Urban Farmer Port Stephens

01/08/2023

We have closed permenantly, thanks.

01/08/2023

Thats a wrap, everything has sold.

Thanks so much everybody it has been an absolute pleasure, Zig

28/07/2023

Closed till 12 today.

27/07/2023

It's been a particularly good year for my Cymbidium orchids, I've got twice as many flowers than usual.

25/07/2023

Closed for the day

19/07/2023

A 'lovely' pair of coconuts holding two lovely Tanilba Bay grown Custard Apples, biggest went just over 900 grams, with the whole tree covered in fruit!

14/07/2023

For Sale

Garden Centre at Salt Ash.

Urban Farmer is a newly established garden center catering for all your urban farming needs.

We stock:
- Rare and exotic fruit trees
- Rare and uncommon organic certified herbs
- Bonsai
- Bamboo
- Aquarium and pond fish
- And all the usual garden center supplies.

Due to a change in personal circumstances I need somebody to take over the business. I am more interested in the business continuing than I am in recouping what I have put into it, including stock so all offers considered.

06/07/2023

Fruit Tree Friday - Japanese Raisin Tree (Hovenia dulcis)

A deciduous tree, it grows to a height of 6 - 9 m with a spread of 4 m. It is suited to temperate and subtropical climates and is very hardy to cold. Once established, this beautiful tree is highly productive and an asset to the permaculture garden. An attractive tree with a rounded canopy that’s perfect for a small backyard.

Grown for its unusual edible stems, which taste like raisins. The swollen stems (or rachis) develop as the inedible fruit falls off in the autumn. These swollen stems can be harvested by hand and stored for up to two months, making them the perfect winter snack.

Tolerant of a range of conditions, trees do best when planted in a soil enriched with compost and well-rotted manure. Stake at planting support the tree as the roots establish.

Avoid waterlogged soils and water regularly when conditions are dry. Fruiting best in full sun, although plants will tolerate some shade. Apply compost each year in spring. Harvest the swollen stems when the actual fruit browns off.

An extract of the seeds, bough and young leaves can be used as a substitute for honey and is used for making wine and candy. The timber is fine and hard and is used for building construction and fine furniture. It has been used in traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese medicines to treat fever, parasitic infection, as a laxative, and a treatment of liver diseases, and as a hangover treatment.....

In store now

05/07/2023

Due to changes in my personal circumstances I am looking for somebody to take over the shop. I'm more interested in the shop continuing than I am in recovering what I have put into it, so all offers considered. Everything included, walk in walk out.

30/06/2023

Fruit Tree Friday - Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis)

The Ice Cream Bean Tree is a large evergreen tree growing up to 10-15 m high. It has a spreading canopy and makes a great shade tree with the added bonus of being a nitrogen fixer and producer of delicious fruit. These trees tolerate drought once established, and should be planted in a location with sunlight most of the day and with well-drained soil.

Ice Cream beans widely vary in size, ranging from 30 to 100 centimeters in length. The flesh is the main portion of the pod consumed, and the light and airy pulp has a sugary-sweet, delicate flavor with hints of cream, vanilla, and cinnamon. The seeds should never be eaten raw and are considered toxic.

In store now.

28/06/2023

Finally finished cycling our aquaponics set up, silver perch to go in today! Based on the volume of media we can grow 36 fish to 500gm in this set up plus whatever veggies will fit in the 1 square metre grow bed, not bad for just over a one metre square footprint. It took a little fine tuning to get the bell syphon to work properly but all in all a pretty simple build.

26/06/2023

Closed today, sorry for any inconvenience.

23/06/2023

Fruit Tree Friday - Malabar Chestnut (Pachira glabra)

An extremely adaptable, fast growing, ornamental, evergreen nut tree to a height of 7m with a spread of 3m. The trunk swells at the base as the tree ages. . The flowers are very ornamental, 10 cm long, cream 'shaving brush' style flowers, very striking. It is native to tropical America.

A proven producer in the lower Hunter, the pods are about twice the size of a walnut. The nuts inside the green, football-shaped pods are very edible and nutritious and about the size of a cashew. The nuts can be roasted, fried in oil, added to stir-fry or eaten raw. The young leaves and flowers can be eaten like a vegetable. In Japan this tree is a popular indoor plant.

Malabar Chestnut prefers moist, well-composted, well-drained soils in a warm, sunny position. It is resistant to drought and very hardy but will only tolerate light frost. It will also tolerate some shade.

The seedpods containing the nuts change colour from green to brown when ripe, usually in late summer, January to March. If left too long on the tree they will split open and drop the nuts to the ground. Bagging the nuts will protect the seedpods from possums and also catch the nuts if they start to drop.

In store now.

21/06/2023

Certified Disease Free Seed Potatoes Now Available. Sebago, Dutch Cream, Red Lady, and Nicola $9 a kilo.

13/06/2023

*New Arrivals*

Seed potatoes in store now.

Plus new herbs, chilies, passionfruit, feijoa and more.

09/06/2023

Fruit Tree Friday - Mangoes (Mangifera indica)

A personal favorite of mine, nothing suggests summer more than when the first Kensington Pride hit the shelves. An older sailor I know told me that in the early days they used to sail to Papua New Guinea to fill the boat with as many as it would carry from their coastal orchards and then sail them back to Cairns, making a heap of money by getting them to market before the Australian Mangoes ripened, or getting stuck with a boat full of over-ripe mangoes if the weather turned bad, a story that is as evocative as the Mango itself!

Mangoes are best planted in a sunny sheltered position. Soils requirements are broad as the Mango tolerates drought and some degree of waterlogging though you will get best results in sandy not very rich soil as rich fertile soil promote vegetative growth rather than fruit. They also grow well in large pots in a sunny/ semi-shade position and can tolerate light frosts once established. They grow to 4-8m, are self-pollinating, bare fruit in 1-2 years, and can handle frost. Contrary to many other types of fruit trees, seed grown varieties are hardier and therefore more likely to survive and produce in our temperate region.

Mangoes produce best when we have a dry winter and spring then rain in summer and then a dry spell when the fruit are ripening. These conditions only occur occasionally in this part of the world, hence the variation in when we get fruit from our trees. Depending on location, flowers appear from winter to spring. Fruit mature in September/October in northernmost parts of Australia, January in south east Queensland and February in southernmost growing areas. Hence their availability in the shops before ours begin to ripen.

There are many varieties of Mangoes available in Australia, we currently stock two varieties, the Kensington Pride or Bowen Mango and the Khiew Sawoey, with a number of other varieties to be added in Spring.

The Kensington Pride or Bowen mango is Australia's own mango variety. It is Australia's most popular mango, accounting for over 80% of the country's annual commercial mango market. It is considered to have a distinctive flavour and aroma when compared with the Florida-bred cultivars grown by most mango-exporting countries.

The Khiew Sawoey is the best of the green eating varieties in Thailand where it is prized for its crunchy flesh texture and nutty sweet flavour. It is mainly used as a green Mango, but when left to ripen it turns a soft green to yellow.

Both in store now, other varieties available in spring.

07/06/2023

Seed Potato Expressions of Interest. Placing an order for Organic Certified Seed Potatoes, Nicola, Sebago, Dutch Cream, Red Lady available. Contact us now to place an order.

07/06/2023

Sorry but we will be closed this Saturday for a much needed break.

02/06/2023

Fruit Tree Friday - Wax Jambu or Rose Apple (Syzygium samarangense)

A native to South East Asia, this small, 3-10m, fast growing tree bears large attractive red pear shaped fruit that are juicy and crunchy and one of the most refreshing treats when eaten chilled on a hot summers day. The white flesh is watery, spongy, crisp, low acid (mainly citric acid) and aromatic, but commonly only mildly sweet.

The trees grow and crop abundantly in most subtropics conditions, provided they are protected from frost when young. They will grow in sandy soils but produce better fruit in loams with good organic matter content.

You should plant this tree in one of the warmest parts of your yard. Specifically, avoid planting in low lying depressions or heavy shaded areas of your yard that will collect cold air in the winter.

01/06/2023

Removing suckers

Suckers are shoots growing from below the graft union on your tree. Sometimes they’re growing directly from the roots and coming up through the soil near the trunk of the tree. If you don't remove suckers that have grown from the rootstock, which is much more vigorous, they will become dominant eventually killing the desired, grafted variety.

Suckers can also be distinguished by their leaves being different to those of the desired variety and often have thorns. Citrus are mostly grafted onto Citrus trifoliata (which has three leaflets and long thorns) while deciduous fruit trees are grafted onto a wide variety of rootstock.

The attached photos show a Eureka Lemon and a Dwarf Nectarine. the Nectarine appears to have been grafted onto a prunus of some type while the Lemon has been grafted onto C. trifoliata. One of the Nectarine photos shows a desirable shoot from above the graft on the left (which we will probably remove for structural reasons) and a sucker from the roots on the right, that needs to be removed.

When you’re removing suckers, make sure you take them off as close to the trunk or the ground as you possible can. If you leave a stub, you’re just asking for trouble. This is effectively pruning it off with a heading cut which pretty much guarantees that it will regrow and branch.

Fruit tree suckers tend to be persistent and can come back every year making their removal an ongoing job. Regarding when to remove them, obviously its best to get them when they first sprout but hey, nobody's perfect.

Traditionally, pruning usually occurred whilst deciduous trees are dormant. Now it is becoming common practice to summer prune, as it is more beneficial to some species as it promotes faster healing of pruning cuts and reduces the incidence of fungal and bacterial infections. Citrus are best pruned soon after harvest in winter to early spring before bud break but I tend to remove citrus suckers whenever I get the chance.

24/05/2023

Aquaponics - IBC Chop and Flip System

Just finished the bulk of the build of our demonstration IBC 'chop and flip' aquaponics system using Robs Aquatics 'Backyard Aquaponics for Beginners Guide'. Even though the guide is essentially just a collation of all of Rob's free YouTube tutorials, at $19.95 it is more convenient and is my way of showing appreciation to Rob for all the hard work he has put into perfecting his system and sharing it with us and is found at https://www.robsaquaponics.com/aquaponics-guide.

The only 'tweaks' I made to Rob's design was to not cut the bottom half down as much as he does to give me slightly more volume and freeboard, also i used clear PVC glue as it's less unsightly. Another tip, to draw straight lines on pipe lay it down flat, keep it steady and then run a marker (on a block to lift it higher if need be) down the side.

I found the trickiest part was making the bell syphon, but the whole thing can be made by anybody with some basic tools and rudimentary knowledge on their use. We can show you how or even make you a bell syphon if you're finding it a little daunting?

Just need to clad and water test it then we'll begin cycling it. Anybody else starting one or have one up and running and have any tips to share?

22/05/2023

Citrus 20% Off While Stocks Last

18/05/2023

Fruit Tree Friday - Santol (Sandoricum koetjape)

From the same family as the Australian Red and White Cedars (Meliaceae), Santol are native to tropical regions of Malaysia, Cambodia, and southern Laos.

Trees can grow to 30m high in their natural environment but usually only half this in cultivation in sub-tropical areas. Highly fertile soils are not necessary but there should be good drainage. A pH of 6.5 is preferred with alkaline soils causing micronutrient deficiencies, particularly for iron. It is a relatively cold and drought tolerant tropical plant though they are frost sensitive when small.

Fruiting in March, April, May, June, Santol fruits are round to ovate, averaging 4 to 7 centimeters in diameter, and have a slightly flattened shape. They range in flavor from sour to very sweet, depending on maturity and variety. The sweetest Santol fruits have a candy-like taste with mild peach and apple notes, while in the sour varieties, a strong umami aftertaste may linger on the palate.

Santol fruits are best suited for raw applications as their sweet and sour flavor is showcased when consumed fresh from the tree. To eat raw, the flesh can be sucked from the seeds, but caution should be taken not to swallow the seeds as they are inedible. The flesh can also be sprinkled with salt and spices, consumed as a snack, or it can be soaked in fruit juices and blended into a beverage.

In store now.

12/05/2023

Fruit Tree Friday - Jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora)

The jaboticaba fruit tree bears its fruit along old growth branches and trunks (cauliflory) rather than along new growth as in most other fruit trees. The ripe fruit is shiny black, round, the size of a very large grape with flesh that is absolutely delicious tasting a bit like sweetened condensed milk.

A slow growing tree in the Myrtaceae family, jaboticaba requires medium to high sun exposure a deep, rich, well-drained soil with a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5 is recommended for best growth. But it is widely adaptable and will grow satisfactorily even on alkaline beach-sand type soils, as long as it is tended and irrigated. In general, feed the tree three times a year with a complete fertilizer. It will tolerate light frosts but should be protected against frost in the early years.

A proven local producer it is an attractive, compact plant that provides a steady supply of tasty family fruit on even the smallest suburban block and is suitable for growing in containers, it has much to recommend it.

11/05/2023

*New Arrivals*

A whole heap of new fish species as well as a top up of our favorites', including;

Altum and Rio Xingu Angelfish
Neon Head and Borelli Apistogramma
Corydoras barbatus
Geophagus Tapajos
Ember and Silver Tip Tetras
Reticulate Loach
Platinum and Tiger Medaka Rice Fish
Duboulay's Rainbow fish, both great frog friendly fish for your outdoor ponds

Plus a stock up of Peppermint Bristlenose and Endler pairs, plus heaps more in stock.

We also have a special order for a customer of super rare Corydoras CW51 New Panda, Wild Caught Corydoras CW106, and Epiplatys togolensis F1!!

09/05/2023

Our Native Mulberrys (Pipturus argenteus) are fruiting in their pots at the moment, they taste very sweet with the texture of a slightly mushy raspberry. Relative of the Giant Stinging tree this species is dioecious (males and females are separate plants). Grown from cuttings females will bare fruit but require pollination by a male to set viable seed.

05/05/2023

EOI - Making an order with Aquarium Industries Wednesday next week, deposit and pick up on delivery day required if I'm not already ordering that species. DM me to place your order. please see stock list before messaging

Aquarium Industries is the largest supplier of high quality freshwater & marine aquarium fish to the retail sector in Australia.

05/05/2023

Fruit Tree Friday - Grumichama or Brazilian Cherry (Eugenia brasiliensis)

Grumichama is indigenous to coastal areas of south east Brazil. It's in the Myrtaceae family and is closely related to the genus Syzygium.

The tree can reach heights of 25 to 35 feet (8 to 11 m.) but are often pruned to nine to ten feet (about 3 m.) tall or grown as a hedge to facilitate an easier harvest. Growth is slow when young and it may take several years before the plant is 2m high.

The tree is hardy to most conditions provided you can offer it protection from frosts paricularly when young. It can withstand light frosts once established. They prefer partial shade but will produce fruit in full sun. Largely undemanding of soil types provided they are well-drained, with a preference for deep, slightly acid, sandy loams.

This fruit is the tropical equivalent of the cherry and just as difficult to resist. Flesh white, melting and tasty. Mostly used for fresh eating, but also highly prized for jams, jellies and pies. Like most fruit tress fruit production may commence 4-5 years after planting seedlings. There could be more than one crop per year but the first is usually the biggest. Well-managed trees can produce 15-25kg of fruit per season.

04/05/2023

Citrus Ailments - Autumn is the time to treat

We have had a quite a few customers come in to ask about what is causing leaf curl in their citrus. Based on my own experience, and in my opinion the bible for fruit tree growers The Complete Book of Fruit Growing in Australia by Louis Glowinski there are multiple reasons why this may be occurring depending on what your leaves look like.

In my experience, the most likely cause is plant health, or lack of it. Water stress, either over or under watering could be as simple as the plant not getting enough water or too much and is a simple fix. Symptoms are usually a lateral folding of the leaves.

However, water stress could just be a symptom of more serious problems. We lost one of our much utilised limes this summer, likely due to the plant health being impacted by shield bugs resulting in fungal infection and subsequent collar-rot from the wet year and its low lying position.

Insect damage is the other most likely cause, with symptoms including damaged leaves and the presence of sooty mold. Sooty mold occurs due to the honeydew produced by the sap sucking insects that it needs for growth. The use of products like eco-oil are your best option in this case.

To improve citrus health firstly cut back any damaged, sickly or dead growth. Citrus can handle heavy pruning but depending on how severe you do it you may get reduced yield the following year. The best time to prune is after harvesting in winter to early spring before bud break.

Citrus need quite a bit of fertilizer high in nitrogen for good growth and fruit production. Manure is the best, and should be applied in Autumn. With Mandarins liking a bit of extra potassium. Mulch to protect their shallow roots but not up against their trunks to avoid collar-rot.

02/05/2023

Another of our 'w**dy' low input high output food producers is the sweet potato. We grow and prefer the more starchy white (red skinned) sweet potato getting more than we can eat in our sandy loam soils as long as the rats don't get into them. We can get them up to football size and they still taste great.

Good w**d suppressants that even give Kikuyu a run for its money, though we have no problems with planting fruit trees amongst it, which is exactly what I have done with my bananas.

We bake them, make mash, coconut curry (that works for any of the sweet potatoes as well as pumpkin), and chips that we dip in a little corn flour before we bake them, kids love them.

30/04/2023

I'm not sure I could fit anything bigger on the back even if I tried 🤪!

What was bought as a bit of a gimmick to attract attention to the shop has turned out be one mighty little steed that is integral to our small farm and the shop.

The Little Red Truck, as he is called by my boys, is a Mitsubishi Minicab (rebranded Suzuki Carry) and was originally a fire truck in Japan before being imported to Australia. Having a 657 cc motor and weighing in at less than 750kg it is extremely cheap to run and maintain. It is only 3.3m long and 1.4m wide, I'm 6'3" and I fit in it comfortably (before I sat in it I was worried I would need to install a roof scoop so I could fit...).

It will do 100km/h but sits on 80 - 90km/h comfortably which is perfect for where we live as there are only a few short 100km/h sections between towns. It has high and low range 4wd and is surprisingly capable and stable off road. Some models come with a tipping tray making these minitrucks (or Kei trucks as they are called in Japan) the perfect tool for the urban farmer.

29/04/2023

*New Arrivals*

A small top up of fish including Neon Rainbows, Delicate Blue Eyes, Neon Rams, and some extra cool Australian Freshwater Crabs.

27/04/2023

Fruit Tree Friday - Pomegranate

Pomegranate, (Punica granatum), is a bush or small tree of the family Lythraceae. The juicy arils of the fruit are eaten fresh, and the juice is the source of grenadine syrup, used in flavourings and liqueurs. Pomegranate is high in dietary fibre, folic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin K.

While the pomegranate is considered indigenous to Iran and neighbouring countries, its cultivation long ago encircled the Mediterranean and extended through the Arabian Peninsula, Afghanistan, and India.

Pomegranates are drought and frost hardy requiring little watering. They can be pruned to 2m, prefer full sun and deep, loamy, free draining soils. They fruit in 2-3 years, self pollinate, fruiting in March, April, and May. The pomegranate grows in a wide range of climates, though the best fruit is produced where high temperatures and dry atmosphere accompany the ripening period.

We stock three different varieties of Pomegranate, Wonderful, Elche, and Azerbaijani.

Wonderful - A large, deep purple-red fruit. Flesh is deep crimson in colour, very sweet, juicy and of a delicious vinous flavour. Seeds not very hard. Good for juicing and eating out of hand. Plant is vigorous and productive.

Elche - One of the most highly valued pomegranates in the world, thanks to its extraordinary flavour and high antioxidant, vitamin and mineral content. Elche comes from the Spanish city of the same name.

Azerbaijani - The flavour of the arils of this variety is something else. Azerbaijani produces medium to large sized, slightly elongated fruit with a pinkish hue, but the internal arils surrounding the seed are deep red, large and very juicy.

24/04/2023

Open ANZAC day, normal hours.

22/04/2023

Fruit Tree Friday(ish) - Native Myrtles

There are three native myrtles most commonly offered as bush tucker plants, the Aniseed, Cinnamon, and Lemon Myrtles.

All three of these species are closely related being from the myrtaceae family. They are rainforest species preferring a warm, sunny or shaded spot that’s sheltered from frost and cold winds. Grow in a well-drained soil, but keep well-watered throughout the year. Harvesting is simple. Just pluck fresh leaves as needed, removing no more than one-third of the plant at a time. The bonus is that they are attractive trees that are great habitat for native fauna and their vigorous growth once established makes them great screening trees as well.

Cinnamon Myrtle (Backhousia myrtifolia) leaves may be used in place of conventional cinnamon spice to flavour curries, stews, soups, roasts, ribs and sauces. In desserts, they add a warm, earthy flavour to pies, biscuits, sweets, pastries and slices. They may also be used fresh or dried, steeped in hot water, to make a herbal tea. In the wild, Cinnamon myrtle can reach up to 7m, but expect heights of around 3m in a home garden. The Cinnamon Myrtle grows in wet gullies and along creek lines throughout the Hunter Valley releasing their cinnamon fragrance when brushed against. Their smell is a very evocative one for me, reminding me of my childhood summers spent exploring and swimming in the creek on our farm.

Aniseed Myrtle (Syzygium anisatum) boasts a superior antioxidant profile, and is high in vitamin C, E, folate, lutein, zinc, calcium and magnesium, as well as chlorophyll a and b. Leaves are aromatic, often distilled for their essential oil. They may be used fresh or dried in tea, or ground up and added to bread dough, biscuits, stuffings, syrups, glazes, dressings and meat dishes. In their natural rainforest habitat, Aniseed Myrtle trees can grow as tall as 45 metres, but are easily maintained as a shrub or small tree in a backyard garden. This plant is great as a gap filler, or as a potted edible ornamental.

Lemon Myrtle’s (Backhousia citriodora) fresh tangy leaves may be used in teas, syrups, glazes, cakes, biscuits, dressings, sauces, ice creams, dips and meat dishes. Essential oil distilled from the leaves has a refreshing lemony scent, and has been found to have antifungal and antibacterial properties. Lemon Myrtle can grow up to 3m tall and up to 8m in rainforest conditions, but may be kept small in pots.

In store now!

19/04/2023

Bamboo

In my eyes, Bamboo is an integral part of any self sufficient garden. Bamboo is a valuable resource, providing a food source (Bamboo shoots), timber for just about any purpose, decorative screening, and a great w**d suppressing mulch from the leaves they drop.

Bamboo gets a bit of a bad rap due to the invasive nature of the clumping varieties. Because of this the clumping varieties aren't generally recommended for most gardens. However, having grown up on a farm where we had space to grow some of the larger runner bamboo species, there isn't anything quite like walking through a bamboo forest.

Bamboo will grow in most soil types, whether it be clay-based soil or sand. They have a very shallow root system (about 30cm for smaller bamboos and about 50cm for larger ones).

Most bamboos like reasonably well drained soil and they don't like to be growing in swampy areas or areas that get inundated with water for longer periods of time

We source most of our Bamboo from Bamboo Land as well as more advanced culms dug from our own urban farm. Bamboo Land's website (https://www.bambooland.com.au/) is one of the best resources for information on Bamboo and its uses, climatic requirements, size etc. Started as a hobby by the owner in 1990 the property now has a collection of over 100 species of the world's finest clumping bamboo varieties and a visit to their Bamboo arboretum 300km north of Brisbane is a must if you love your Bamboo.

We stock more than 20 different species and should have your Bamboo needs covered.

13/04/2023

The one benefit of a couple of particularly quiet weeks is getting some stuff done at the shop.

Nearly finished setting up out the back, gravel spread, benches built, lining up the IBC cages so they can be clad and the ponds plumbed in and wicking beds filled, fences built, and one pond set up!

In the process of plumbing in our display 6 foot fish tank as well as a 'chop and flip' aquaponics set up.

Some of our fish have also been putting on a show with the low pressure systems triggering their natural instincts.

07/04/2023

Fig Tree Friday

One of my personal favorites as a kid, the humble fig is a great addition to any garden. Figs are tolerant of most types of soil, but perform best on well-drained, reasonably fertile soils. So anybody with sandy soil that is willing to keep the organic matter up to them should reap the rewards.

Figs like to be pruned during the winter, while they're dormant, which greatly increase the amount of fruit they will yield and can be kept at around 2m in height. Figs grow well in pots, self pollinate, are frost hardy, and will produce in 2 to 3 years

Fig fruits are fascinating, the ‘fruit’ (called a synconium) is really a hollow structure with numerous tiny flowers distributed over the inner surface. Because the flowers are inside the immature fruit, many species of Ficus need an insect pollinator. This is usually a wasp, and it enters via the ‘eye’, which is on the basal end of the fruit.

We currently have Black genoa, Preston Prolific, Yellow Excel, and the edible native Sand Paper Fig.

Sandpaper Figs naturally occurs along watercourses along the east coast of Australia. An attractive small tree with sandpapery leaves and edible fruit. Grows densely in full sun, less so in shade. The small figs are a tasty bush food and the leaves were used by Indigenous Australians to finish off their wooden tools.

Black Genoa is the leading commercial variety for fresh fruit production in NSW. The tree has an open and spreading habit to 2-5m. The fruit is dark purple at maturity, with red seeds and white flesh. It is a squat, pear-shaped fruit. It has a distinctive flavour and good storage qualities.

Preston Prolific is thought to be a seedling of Black Genoa and originated in Victoria. The flesh is very thick, creamy white and juicy with a distinctive sweet flavour. The pulp is amber coloured, sometimes tinted red. Fruit splitting is not a problem. The
fruit matures in December to late April.

Yellow Excel fig has a light yellow skin with amber flesh, a milder fig flavour, popular in N.S.W., excellent as fresh fruit, canning or drying, tree is strong and vigorous to 6 metres though like all figs can be kept pruned to 2m.