Fruiting Espalier Feijoa Experiment - Rejuvenation of 20 year old plants by pleaching

Karen's beloved Fruiting Espalier Feijoa experiment has become a tall 'Fedge' - fruiting hedge - over time and is in need of a makeover. These 5 Feijoa plants have been productive over a long time, around 20 years, being planted in about 2002 or just afterwards, producing around 2 kg fruit per plant each year (from about year 5 onwards) in a very small space. They needed a pick-me-up to keep them both decorative and productive into the future, as well as allowing more space to get into the driveway with trailers! Karen decides to rejuvenate them by pleaching, removing the bottom foliage and keeping a thick hedge at the top.
Karen selected Feijoas to grow in this difficult narrow garden bed that is baked in the summer heat. Feijoas are the perfect choice and are productive with far less water than other fruit trees. The Feijoa bed does not have regular irrigation like most of Karen's garden, and only receives the occasional hand water, or if the grey water system is in operation it can be watered.
Karen sharpens the bypass secateurs and parrot beak anvil large size loppers before pruning. The sharp tools make it easier to prune, reduce the workload on your hands and arms and make for clean, accurate cuts, which is best for the plants.
The pruning is sped up.
Karen discusses alternatives to pleaching and notes that the fruiting wood can take 3 years to develop, so don't cut down all the branches of a Feijoa plant to the base at once or you won't get any fruit for years.
An important point is that when pruning, don't cut behind the BBR - 'Bark Branch Ridge'.
As always in your garden, look out for your beneficial insects like praying mantis, as they are your 'garden guardians' and eat harmful bugs. This is what their egg cases look like.
Hope you enjoy learning about one of Karen's favourite fruiting plants, the Fantastic Feijoa!
Read more on the blog
'Autumn Feijoa Harvest' edibleeden.com...
and 'Fantastic Feijoas' edibleeden.com...
‪@karensutherland-edibleeden1916‬

[@attocoulomb]

How long for each new offshoot (from the middle, not the base) to fruit? I'm trying to keep mine from getting too large and crowding/shading adjacent garden plants, but don't want to get no fruit for years if I cut it halfway back. Is it best to prune hard just after fruit drop?

[@karensutherland-edibleeden1916]

Hmm, how much space do you have for your feijoa? These are really the minimum space you can occupy with these plants, they get heaps bigger - such as a tree in my backyard (must do video). Yes prune after fruiting, I find they do fruit well in these circumstances, but I don't cut back to bare wood too often. If so, it just takes a year or so to get fruit again. Cheers

[@johannesels5288]

Climate change within the first 30sec. See ya..😂

[@karensutherland-edibleeden1916]

yeah ha ha

[@simonschmidt7327]

You are 100% cooked