Do you have experience with growing a carob tree?
Question:I live in a warm temperate zone (temps between 4 to 40 degress C... but rarely below 0 or above 30). I would like to grow carob trees for food. How much watering do they need, especially when establishing. Have you had success in growing them, and what tips can you give me. Any advice is much appreciated.
Answers:
My father is growing one in his garden as a hardy decorative tree, in inland Australia with exactly the same temperatures as you have. You will have to protect it from frost the first few years as they are marginally frost hardy. As noted previously you need male and female to produce fruit. My books say they are drought tolerant but grow better in well drained moderately fertile soil (they like hot dry summers). Botanical name Ceratonia.
My father brought a few Carob seeds back from Israel to Florida and planted them. It took a long time for them grow and he gave most of them away except for one. It eventually became a small tree about 12 feet tall. We found out Carobs are male or female so the tree flowered but never produced fruit. It managed to survive without much care - relatively little water or fertilizer.
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