Mallorca garden: How to make it work with fruit

Expert tip - What to consider when planting oranges, peaches & Co.

Planting a fruit tree in Mallorca is something anyone can do. Get in the car, go to the nearest garden center, buy some trees and return to the finca. Get a spade, dig a hole – and put the thing in. Done. Any more problems?

"You bet," says Xisco Mulet from the Palma suburb of Son Ferriol. And you can already tell that this Mallorcan, with his face tanned by the sun and wind, is very serious with his answer. It is not for nothing that his family has been running one of the äoldest gardening businesses on the island for generations. Ca'n Juanito.

"Whether and how well a fruit tree blossoms and thrives on Mallorca - be it orange, lemon, apple, plum, cherry or peach - is essentially dependent on three factors,

Mulet explains. "Sunlight, soil conditions and water quality". And here's the thing: all three of these conditions vary on the island depending on the location and area.

Faster ripening time in the southwest

"In the southwest of the island, for example in Calvia, certain fruit varieties, such as peaches, ripen much faster than in less sun-drenched areas, such as in or along the Tramuntana mountains" due to the longer hours of sunshine per day, says Mulet. The same applies to the water quality and the nutrient content in the soil. Lime, chlorine and minerals have an influence on the growth of the plants, says the garden expert. Another misconception: "Foreign finca and garden owners in particular are increasingly filtering their drinking water with their own osmosis systems, which they also use to water their plants. These filters remove important nutrients from the water, which fruit and citrus trees in particular need in order to develop fruit.

Fruit trees can also show signs of ageing: Some varieties produce fewer fruits after five to seven years and make an unsightly impression. New plantings are then the solution, says Xisco Mulet.

A major mistake made by fruit tree growers is also the often excessive use of fertilizers. Plants and trees can only absorb a limited amount of additional nutrients. Too much fertilizer overtaxes the plants. The result is usually a shorter lifespan".
Tip:

Get advice before buying!

And: If you want to plant a fruit tree on your finca or in your garden, you should always seek advice from a specialist beforehand. Although we don't carry out water or soil analyses, we can use our knowledge and experience to recommend to every customer which fruit tree is the right one for them or the prevailing water and soil conditions," says Mulet.

November and December are a very favorable time to plant a fruit tree in Mallorca. So get in the car, head to the garden center and let the expert explain the fruit tree project to you.

Additional details:
Garden center Can Juanito
On the Carretera de Manacor, km 6.6
In Son Ferriol
www.canjuanito.com
Open daily