LOW-CHILL IN THE HEAT

Many of us who live in warmer climate zones are resigned to the conventional wisdom that we can’t grow pome or stone fruits, which generally require many hours of temperatures below 7°C to set fruit.

With a lot of the common varieties that we see in fruit shops, this is undoubtedly the case, but there do exist what we call low-chill varieties of both stone and pome fruit.

These beauties will happily flower and set fruit in subtropical climates without the need for extended near-freezing temperatures.

Let’s take a look at what you need to know about growing low-chill fruit trees.

SOIL PREPARATION

Prepare your soil ideally 2–3 months before planting by adding organic matter such as compost, gypsum (for calcium), well-rotted cow manure plus pelletised poultry manure. Then mulch with sugarcane or lucerne.

For best results, ensure the soil pH is between 6 and 7. If growing in