Craig Castree captivates Warrnambool
We were so grateful to Craig Castree and his wife Kerry for heading down to the south west to visit. With booked out sessions over the two days, over one hundred people got to share in a little bit of his knowledge.
Craig Castree is an award-winning horticulturist with 45 years of experience in organic food production and edible garden design. He serves as vice president of the Werribee Park Heritage Orchard at Werribee Park Mansion, restoring old fruit varieties for future enjoyment.
The workshop series, supported by funding from Warrnambool City Council, aligned with the key harvest period which means the information he was sharing could be used right away.
While heads were spinning with information, we took a few notes and here are some tips from Craig Castree for growing fruit trees:
Clean your tools! Cleanliness is essential to make sure you don’t spread diseases around your yard. To sterilising your pruning equipment grab a spray bottle and add metho (80%) and water (20%) to help slow down evaporation - spray after every tree before the next to stop pathogens in their tracks.
Pruning timing: Prune established fruit trees in late summer or early autumn, ideally within three to six weeks after harvesting. This timing promotes better fruit production compared to winter pruning which creates more leafy growth. Stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots benefit because the sap is still running so it reduces the chance of diseases like gummosis.
No nets = no fruit: Keep your trees as tall as you can reach and put the nets on before Christmas eve if you want to enjoy some of your hard earned fruit. This was eye-opening as we often say we are leaving some for the birds, bats and possums but Craig pointed out that this is not their natural food sources so can do more harm than good… at least we feel less guilty now.
What grows together, goes together: Think about the things that compliment on the plate as often they will grow together. Rhubarb under apple trees means the roots are shaded by the rhubarb leaves, keeping them cooler and moisture. Plus they make a pretty delicious crumble!
Feed the soil not the plant: Compost is one of the keys to success as it activates the microorganisms that live under the soil. Scatter handfuls of compost and water in regularly - this has removed the need for any fertilisers on his trees.
