibreless Soursop to make it fruit

Feijoas

Jan – Apply half a handful of Super before flowering.

Figs

In July prune 2/3rds off as fruit is only produced on new wood of new seasons growth. Fertilize and mulch well.  Spray Mancozeb for Brown Spot & Rust control with Carbaryl to control the Fig Beetle and then monthly until harvest.

Green Sapote

Difficult to set fruit so Kaspar recommends a mix of fertilizers to the dripline: 2 cups Magnesium (Epsom Salts) half cup Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate, half cup Agricultural Boron (Borax OK)

Jaboticaba

September – Fertilize with a handful of Potash 50g/m²

Lychee

A boron spray or two on the developing flowers is a good idea to ensure flower fertility. Increase irrigation during early fruit development.  Ease off the irrigation from early November (moderate water stress in December / early January can reduce fruit drop).

Mango

Once flowering occurs, spray with Mancozeb based spray every 2 weeks if anthracnose is present on flowers then copper on monthly on your fruit. Foliar fertilize with a 1% solution of Potassium Nitrate at beginning of flowering and repeat every 7-10 days later – induces flowering and fruit set. If you get a lot of rain that wrecks the flowers, prune off the diseased inflorescences (only) and they will usually flower again.Apply Calcium and Boron foliar fertilizer to flowers only when panicles are finger length every 14-21 days through the flowering phase until fruit reaches golfball size. If you want to topwork ie. graft another variety on, then now is the time to cut back the branches as you’ll be grafting onto the new shoots Jan – Mar next year. Florigon variety suggested for the Brisbane area. Start watering heavily once fruit has set on your trees.

Passionfruit

Vines come out of dormancy – apply fertilizer and mulch out to 2-3 metres.

Pawpaw

Spray with Wettable Sulphur with a wetting agent in the evening if Spider Mite is present. Half a teaspoon of Borax per plant/ m².

Rollinia

Foliar fertilise with a 1% solution of zinc sulphate

Stone Fruit

Water well/prune out water shoots and dense foliage for better fruit size. Start fruit fly control program when fruit half grown. Take cuttings 45cm long from 1 or 2 year old wood. Remove leaves & cut squarely at the base immediately below a node. Only select cuttings from disease free plants.

Tamarillos

Flowering commences in the early varieties – low irrigation requirement

White & Black Sapote

Tip prune in October