There’s something about trees that feels extra special and extra responsibility-inducing!
The trickiest part of planning our edible garden has been finding trees that can handle snowy winters and scorching summers.
Trees are long-term additions to our garden, so need more research and thought. There’s a lot of factors to consider: location, soil, nutrients and general care for all the potential Tree-ple (AKA: tree people) who’ll be joining us on our paddock..
Wind tolerance | Me happily digging out Feijoa hole number two because I know both trees are wind, drought and frost tolerant!
Spending time researching what trees will work for your garden is time well spent!
I’ve discovered trees in mid-Canterbury have to be tough cookies! Year round, they need to tolerate gale-force winds, often from multiple directions. In summer, they have to be drought tolerant. In winter, frost tolerant. It’s a tall order to find trees that can survive ALL these conditions.
Happily, local councils often compile lists of plants that happily grow your way. If you live in Canterbury - here’s Ashburton council’s list of fruit and nut tree varieties that thrive.
We chose the Takaka feijoa variety as it’s evergreen, every kind of tolerant and can grow up to 4m high and 3m wide.
We planted our trees just 1.5 metres apart so they grow into a screening hedge. In time, they’ll also provide wind protection for our veggies.
We’re both excited to create more spaces in our garden that shelter us from the wind!!
Our neighbour Aaron’s top tip | Strip away the bottom branches and remove any flowers during the first growing season. This encourages the tree to put its energy into growing strong branches, rather than fruit.
Beautiful feijoa flowers | They’re not just beautiful - they’re edible! Sprinkle them over salads, sweet or savory, for a pop of flavour.
FUN FACT | Feijoa flowers taste a bit like marshmallows dusted with cinnamon. Who knew?!!!
By Sal at Sally Grows - 12th December 2024
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MOROCCAN MINT TEA RECIPE → | Sally Grows: a paddock to plate adventure