Seedling Surprise, Anonymous Apples and a Fruit Famine

Your questions answered

Do you have a food-growing question you’d like me to answer? Check out these guidelines to find out the best way to ask.

Seeds of Gratitude Update: Over 200 readers have already taken up my offer of free tomato seeds. I’ll aim to post them all before the end of June. I still have plenty of packets available. Request them here.

Surprise seedling sprouts speculation

Is this surprise seedling from the compost? What is the mystery plant in my wicking bed?

Louise, Sale, Vic

It’s an avocado seedling and it has probably emerged from a seed in the compost. Avocado seedlings typically grow into unproductive monsters. Even in less-than-ideal climates (an avocado is a sub-tropical tree) they can reach 15+ metres high. They can take decades to fruit and may only produce a dozen fruit each year. If you want to grow an avocado tree for the fruit, then you are better off starting with a grafted, named variety. That way you’re more likely to grow a smaller tree that produces good quality fruit and, provided there’s a cross pollinator nearby, a lot of it.

If you have room to spare in your garden, then you could transplant it but keep your expectations low. I wouldn’t leave it in the wicking bed any longer than you need to. It’ll soon dominate the space, and you won’t be able to remove it without causing a lot of damage to the wicking bed.

I’m growing avocado trees here in Kyneton. I’ve killed plenty in my avocado graveyard, but I have two named varieties that are doing well with only moderate frost protection.

Read more about my quest to grow avocados in a cool temperate climate here.

Miss Marple and the anonymous apple

Can you identify this apple variety, please? It comes from a multi-graft tree, and some varieties on the tree never produced. But this part of the tree produces well.

Pauline W, Doncaster, Vic