How to grow Medlar in Australia
An old-world tree for cool gardens, pretty in blossom and very hardy. The fruit is picked hard and left to soften (blet) before eating.
At a glance
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Sun: Full sun
- Water: 12 litres a week, watered every 4 days
- Spacing: 400 cm
- Time to harvest: 730 days (about 2 years)
- Time to germinate: 1 days
- Soil pH: 6 to 7
- Frost tolerance: Frost hardy
When to sow by region
| Region | When to sow | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland | Not suited | Not reliable in SEQ. Medlars need a cool winter and crop poorly in humid summers. |
| Northern Rivers NSW | Not suited | Not reliable. Medlars need a cool winter and crop poorly in warm humid summers. |
| Sydney & Coastal NSW | June to August | Plant bare root Jun to Aug. Crops best in the cooler west and mountains; fruit set is lighter on the warm coast. |
| Melbourne & Victoria | June to August | |
| Adelaide & SA | June to August | |
| Perth & WA | June to August | |
| Tasmania | June to August | |
| Canberra & ACT | June to August | |
| North Queensland | Not suited | Not viable. Medlar needs a cool winter for dormancy. No chill on the tropical coast. |
| Darwin & Top End | Not suited | Not viable. Medlar needs winter chill. Darwin has none. |
Harvest and storage
Storage
Picked hard, then bletted indoors for weeks before eating.