Tamarillo plants are small, fast-growing trees which will fruit in their second year.
Tamarillo plants are small, fast-growing trees which will fruit in their second year.
One of my favourite fruits is the tamarillo - also known as the tree tomato. They are one of those fruits that are always expensive when purchased from the supermarket and are only available for a limited time each year.
The fruiting time for tamarillos is during the winter months,from May to July. This timing makes them a great fruit to grow, as it is a time of year when fruit and vegetables can be more expensive to purchase.
The red varieties tend to be tart and a sprinkling of sugar may be needed, while the yellow varieties tend to be sweeter.
Tamarillo plants are fast-growing small trees which will fruit in their second year. They will reach full production capacity around four years from planting. They are relatively short-lived, with an average tree fruiting for around seven to 12 years before giving up.
They can be propagated easily in the home garden with cuttings or from seeds collected from the fruit. Seed-raised trees tend to grow straight up with a single leader, which is best chopped to encourage a lower branching canopy, whereas cutting-grown varieties seem to have a natural tendency to branch lower down. All tamarillos are self-fertile so you can plant just one plant, though cross-pollination by having more than one plant can increase the crop size. The growth habit is a fast-growing tree with large heart-shaped leaves that are soft and hairy that’s about three metres by 2m in size.
When looking to plant a tamarillo tree, there are four varieties grown with incredible edibles which perform particularly well and have good-sized fruit.
Tamarillo Bold Gold: Clusters of pink fragrant flowers appear in spring within 18 months of planting, followed by large golden fruit. The fruit is sweet and less acidic than the red varieties.
Tamarillo Teds Red: Clusters of pink fragrant flowers appear in spring within 18 months of planting and are followed by large, almost round bright red fruit.
Tamarillo Tango: Clusters of pink fragrant flowers appear in spring within 18 months of planting and are followed by medium-sized red/orange fruit. They’re very sweet and low in acidity. They’re produced and marketed by Incredible Edibles in association with Plant & Food Research and are available in garden centres.
Tamarillo Laird’s Large: This is a newer variety that became available to the market in 2020. It is described as a heavy-yielding variety which produces large red tangy fruit.
Tamarillo chutney. Photo / Guy Coombes
Some people love them, while others detest them, but tamarillos can be used in a wide range of meals. They are most commonly eaten raw, and are cut in half and eaten with a teaspoon – much like a kiwifruit.
Tamarillos are also delicious cooked on toast, made into fruit pies, chutneys, sauces, used on cheesecakes, stewed with apple or added to salad greens, and I’m sure there are other uses too.
When planting a tamarillo tree, site selection is important. The most successful growing situation will be sunny, well-drained, as frost-free as possible and sheltered from the wind.
They are shallow-rooted and benefit from being staked. Tamarillos can be susceptible to mildew and whitefly which can be controlled by using Yates’ Fungus Fighter and Yates’ Mavrik insect spray. The spray will also protect against infection from the tomato/potato psyllid.
It is beneficial to water well during the dry summer months when the new growth forms and is the basis for the winter harvest. Feed tamarillo trees in spring before pruning, then give them a second feed a month after pruning and a third feed in February to aid fruit development. Good fertilisers to use are Ican Citrus & Fruit Food or Novatec.
The two biggest enemies to watch out for when growing tamarillos are frost and wind. Although not quite as hardy as citrus, they can generally be grown in areas where citrus is grown. They grow readily in frost-free pockets, and with winter frost protection where frost is heavier.
Where there is frost, tamarillos will be naturally pruned. Where no frost occurs, pruning should be undertaken in spring.
Fruit is formed on new spring growths, so a hard prune will help maintain the shape of the plant, as well as maximise the fruiting potential for the following year.
On plants that have sustained some frost damage, any dead, damaged or old wood should be pruned during spring after the danger of further frosts has passed.
Passionfruit
Another subtropical favourite is passionfruit. They like a similar warm frost-free growing situation to tamarillos, but are a climbing plant. The most ideal site for them is a north-facing wall with some sort of climbing frame provided for the tendrils to attach themselves to.
Passionfruits are heavy feeders and benefit from regular applications of fertiliser or sheep pellets and, if the soil is poor, the use of organic-based Ican Vegetable Food will help to improve soil structure, as well as feed the plant.
They are not wind-hardy so need protection from cold winds and do not grow well in salty maritime locations.
While they are relatively frost tender, they will grow back from the base if burned lightly from frost. It is important that vines are watered well during summer, particularly while the plants are young, and also in late summer when fruits are maturing.
Be aware, though, that any waterlogging will rot these plants. If you do have heavy soil, plant in a mound to make sure there is good drainage.
If you would like to add some tropical flavour to your garden and plate, give growing one of these plants a go.
