Mimusops Maxima p.3. Fruit tree Ratings p.6. Next Meeting p. 10

Transcription

1 The Grapevine August 2014 Subtropical trees Thrive in Frost at Monto Newsletter of the Hinkler branch of Rare Fruit Australia, Inc. P.O. Box 5839, Bundaberg West, Qld President: Eddy Dunn ph. (07) (m) Secretary: Laree Chapman Treasurer: Kevin Chapman ph. (07) Editor: Peter Myers, 381 Goodwood Rd, Childers ph. (07) In this issue Subtropical trees at Monto p.1 Mimusops Maxima p.3 Fruit tree Ratings p.6 Minutes from Last Meeting p. 8 Botanic Gardens RF orchard p. 8 Photos from Last Meeting p.9 Atherton Raspberry p. 10 President s Report p. 10 Next Meeting p. 10 Billets for 2015 AGM Hinkler branch is offering billets for members from other areas attending the AGM on the weekend of May 23rd Some branches may bring a bus and stay in a motel. But for smaller numbers, billets can be requested. Best plan in advance and work out your car pooling. Hinkler members who wish to offer billets, and other members who wish to request them, should contact Peter Myers ph. (07) Subtropical trees Thrive in Frost at Monto By Peter Myers Allan Knight grows subtropical trees in the frost, at Mungungo, near Monto in the North Burnett region. It's a highland area 120 km west of Bundaberg. He bought the 800-acre block in 1972, but it was not until about 2000 that he began an orchard, growing stone fruits, Finger Limes and other natives. He only started growing "exotics" about 6 years ago, when he joined the Rare Fruit Council (now RFA). His orchard is a work in progress, currently about 3 acres, and he also has a few acres of rainforest. He cultivates about 80 kinds of exotic trees and 160 kinds of natives. Access to the coast is difficult: circuitous dirt roads through Mt Perry or Kalpowar State Forest, or a roundabout bitumen road through Biggenden, so Allan has only occasionally been able to attend meetings. However, he was able to obtain plants, especially from Ray Johnson, but also from Lenzie and others. Hinkler branch held one meeting at Allan's place. A Finger Lime in fruit. Allan grows them Allan's orchard is on a hill sloping towards the commercially. Note the bare ground once again. south-west the worst possible aspect, a realestate agent would say. The hill is steep enough for cold air to drain away, but, even so, frost sets on still nights about 4 months a year. In winter, the sun does not reach it until about 8.30am, by which time the air temperature has warmed up. Thus the frost does limited damage. But around the house at the bottom of the hill cold air pools, and Allan has recorded -10ºC. The coldest he's recorded on the block was -14ºC about 20 years ago; the coldest in the last ten years has been -10ºC. Others in the area are unable to grow exotic fruit except for mangos, so Allan had no idea of what was possible he just had to try. Each success led to more plantings, and now he grows the same fruits as members in frost-free areas close to the coast. Not only that, but his trees are thriving, fruiting early, and looking better than many grown in more favourable locations. In recent years we have been beset by floods and droughts. Floods do not worry Allan, because of the slope of his land. The Monto area has about 28" rainfall, Allan with Red Shahtoot mulberry. "A lot better than the White," he says. The White is sweeter, but the Red has more tang. Notice the bare earth - Allan says it keeps his trees warmer in winter. A luxuriant Rollinia, five years old. Allan rates the fruit at 4/5; Cherimoya & Pinks Mammoth score 5/5. 1

2 and Allan feels that the dryish climate has helped avoid disease problems. There are heavy dews and fogs, but the main saviour during dry times has been a reliable bore. It's 1 ½ km away, on the flat, so Allan has to pump water all that way, plus up the hill. But it produces 500 gal/hr, and is good, drinkable water. In the dry season, and in summer, Allan irrigates each row for 2 hours each weekend. The main is 1 ¼", and the spray lines ¾". As a result, droughts have not been a problem. Allan grows Finger Limes commercially, sending them to Eumundi Market. He also grows Desert Limes, outside their natural area. A grower from Roma, which is their natural area, could not get over Allan's lack of disease problems. Allan says that the dry climate helps, and the cold makes the trees bud better. The rows run up and down the hill; this might facilitate drainage of cold air. But Allan's other secret has been his Bare-Earth strategy. A thriving avocado. Allan has four varieties; this one is Wurst Allan with Sapodilla "Tropic". It bears "heaps" of fruit, which tastes good if there's no Fruit Fly. A visitor would be shocked to see bare earth rather than grass between the trees. Allan sprays Roundup four or five times a year. He says that bare earth helps prevent frost damage: it absorbs heat fromn the sun during the day, and radiates warmth at night. Rocks do the same. In the early years, frost burned the top off a grafted Black Sapote lower down the hill, but it re-sprouted from below the graft, becoming a seedling tree. Nevertheless, it bears delicious fruit. A Jakfruit has also been knocked by frost; it has never fruited. Allan says that there's less frost damage higher up the hill; the Black Sapote should have been planted there, but he didn't know at the time. As the trees have grown, they have created a micro-climate, reducing frost damage. Nowadays, there's hardly any frost higher up the hill, because of the trees. It was often white, in years past; now, that's rare. But it still gets down to -4ºC in the flat, 2 km away. A native raspberry, Rubus Mollucanus. It's better-tasting than the Atherton Raspberry and, although it suckers, easy to control. Allan got rid of his Atherton Raspberry. In addition, Allan says that the climate has warmed up over the years. In the past, the water-pipes at the house would regularly freeze in winter. Residents in the Dallarnil area said so too. The soil is red volcanic, on the left side of the orchard, looking up the hill, and sandy on the right side. Both types dry out Kwai Muk, a beautiful tree with rounded shape. It bears some fruit, which Allan rates 4/5. Is much more cold-hardy than Jakfruit. quickly. Allan does not apply fertilizer or lime, except Rocket Fuel pellets around some, not most, of the trees. "I don't really fed a tree unless it needs it." Alan says he does not prune much, but "I'm going to have to get into the stone fruits". Several trees show signs of getting away on him e.g. a White Sapote about 6m high. Some early successes have been: - a Rollinia which looks luxuriant and has fruited - Wurtz and three other varieties of Avocado - a Sapodilla which bears heavily (though the Fruit Fly get it) - a Kwai Muk, a rounded, beautiful tree with some fruit (more cold-hardy than Jakfruit) - Black Sapotes, a seedling and a grafted Mossman, both with beautiful fruit - a Pinks Mammoth custard apple which bears a dozen fruit a year without hand pollinating - Mangoes 400 fruit last summer. Allan started out as an amateur, and became an expert. It's the old story we hear so often. 2

3 Caimito (Star Apple), green. Has not yet fruited; frost caused it to drop its leaves. A Green Sapote seedling, 4 years old. Has not fruited. (above) This Black Sapote was originally a grafted tree. Its top was killed by frost, after which it regrew as a seedling. It bears beautiful fruit, 5/5. (below) A Jakfruit knocked by frost. No fruit. It should have been planted higher up the hill. (left & right) A Canistel, four years old, with fruit. Allan rates the taste 3-4/5. (left) This Pinks Mammoth custard apple bears a dozen fruits a year without hand pollination (right) Archer Cherry, a native cherry (Aidia Racemosa). Tastes like Blackcurrants. You have to pick the small fruits individually. (bottom left) A Capulin Cherry, thriving. Has not fruited yet. Allan has two for pollination. (below) A Lychee "Tai So" which bears delicious fruit. (below right) A Sugar Apple. 3

4 Mimusops Maxima: Mystery Fruit By Peter Myers Many fruits have been independently discovered and named, and it is up to plant experts to work out which ones are the same (synonyms of one another). Mimusops Maxima, a fruit from Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius (in the Indian Ocean), is widely reported to be the same as Manilkara Bidentata, a fruit from the Carribean. Both are in the Sapotaceae family. Mimusops Maxima is reportedly Canistel-like, and Manilkara Bidentata is a relative of Sapodilla. But are they the same? Kew Garden, which operates the "Plant List" database, says "Mimusops maxima is a synonym of Mimusops balata": tpl1.1/record/kew Mimusops commersonii is another synonym: kew As for Manilkara bidentata, it is an accepted name. Synonymns include Manilkara balata, Mimusops bidentata, and Mimusops balata: record/kew The Kew database seems to equate the two, where it says "Mimusops balata Crueg. ex Griseb. is a synonym of Manilkara bidentata (A.DC.) A.Chev.": tpl1.1/record/kew On ebay, Mimusops maxima plants are for sale as "Beach Apricot": APRICOT-LIVE-Plant-Seedling- SEASIDE-FRUIT-TREE-Mimusopsmaxima-Salt-Wind-/ The seller's store is Polynesian Produce Stand. They say that Mimusops maxima is Salt & Wind tolerant. And Beach Apricot (its other name) "is endemic to the rainforests and semi-dry lands in Reunion and Mauritius." Tradewindsfruit sells Ausubo as a synonym of both Manilkara bidentata and Mimusops balata: content/ausubo.htm "Medium sized, yellow skinned fruit, about two inches across, bearing many similarities to (above & below) Peter Salleras with Mimusops Maxima AGM Field Day at Fruit Forest Farm, Mission Beach. He bought fruit in Madagascar, and brought the seeds in. "The taste is quite unique to the fruit world in its cheesiness," he says. (above) Ausubo (Manilkara bidentata) fruits on tree - Fruitipedia. It gives Mimusops balata as another synonym. (below) Mimusops Maxima in fruit - Polynesian Produce Stand (ebay). They also call them "Beach Apricot". the sapodilla. Native to the Caribbean, and from Mexico through Brazil." Fruitipedia has an article on Mimusops Balata, which it says is also called Ausubo and Manilkara bidentata: ausubo_mimusops_balata.htm AUSUBO (Mimusops balata) Family: Sapotaceae Synonyms: Achras balata, Manilkara bidentata Other names: Assapookoo, balata "Ausubo is a little known fruit growing in tropical America. It is believed to have been originated in Puerto Rico. It grows naturally in the West Indies, and ranges from Mexico through Panama to northern South America, including the Guianas and Venezuela, to Peru, and to northern Brazil." The fruit is a berry, 3-5 cm in diameter, yellow. Seed black, shiny, 1-2 per fruit. Fruits are edible and eaten fresh. However, the more common use of the tree is as a commercial timber. The tree is often tapped for its milky latex which is the source of balata gum. "Ausubo is one of the strongest and most attractive commercial woods in Puerto Rico. It is widely used in the tropics for railway sleepers, bridging, heavy construction, furniture, turnery, flooring, violin bows, and billiard cues.... Its excellent steam-bending properties make it suitable for boat frames and other bent work." Brazilian Trees & Cultivated Exotics says (p. 619): "Mimusops commersonii... Sin:... Mimusops coriacea.. Spanish Cherry.... "The Spanish Cherry is a tropical fruit-bearer, originally from Madagascar, widely cultivated... in the domestic orchards of northeast and southeast Brazil.... The fruits are globose berries, with a smooth skin, the pulp is creamy and sweet, with 1-2 seeds; they mature in summer." Mimusops Coriacea is called Pomme Jacquot on Mauritius; and also known as Monkey s Apple. Both it and Mimusops elengi are called "Spanish Cherry". 4

5 When I sent Peter Salleras links to websites saying that Mimusops Maxima is also called Mimusops Balata and Manilkara Bidentata and Ausubo, he replied, "Thanks for the info Peter. I'd reckon you're right and we were given the wrong name originally as the fruit on these sites looks like what our tree produces." However, it seems that those websites may have been wrong. That there are two different species which look the same on the outside but taste different; the insides are also different. This new information comes from a grower in Trinidad, called Murahilin. Here is a discussion from Garden Web (Fri, Feb 19, 2011): tropicalfruits/msg html?8 Mimusops balata Murahilin says, "It is no longer known as Mimusops balata. It is currently known as Manilkara bidentata. I am growing it and have tried the fruit. Not a big fan of it. They usually fruit around Jan- Feb. I have a tree that I grafted from budwood from PR onto a sapodilla seedling. I have not had good success grafting balata onto sapodilla. I was told that in Trinidad they use the sapodilla as a rootstock but I did not have the same luck so I am in the process of growing my own balata rootstock." (above) Trina McKiernan runs the nursery at Fruit Forest Farm. She says Mimusops Maxima taste "like sweet cheese - philly (cream) cheese, but crumbly". Ripe fruits are yellow; brown is over-ripe. (below) Inside the fruit; (below right) the flowers yes the two pics sure look like different species and it doesn't help everywhere i look it says mimusops balata is now manilkara bidentata. but yes his pic also looks a lot like beach apricot..m.maxima. Fruitlovers says "Both mimusops and manilkara are in same family: sapotaceae, but they are totally different genus. Manilkara is same genus as chico sapodilla. If you look at second photo you can see the seeds inside the fruit look like chico seeds, black and flattened." Dassie3553 says "How difficult is it to sprout the seeds of the Balata? I totally love the fruit, and in Trinidad it is still difficult to get these fruits. Sometimes they are small, with very little pulp around the seed, but I got some wonderful, lucious fruits today!" Murahilin says, "I am beginning to doubt that the Mimusops balata is the same thing as Manilkara bidentata though. M. bidentata is from the Caribbean and I think M. balata is from Africa/Indian Ocean area. Even though quite a few websites say they are the same thing they have marked differences. The fruit look similar but taste different, the seeds are different shaped, and the leaves are somewhat different. What do you think? Ripe fruits of Ausubo - Fruitipedia (below) Mimusops Coriacea (Pomme Jacquot) inside. It may or may not be Mimusops Maxima Balata - translucent inside (balata-2.jpg) Here is a discussion in Tropical Fruit Forum (September 29, 2013): topic=7540.0;wap2 Digigarden says "i have found pictures of balata that look like this.." < balata-2.jpg> Murahilin says "Manilkara bidentata and Mimusops balata are two different species. Many people often confuse them. The pic you posted is of Manilkara bidentata and the original pic in this post looks like Mimusops balata." (left) A young seedling Mimusops Maxima (right) Joe Camilleri, of Mackay branch, with his Mimusops Maxima tree Digigarden says: 5

6 Family or Group Tree Ratings - Fruits for the Subtropics (a guide only; allow for variation in tastes, varieties, soils, rootstocks etc) Taste Rating Grows from Cutting s Cold Drough t Wet Feet Shade Salt Wind Annona & Cherimoya related Custard Apple Mountain Soursop Rollinia Soursop Sugar Apple Artocarpus Jakfruit Kwai Muk Bean trees Carob most Horseradish Tree Y Icecream Bean legume 1 N Y Y Tamarind 3 Y Bromeliad Pineapple 5 Y Cacti Indian Fig (Prickly Pear) 3 Y Pitaya (Dragonfruit) 4 Y Citrus Calamondin Grapefruit Kumquat Lime Mandarin Orange (navel) Pommelo 3 Y Cherry-type Acerola 1 Y fruits Beach (Cedar Bay) Cherry Y Y Y Brazilian Cherry black N 1 4 Cape Gooseberry Capulin Cherry Ceylon Hill Gooseberry Y 1 4 Cherry Rio Grande Grumichama Y 2 4 Panama Berry Phalsa Y 2 3 Y Garcinia Achacha 3 Y N & related Bakupari 3 Y Imbe Y 2 3 Y Mundu (Dulcis, Sweet Yellow) 3 Y Yellow Mangosteen 3 Y Grape-type Grape 5 Y fruits Jaboticaba 5 Y Y 1 3 Muscardine Grape 3 Y Sea Grape 2 Y Y Guava Feijoa 4 Y family Guava - Red (Cherry) Guava - Brazilian not attacked by Fruit Fly 4 4 Guava Lychee & Longan similar Lychee Wampi 3 Y Nut Trees Cashew Apple Guiana Chestnut 1 N N 5 N N N Macadamia Pandanus Y Y Y Dioe cious? 6

7 Family or Group Tree Ratings - Fruits for the Subtropics (a guide only; allow for variation in tastes, varieties, soils, rootstocks etc) Taste Rating Grows from Cutting s Cold Drough t Wet Feet Shade Salt Wind Dioe cious? Peanut Tree Y Pecan most Tropical (Indian) Almond 3 2 Y Y Y Saba Nut 1 N N 5 N N N Oily fruits Avocado Olive 3 Y Palms Coconut Date Palm Y Y Y Jelly Palm Persimmon Black Sapote most & related Mabolo Y Persimmon most Pome Fruits Loquat Pear - tropical & Nashi Pouteria Abiu & related Black Apple Y Y Y Canistel Green Sapote Mamey Sapote Mimusops Maxima Sapodilla Star Apple (Caimito) Spice / Allspice Y 1 N Y Y Condiment Bay Leaf Y Y Y Cinnamon Y 1 N Clove Tree Y 1 1 Cocoa Y 1 1 Coffee Y 1 1 Miracle Fruit N N N Y Pepper Y N Y Tea Y 3 N Y N N Spondias Ambarella Red Mombin 2 Y Stone Fruits Nectarine & Peach (trop.) Plum 4 Y Syzygiums Jambolan Plum Wax Jambu Ungrouped Banana Carambola Davidson's Plum Y N Fig 4 Y Jujube (Chinese Date) Marula 2 Y Y Y Y Mango Mulberry 4 Y Y 2 4 Passionfruit red & yellow Pawpaw (Papaya) Y 1 1 most Peanut Butter Fruit Pitomba Pomegranate 3 Y White Sapote Casimiroa

8 MINUTES OF BI-MONTHLY MEETING HINKLER BRANCH OF RARE FRUIT AUSTRALIA INC. Held on Hosted by Lenzie Duffy MEETING OPENED AT: a.m. WELCOME: by president Eddy Dunn to present members and guests APOLOGIES: Guy Ousey and Rin Madge, Bill and Dulcie Tunstall, Michael Skerra, Mike and Gwynneth Poulton, Jeff Logan and Terry and Gail McDonnell. Mov:Jill Lyle Sec:Lynne Watkins GUESTS: Iris Johnson, Margaret Logan, Ethel Goss, Carlo, Lyn Lyle, Pam and Paul Biden (new members) and Lyn McIlwain (new member) MINUTES: As per Grapevine Mov: Lou Gatti Sec: Daphne Harris BUSINESS ARISING FROM MINUTES: Nil. CORRESPONDENCE: Inwards: Widebay Aust. Bank statement for May. Orchard Talk newsletter from Fraser Coast Sub-Tropical Club inc. Capricorn Edible Plants newsletter, John Picone cheque for 2 years membership RFA, Gardeners Gazette, Subtropical Fruit Club of Qld. June-July issue, Outwards: Letter to RFA McKay for memberships for Rob & Carolyn Jamnikar, Stretch Chamberlain & Sherron Beal, Luke Lester and Maureen Stringer. Mov: Cheryl Gatti Sec: David da Costa TREASURER'S REPORT: Kevin moved an amendment of $105 to the AGM and Feb 2014 balance due to an un-presented cheque for that amount. Sec: Jenny Tait. Kevin moved our insurance for 82 members of the club be paid. Sec: Lynne Watkins ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENTS: NAME AMOUNT REASON Ray Johnson 110 Trees Peter Myers Newsletter expenses Daphne Harris Lunch provisions Mov: Lenzie Duffy Sec: Cheryl Gatti TALK BY HOSTS: Lenzie detailed the history of his block. When he settled there, there were only 7 trees standing. Since then he has planted 4000 trees. His old orchards are looking after themselves now, and he describes them as his wild forest. He is planting a new orchard closer to the house and hopes to get fruit from these this year. Lenzie enriches his own soil with cracker dust, vegetable scraps, prunings and all plant materials he can access. He sprays his veggie garden with a garlic and chilli mix and nets it to deter pests. NEWSLETTER EDITOR'S REPORT: Peter advised he will not be editor next year, but if elected, Michael Skerra would be available to undertake the position. Peter requested people share articles and photos for future newsletters. NEC REPRESENTATIVE'S REPORT: Gordon reported that the RFA AGM was held by the Cassowary Coast this year. Next year (May 2015) it will be held by Hinkler Branch. Deadline for articles in the 2015 Rare Fruit Review is September PLANT PROCURER'S REPORT: : Ray Johnson advised that due to different growing conditions he did not procure many trees from Tully. He did bring back some Beetle Leaf trees. Ray is going to Fitzroy Nursery (Rockhampton) and requested members to contact him if they want trees. LIBRARIAN'S REPORT: David encouraged members to access books held in the library. He asked people to tell him if they find books they think are suitable for purchase by the club. GENERAL BUSINESS: Jenny proposed an itinerary for the 2015 NEC AGM. If members had further suggestions they should contact her. Jenny also requested our members consider billets for the visiting members. Peter Myers will co-ordinate the billeting roster. Contact him if you have a bed available. Ray moved that Nola and David Roberts be refunded their $50 deposit for the Stanthorpe trip due to health reasons. Sec: Eleanor Hannah. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Richelle announced a special offer on massage in Gin Gin for RFA members. NEXT MEETING: Peter and Sally Myers on 23 August CLOSED:12.15 p.m. Members of Hinkler Branch gathered at the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens on February 20 to plant more trees in the Rare Fruit orchard there. (left and right) Management and Staff of the Gardens inspect the trees before the planting, with Ray explaining (below L & R) The Gardens has now erected this sign at the Rare Fruit orchard. The sign says, "No sprays are used on any fruit and visitors to the garden are welcome to taste the ripe fruits but strongly discouraged from removing any fruit out of the orchard." The sign depicts ripe Canistel fruit. 8

9 Photos from the June Meeting (at Lenzie's) Many of us "younger" members wondered how our gardening efforts could be completely upstaged by a 77-year-old man with a bad back. Your editor did not even know that beetroot and rhubarb could grow in the subtropics, before seeing them thriving in Lenzie's above-ground garden beds. (below) Ray & Eddy install the top on a shadecloth "tent". (above) the 5-sided bottom of a "tent"; the wood heap, which Lenzie turns into charcoal; a White Shahtoot mulberry; a Governor's Plum with nice fruit (but the birds get it). These trees and those below are in the "old" orchard, which is mostly thriving despite neglect. Ray and your Editor worked out one of Lenzie's secrets. The bottom half of each raised bed is filled with wallum, the local soil which Lenzie says is worthless. However, it's silty and holds water. Thus, we think, it makes these beds like wicking gardens, helping them survive the dry. (below) Stretch hand-pollinates a Lilikoi passionfruit; a Kaffir Plum (the birds eat the fruit, but knock some down for Lenzie); Eddy ventures into a thorny Kei Apple tree to pick the fruit; it tasted quite good. 9

10 ISIS HWY Bundaberg GOOD WOOD RD NEXT MEETING: SAT Aug 23, 10am President's Report August 2014 A big thankyou to Lenzie for hosting the citrus meeting. It was great to see him looking so well. The vegetable beds are really working well, and it was interesting to see which trees survived in a mature orchard after being neglected. The Kei apple certainly thrived! Has anyone been using their candlenuts to save on electricity? Logging Ck Rd ISIS HWY Apple Tree Creek Knockroe Rd North Isis Rd BRUCE HIGHWAY Goodwood Stockyard Rd 381 Childers GOOD WOOD RD Woodgate Peter & Sally Myers 381 Goodwood Rd Childers ph It is very dry (as our winters often are), with 2.5mm registered in my gauge for July. I hope that we get some good rainfall soon. This dry weather has made the frost worse which has affected some crops. Large mango trees, citrus and bananas at Wallaville got burnt. Many people in Bundaberg also got frost but without a lot of damage. The cool weather generally is good for the winter vegies. My carambola crop is very good as the fruit fly is on holidays in winter. The birds that eat the Panama cherries also seem to be on holidays. We look forward to our next meeting at Peter and Sally Myers on 23rd August starting at 10am. Kind regards, Eddy Dunn BAppSc (Horticulture) IPM Agronomist Growing Native Raspberries Eleanor Hannah In our warm subtropical climate I believed that raspberries were something that was going to have to come in a punnet at the market. I also thought that native raspberries were small, dry things you eat when desperate. I was wrong on both counts. There are several native raspberries, the one I refer to here is the Atherton raspberry (Rubus probus). This bramble grows to around 2 metres in height and will spread as far as you let it, and quite possibly further. {tip: put it in a spot where you can mow around it - Ed.} As its name suggests it originates from north Queensland. The plants spread from the roots with new shoots coming up as far as two metres from the parent plant and will keep spreading. Put it where you don't mind if it spreads or plant it in a pot or some other container, bath tubs are great. The spread will also be contained by dry conditions and the presence of cattle. The plant itself is an attractive lively green with typical raspberry shaped leaves. They are also incredibly thorny, both along the stems and leaves, even along the mid vein. It fruits for several months, for me in Bundaberg this year that started in May and goes through until October or even November. It is not something you have to wait a long time to harvest, you can get good crops just one year after planting. A clump one metre square will provide you a couple of punnets of fruit every week during the main fruiting period. Fruit should be harvested when bright red and easily comes off the plant. They are slightly milder and tarter in flavour then regular raspberries. To get good fruit set give it some water during dry times and compost will always give it a boost. I usually just ignore mine and let it produce fruit without me doing anything. Birds love the fruit so once discovered this may severely limit your crop unless you net. I had trouble with fig birds last season. Most of my fruit are simply eaten straight from the plant, some last long enough to go into a bowl to be taken inside. They do, however, go well in cooking. They are wonderful stirred through no bake lemon cheesecake, tossed over ice cream and custard, on top of morning muesli and next on my list of things to try is piled onto a pavlova. Several members in our group are growing this plant so if you want to know more or would like a piece to grow just ask at our next meeting. To Pickle Olives in Salt These Tips are from Mt Stirling Olives, in Stanthorpe; we visited them in March. - drill holes in the bottom of a plastic drum (or styrofoam box). Holes should me 4mm dia. or less. - put 1/2" of Table Salt or Butcher's Salt in the bottom (buy from a wholesaler or IGA or Woolworths). (not industrial salt - it tastes bad) - put a layer of olives on the salt, then another layer of salt - alternate up to your maximum - rock the drum or box sideways every day to let water drain off - remove olives after 3 weeks.; they will be shrivelled like prunes. - wash in vinegar (there's a natural anti-biotic on it). - dry the olives, and eat them like that.; throw the salt away. - to store them, pack in a bottle, vegemite jar or ziplock bag, and add olive oil and dried garlic & herbs. 10