Tree Information
The plan with this section is to have a page dedicated to each tree / vine etc that has all the information on what to expect at what time of year and how to look after that tree to get the best from it. Since we have around 30 trees now this will probably be a constant work in progress. What I hope to get over the next year is a calendar that is specific to our orchard of what to do and when to do it.
Due to different micro-climates around Auckland you can never get an exact plan from anyone else, it’s just a case of observing and learning how things are growing on our own little piece of land and then working with that. This also means that eventually anyone can look here and see what needs doing in the orchard, so it will be easier to plan the working bees.
January:
- Fruiting now:
- Jobs for January:
Any yellowing citrus probably need magnesium so give them some fertiliser with this in.
February:
- Fruiting now:
- Jobs for February:
March:
- Fruiting now:
Feijoa Unique
Chilean Cranberry
Passionfruit
- Jobs for March:
Bulb planting time
April:
- Fruiting now:
Feijoas: Appollo and Wiki Tu
Apples: Ballerina and crab apple
Banana: Just flowering
- Jobs for April:
May:
- Fruiting now:
Banana fruit developing
- Jobs for May:
Weeding and mulching paths and around the trees
From now is a good time to plant citrus and over the next couple of months
Good time to add compost around all the trees and mulch in time for winter (like adding a winter blanket)
Also a good time to put fertiliser around the trees
June:
- Fruiting now:
Loquat early immature fruit and some flowers.
Banana fruit developing
Spring bulbs are coming up due to such warm weather.
- Jobs for June:
If weather is cold, put a protective bag around the developing bananas, leave open at the bottom.
Prune the grape vines
Spray fruit trees with copper to prevent fungal infections (don’t spray fruiting citrus)
Weeding and mulching paths and around the trees – watch out for bulbs coming up!
July:
August:
September
- Fruiting now:
- Jobs for September:
Feed passionvine with lots of good compost or general fertiliser. Pile it around the base of the plant and water in well (but don’t fork it in, as these vines have lots of shallow feeder roots which won’t appreciate being disturbed)
October:
- Fruiting now:
- Jobs for October:
Feed all fruiting trees once the blossom is gone
Hang Codling Moth traps in pip-fruit trees
Feed everything!
November:
- Fruiting now:
- Jobs for November:
December:
- Fruiting now:
- Jobs for December:
