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North Canterbury

Pomegranates

Pomegranates

We have a small pomegranate tree down the back of the garden. Last year it had 1 small, hard, dry fruit.
This season, after a vigorous pruning, we got 2 plump fruit bursting with pink seeds.
The inside is somewhat like a passionfruit, although not as sweet and tasty unfortunately.
May 28, 2011
MacVerna Plum

MacVerna Plum

Botanical name   Prunus domestica
Details   'Mac Verna' is an early-season plum variety, characterized by medium to large-sized fruit with dark red skin and flesh. The fruit typically has a round shape and exhibits vigorous growth. For optimal yeild, it is recommended to cross-pollinate with 'Billington' or 'Wilson’s Early' varieties.
Diameter   1.00
Flowers   White
Edible  
Fruit / berries  
Perennial  
Shade / Sun   Full sun
Tags     plum  fruit 
Rating  

Apricot – Seedling mix scion / bud wood

Details   Assortment of healthy apricots fruiting at different times.
Price   $3.90  each
Price for 2 or more   $3.50  each if you buy 2 or more
Tags     fruit  graft  scion 
Out of stock
Feijoa

Feijoa

Common name   feijoa, pineapple guava
Botanical name   Acca sellowiana
Family   Myrtaceae
Flowers   Pink
Diameter   4.00
Height (m)   4
Drought tolerance  
Edible  
Evergreen  
Fruit / berries  
Perennial  
Shade / Sun   Full sun
Tags     hedge  autumn  fruit 
Rating  
Blackberries

Blackberries

Wild blackberries are a bit of a curse round here, growing rampantly wherever they can. However at this time of year they redeem themselves somewhat by offering up sweet berries.
In addition to the thorny wild plants, we have a thornless variety in the garden that produces larger, more accessible berries.
February 16, 2010
Peaches

Peaches

Our crop of peaches came ready unexpectedly early. Thanks to the wet season they are sensationally juicy.

As with the plums we have more than we know what to do with and so jam making was in order.
February 15, 2010
  Peach  Jam  Preserve  Fruit 

Apricot – Moorpark scion / bud wood

Details   Freestone variety that has superbly flavoured fruit that are medium to large in size. Skin is deep yellow with orange blush that's fuzz free. The soft and juicy flesh of Moorpark allows the fruit to be suitable for fresh eating, bottling or drying. A mid-season variety best suited for cooler climates.
Price   $3.90  each
Price for 2 or more   $3.50  each if you buy 2 or more
Tags     fruit  graft  scion 
Related info Out of stock
Greenhouse

Greenhouse

Details   A well designed, large greenhouse is great way to grow plants that otherwise would have a limited season or not be possible to grow at all. Here we are growing (from left to right) tomatoes, purple passion fruit, thai ginger (galangal) and babaco (mountain pawpaw)
Date   December 23, 2014
Female oak leaf papaya cutting

Female oak leaf papaya cutting

Common name   Oak leaf papaya / pawpaw
Botanical name   Carica quercifolia
Details   Grow your own papaya plant from cutting.

This species is dioecious, having separate male and female plants. You will need at least one of each to get fruit.
Handles temperatures down to -5 celcius
Wind tolerance   poor due to big leaves
Frost sensitive  
Edible  
Fruit / berries  
Tags     cutting  subtropical  fruit 
Price   $3.90  15 cm stem cutting
Learn More Only 8 in stock   Add to order
Zucchini

Zucchini

Common name   courgette
Botanical name   Botanical name
Details   A vigorous vining plant producing large numbers of dumpy fruit. Harvest regularly while small for a constant supply.
Edible  
Frost sensitive  
Tags     annual  edible  fruit  tender  vegetable 
Price   $3.90  20 seeds
Colour   Pale green
Watch Learn More Out of stock
Large fruited thornless hawthorn seeds

Large fruited thornless hawthorn seeds

Common name   Chinese Hawthorn
Botanical name   Crataegus pinnatifida
Details   A deciduous tree or shrub that can grow to heights of 5-10meters. Grown widely in China for its edible red fruits, these seed come from a tree planted in 2013. This specimen is thornless and produces large quantities of big dark red fruit after white flowers. This is the only type of hawthorn we grow and there are no wild ones in close proximity (that I am aware of) so seed should be pure.
Tags     berries  deciduous  edible  fruit  perennial 
Price   $4.20  20 seeds
Watch Learn More Out of stock
Red cherry guava seeds

Red cherry guava seeds

Common name   Strawberry guava
Botanical name   Psidium cattleianum
Details   Small evergreen tree or shrub slowly growing to 6 meters. Native to Brazil. Red fruit, up to 3cm in diameter, with numerous hard small seeds. Rich in vitamin C
Edible  
Evergreen  
Frost sensitive  
Fruit / berries  
Perennial  
Tags     edible  evergreen  fruit  perennial  red  tender  tree 
Price   $3.90  20 seeds
Watch Learn More Only 9 in stock   Order
Babaco cutting

Babaco cutting

Common name   Mountain papaya
Botanical name   Vasconcellea × heilbornii or Carica pentagona
Details  

Stem cuttings from mature plants growing under cover in North Canterbury

Propagate and grow your own babaco plants quick and easy with stem cuttings. Simply place the cutting 1 third into the soil (right way up) and keep damp in a sunny, sheltered, warm location. Roots will form around the bottom cut surface.

Plants are self fertile, so only one plant is required to set fruit.

High success rate and should produce fruit in 12 – 18 months.

Wind tolerance   poor due to big leaves
Flowers   white
Frost sensitive  
Edible  
Fruit / berries  
Perennial  
Tags     subtropical  fruit  cuttings  propagation 
Price   $3.90  15cm stem cutting
Watch MORE Only 7 in stock   Order
Nashi - Hosui scion / bud wood

Nashi - Hosui scion / bud wood

Details   Absolutely delicious to eat, Nashi Hosui pears are renowned for their sweetness, juiciness, and perfect balance of acidity. Their large, golden-brown fruits boast a distinctive russeted texture, and their fine consistency adds to their appeal. Additionally, Nashi Hosui trees are partially self-fertile, simplifying the pollination process for growers.
Price   $3.90  each
Price for 2 or more   $3.50  each if you buy 2 or more
Tags     fruit  graft  scion 
Harvest     February  
Learn More Only 1 in stock   Order
Plum - Purple King scion / bud wood

Plum - Purple King scion / bud wood

Details   Large, rounded, yellow fleshed fruit with red-purple skin. Sweet and juicy with a tendency to go dry and mealy when over ripe. Heavy cropper performing well in warmer areas. Cross pollinates with most other plums.
Price   $3.90  each
Price for 2 or more   $3.50  each if you buy 2 or more
Tags     plum  scion  stone fruit 
Harvest     January   February  
Learn More Only 1 in stock   Order
Shiro Plum

Shiro Plum

Botanical name   Prunus domestica
Details   A Japanese variety, this tree produces medium sized golden yellow fruit with dense sweet and juicy flesh that clings to the stone.
Early to mid season
Supposedly best pollinated by Santa Rosa although I have been getting good yields despite not having Santa Rosa
Flowers   White
Edible  
Fruit / berries  
Perennial  
Shade / Sun   Full sun
Tags     plum  fruit 
Rating  
Cherry - Mix scion / bud wood

Cherry - Mix scion / bud wood

Details   Selection of large fruiting cherries suitable for eating fresh, varieties unknown
Price   $3.90  each
Price for 2 or more   $3.50  each if you buy 2 or more
Tags     fruit  graft  scion 
Harvest     December  
Out of stock
Luisa Plum

Luisa Plum

Botanical name   Prunus domestica
Details   This plum variety boasts large, red-yellow skinned fruit with a vibrant yellow flesh and a unique dimple on its cheek, taking on an elongated heart-shaped form. Notably sweet and juicy, it offers an exceptional taste experience. The tree yields heavily, exhibiting precocious and consistent cropping year after year.
It is self-fertile, though cross-pollination with 'Billington' can enhance fruit set.
The plum is nearly freestone, making it easier to enjoy.

Typically ripe for harvesting in January or February.
Diameter   1.00
Flowers   White
Edible  
Fruit / berries  
Perennial  
Shade / Sun   Full sun
Tags     plum  fruit 
President

President

Harvest     February  
Colour   Purple skin, gold flesh
Details   Late season, large to very large, dark purple/blue skin, oval, sweet when ripe, juicy
Grafted to seedling tree along with many other plums, east of driveway
Diameter   1.00
Tags     plum  fruit 
Apricot - Jumbo scion / bud wood

Apricot - Jumbo scion / bud wood

Details   A chance seedling grown in 2009 that produces huge fruit with a free stone. Best eaten fresh a some fibre near the stone.
Price   $3.90  each
Price for 2 or more   $3.50  each if you buy 2 or more
Price for 4 or more   $3.00  each if you buy 4 or more
Tags     apricot  scion  stone fruit 
Related info Out of stock
Babaco

Babaco

Common name   Babaco, Mountain Papaya, Champagne Fruit
Botanical name   Carica x heilbornii
Details   Produces large, yellow fruit pentagonal in cross-section - Self fertile.
Easily propagated from stem cuttings.
Variety   Pentagona
Diameter   1.00
Height (m)   2
Flowers   Small white
Edible  
Evergreen  
Frost sensitive  
Fruit / berries  
Perennial  
Shade / Sun   Full sun - part shade
Soil type   Rich, free draining
Wind tolerance   Low (large leaves)
Tags     exotic  sub-tropical  fruit 
Rating  
Plum - Elephant Heart scion / bud wood

Plum - Elephant Heart scion / bud wood

Details   Japanese variety with very large heart-shaped fruit and extremely dark red, sweet and juicy flesh. Superb freestone plum. Mid to late season. Good pollinator. Pollinators include - Omega, Santa Rosa and Sultan.
Price   $3.90  each
Price for 2 or more   $3.50  each if you buy 2 or more
Tags     plum  scion  stone fruit 
Only 1 in stock   Order
Drying Fruit

Drying Fruit

Another way of dealing with surplus fruit is to dry them in the sun for use over winter.

Use a simple wooden frame with fine mesh / gauze stretched over and then place the cut fruit and put the whole contraption out in the sun.
February 17, 2010
Quince root stock for grafting dwarf pear and loquat

Quince root stock for grafting dwarf pear and loquat

Botanical name   Cydonia oblonga
Details   Quinces are used as a root stock for producing dwarf pears, loquat and other quinces.

Root stocks can be created from root suckers, stool bed or seeds from overripe fruit planted in late autumn.
Flowers   White
Fruit / berries  
Tags     graft  dwarf  fruit tree  pear 
Benefits   The primary benefits are smaller trees that fruit sooner
Negatives   Many cultivars of pear are not directly compatible with quince and require double grafting with a compatible interstock
Pears grafted on quince have shorter lifespan than on seedling grown root stocks
Quince trees are prone to suckering, sending up growth from around the base of the tree and near damaged roots. These can be used as rootstocks.
Pruning fruit and nut trees

Pruning fruit and nut trees

Time of year for pruning, and an attempt to improve the shape of the trees for easier picking.

Our orchard has a number of large trees as well as a collection of younger ones, all require attention.
June 16, 2010
  Fruit  Trees  Pruning  Almond 
Plums

Plums

A bumper crop of plums this year. We have been eating them, freezing them, giving them away and trading into the community.
With several trees yet to ripen there is no end in sight.
January 08, 2010
Flavour of the day - Raspberry

Flavour of the day - Raspberry

Details   Over the past few weeks we've been getting the odd handful of berries off our small patch of raspberry canes.
Today I noticed they were dripping with fruit. Some so ripe they fell off as I brushed past the plant.
It's going to be raspberries and ice-cream for desert.
Date   March 08, 2010
Tags     Raspberry  Berries  Cane Fruit 
The bees and the bees

The bees and the bees

With the invasion of the varroa bee mite there has been a reduction in the number of nearby hives (both wild and domestic).

I was surprised and relieved to witness a large number of bumble and honey bees servicing the apricot tree.

This photos shows one of the more wild bees. Notice the dark colouring, where 'normal' bees are orange an black striped.
September 05, 2011