[Pil-pc-oceania] In praise of loquats

[David Arnold]

Graeme, and Russ,

the particular Loquat variety that has so charmed me this year with its
tasty well-enough sized fruit [I didn't thin the crop or give any special
care] and productive and hardy ways is 'Mammoth'.  Glowinski lists a 'Herd's
Mammoth' as having been selected from a seedling at Ryde, NSW.  [I have kept
seed of this years' crop which you are welcome to and have sown some also.]

In my mixed species orchard here in inland Northern Victoria, loquat trees
kept to about 2.5m height seem to do fine on a similar irrigation regime to
apples and pears, and stone fruit.  Basically weekly irrigation with some
variation of quantity per tree according to size and species.

This is in contrast to citrus and figs, which really do need more frequent
watering in the case of citrus, and more generous watering to fill out the
figs later in the season.  Those fruits need to be on a different watering
system.  [Supplementing weekly irrigations with household grey water works
fine where the trees are close enough to the house.]

Russ, fruit fly has moved into this region over recent years.  This has been
a worry to the major Goulburn Valley horticultural area nearby, and
has prompted govt backyard fruit tree spraying programmes in some country
towns.  There have even been calls for banning backyard fruit trees,
but lacked the political will to follow that one through thank goodness.

Figs would be even more of a fruit fly harbour than loquats, but I continue
to grow them.

I think fruit fly is probably here to stay, as in Sydney, and we just have
to be responsible about harvesting the fruit that we grow.  Loquat trees do
need to be kept small if people are going to pick them, so big trees in
parks in Sydney are probably not helpful.

Regards,

David Arnold




On 01/12/06, Russ Grayson <info at pacific-edge.info> wrote:
>
> Loquats were planted in times past in places like Randwick (Sydney) and
> the
> Inner West as garden trees, which is interesting when you consider a
> mature
> loquat can take up most of the space in gardens in these locales.
>
> While loquats might be the thing in rural Victoria, the thing with loquats
> in Sydney, however, is that they are a fruit fly vector. I don't think
> most
> people in Sydney know that you can eat the fruits, though I sometimes see
> pnnets of them on sale at the grocer.
>
> I find them tasty.
>
> ...Russ Grayson
>
> On 1/12/06 4:02 PM, "Graeme George - Earthcare Permaculture"
> <earthcarepc at virtual.net.au> wrote:
>
> > David
> >
> > I believe loquats are a much under-rated fruit.
>
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-- 
David Arnold
Permaculture Designer
4446 Murchison Rd
Violet Town VIC AUS 3669
03 5798 1679
arnold.vt at gmail.com
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