WINTER is the time to plant fruit trees and, while it may be a couple of months away, now is the time to think about where to plant your tree/s.

It is not a good idea to think about this when the fruit trees arrive in June/July.

It is essential to have a spot in full sun. It is also important to consider the amount of space required with our ever-shrinking gardens.

As an example, Malus “Granny Smith” apples can grow up to 4m with a similar spread. Whereas the “Ballerina” columnar apples, such as Malus “Maypole” or M. “Bolero’, while growing to 3.5m tall, needs only a space of 0.6m wide, perfect for those with a small garden or who like their trees neat and tidy.

Pick up a Fleming’s Nurseries “Top 10 Tree Guide” from your local garden centre. This title is slightly misleading as the booklet includes an extensive list of fruit and ornamental trees, showing their height and spread. Remember “the right tree for the right place”, irrespective wherever it is a fruit or ornamental tree.

I HAVE had several inquiries regarding gardening advice in the media on fruit trees when they talk about the “chill factor”. Usually telling us certain fruit trees require this term, almost sounding like some horror movie, but not explaining why. Spring flowering bulbs, which we are all busy planting at present, such as daffodils and hyacinths, require a good cold winter in order to flower successfully in spring.

Apples, pears, cherries, plums and even some berry plants such as blackcurrants all need this “chill factor” for flower and fruit production.

The process starts in late summer and autumn when growth inhibitors accumulate in flower and leaf buds as they form. These prevent the buds opening during winter and the “chill factor” is required to break down these growth inhibitors. This ensures the buds open at the optimum time in spring. Each cultivar needs a specific number of ‘chill hours’ below a certain temperature, for most fruit trees at least a minimum of about 7c or lower. Here we are more fortunate than in other parts of Australia in that we usually do not have a problem with enough cold and most folk complain of too much cold. However, with climate change and milder winters this can have a dramatic effect on fruit production. More on fruit trees as we get closer to planting time.

Autumn in the garden:

• Plants sitting in containers too long, plant out now
• Plant all the ‘B’s’ now, broad beans, broccoli and brussels sprouts
• Check the colours of autumn leaves at your garden centre before they fall
• Wear gloves when handling hyacinths as they can cause skin irritation
• Sow onion seeds now for transplanting out in late May/June

Book review

“GARDENERS who buy everything from the standard and often limited nursery range are missing out on one of the most satisfying of human endeavours, propagating one’s own plants!,” says Angus Stewart in his new book “Let’s Propagate” (Allen and Unwin, rrp $35).

Stewart is well-known as the NSW-based presenter of ABC TV’s “Gardening Australia” and his book is ideal for the home gardener and the professional.

All steps of propagating plants are illustrated with colour photos from seeds to layering or division. In fact, the process is so clearly described and illustrated, even the raw beginner could not go wrong. It is a great companion book to his “Creating an Australian Garden”, which incidentally won awards for best gardening book in 2011.

The wonderful world of bonsai…

MANY of you have seen the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection in Commonwealth Gardens. If you have not visited the display it is a wondrous sight to see how nature can be controlled to keep full-size trees in miniature. The display is open every day from 10am to 3pm.

View their web site for full details at www.bpca.com.au

FINALLY, most keen gardeners have now had a chance to watch the new format of ABC’s “Gardening Australia” TV program with Costa Georgiadis. I would be interested in your opinions of this new format.

Write or email me at “CityNews”, GPO Box 2448, Canberra City 2601.