Re: Cyphomandra Betacae

A man along the road from me (Marlborough) has a tamarillo tree with a frost cloth cover on it. Although the outer leaves have been frosted the fruit is loking good on it at the moment. We have one right against the north wall of the house that has survived some frost okay, but the be id't in is too small and I ought to do something about it. My father-in-law has a tamarillo in his garden at Lower Hutt. He grows it in a sheltered position under the overhange of the carport, and I think he chops it back quite hard.

Tony and Moira Ryan wrote:

Hi Pamela
I have never been able to grow Tamarillos in my garden because it is too cold on winter for them to survive, but I have come across plenty over the hill in Lower Hutt.

This is what the local handbook says about their culture:-

Site
warm frost free sheltered (they are extremely brittle and need good wind protection)
Soil
Light WELL DRAINED slightly acid. They need plenty of water, but are very intolerant of wet feet.
Training
The growth habit differs according to whether they are started from seed or cuttings. Seedlings produce a stem up to 1.5-1.8 meters before branching while cuttings branch _much_ lower down.

The book says pruning is optional for the home grower. Unpruned trees will not grow much higher, but may grow a good deal wider. The yields will be little affected. However I get the impression their useful life-span can be prolonged if they are pruned regularly.














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