The Pip Test – How To Tell When Apples Are Ready
Plums, peaches and apricots are so good (especially home grown and fresh off the tree), but the top of my list, my favourite of all – are the pips. Nashis, pears and apples – oh lala! Knowing when they...
View ArticleHow Much Space Do Your Fruit Trees Need?
One of the cool things about my job, is popping round to your place to nut you out a garden plan. As well as planning and sketching, I do a bit of trouble shooting. And there’s this one bit of trouble...
View ArticleBoost The Biology In Your Orchard
These three missions take your fruit tree management to the next level. Prevention via a robust system really works! A Super Spray Make a super-brew to spray over your trees when about half the leaves...
View ArticleGet Ready To Prune
There’s no doubt about it – I’m a look ahead kind of girl. I love a plan and a pre anything ponder. And this is what I’m advocating for today – a wander through your fruit trees for (you guessed it), a...
View ArticleTo Copper Spray, Or Not?
Cankers, oozing sap, fruit scab, fruit rot, leaf spots, leaf curl or mildew are all signs bacteria or fungus are ruling the roost in your orchard. Today, I want to look at two ways to manage these...
View ArticleThe Perfect Raspberry Frame
This here is the raspberry frame I wish I’d made. Seeing it in action the summer after we’d built ours was bad luck for us, but hopefully not too late for you! Create two rows, 400mm apart using 1.8...
View ArticleHow To Prune Raspberries
You’ll get the best out of your raspberries with a winter prune – bigger fruits, less disease and easier picking. For Red Raspberries That Fruit In Summer Year 1 The new canes that shoot away in spring...
View ArticleHow To Plant Fruit Trees (And Bravely Prune Them)
Put a $10 tree in a $20 hole! Dig Dig a 20 litre hole If you are on clay, puncture the bottom of your hole by pushing your garden fork in as far as it will go If you are on sand line the bottom of your...
View ArticleHow To Prune Redcurrants And Blackcurrants
Pruning currants makes the wickedest difference to the amount and quality of fruit because the fruits come on young wood. Left unpruned, the harvests become increasingly pathetic – too much old...
View ArticleIt’s Time To Feed Your Fruit Trees
Deciduous Fruit Trees Before feeding comes weeding. If you didn’t free your trees in Autumn – now is good … before the weeds get their spring grow on. Grass is so damn competitive – such an efficient...
View ArticleHow To Grow Great Citrus
Citrus are fussy darlings, deeply sensitive to wind, wet feet, dry feet and frost. The foothill’s of the Tararua’s is not their ideal which means I need to work harder to drum up some citrus action....
View ArticleHow To Thin Fruit (And Why You Need To)
For top quality fruit and a better performing tree – thin your fruit this month! Thinning removes the excess to improve the remainder – and it’s a lovely job, so peaceful among the fruit trees. I thin...
View ArticleHow To Grow An Avocado: Fruit Of The Gods!
Growing a good suppy of avocado’s for the team has long been my dream, but they’ve been a tough nut to crack. In part because they’re fussy blighters, and in part because of where I live. While the...
View ArticleTesting Apples For Ripeness + A Super Helpful Calendar
One of my most asked questions is “How do I know when apples/plums/ pears are ripe”. I remember wondering that too. The realisation that harvesting required as much knowledge as growing, dawned the...
View ArticleHow To Store Apples
A store of eating apples to draw on through Autumn and Winter is deeply satisfying, and the best kai of all – an apple as nature intended! Storing is, however, pretty tricky for home gardeners, and the...
View ArticlePruning Cuts Explained + How To Prune Feijoas
Before you prune anything, I want you to understand two types of pruning cuts. What a difference to your fruit trees when you give up heading and get thinning! Excerpt from ” Pruning Fruit Trees: A...
View ArticleHow To Plant And Prune New Fruit Tree’s
Shelter trees, deciduous fruit trees and feijoas a go!, it’s time to get planting. Apart from citrus and subtropicals that is. It makes no sense to put their heat loving feet into freezing ground. If...
View ArticleHow To Prune An Avocado
If there is one thing I’ve learnt over the years teaching pruning, it’s that when I start to talk about old wood, new wood, two year old wood – your mind squeezes shut with fear. So I’m hoping that...
View ArticleAugust In The Orchard
If you blink you’ll miss it! The early plums are on the move, brewing up another batch of beautiful blossom. For those of you pondering copper sprays – this is your sign to get ready, the moment is...
View ArticlePump Up Your Fruit Production
Edible Backyard Pump Up Your Fruit Production Today I’m sharing a September task that’ll really up your fruit production. It’s time to tie down young branches, to change their direction from up to out....
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