Orchard visit: Nelson, Catherine & Matt Collett, Ellesmere

February 2019

Like Sally and Joe, the Colletts’ orchard is close to Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, and so it can get very wet which means they have put in open drains and a swale to help drain their property. One flood took half the harvest into the lake.

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Orchard visit: Michael & Jenny Petherick, West Melton

February 2019

Jenny and Michael have owned their orchard for nearly three years. It was previously owned by Selwyn Manning, and was originally planned by Stephen Brailsford. Since taking on the orchard, Jenny and Michael have increased harvest from 0.7 to 2.4 tonnes.

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Orchard visit: Mike & Kathy Davenport, Rolleston

February 2019

Mike and Kathy have another Stephen Brailsford planned orchard of 1000 trees, all planted 12 years ago. They use Organibor, which is a 5-year fertiliser, and have realised that undissolved granules will be removed when cleaning up the orchard floor ready for harvest. At harvest they blow the nuts out of the centre of the row, rake them up and then use the harvester to suck up the nuts. Last year they got 1 kg/tree and are looking for more this year.

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Alan Mathewson

Canterbury

HGA newsletter, August 2003

From 2300 Sheep to 2300 Hazelnut Trees in a month! YOU MUST BE NUTS !!!! was the reaction of some of the relatives when we told them we had purchased a property and were going into Hazelnuts. I had been farming (sheep and a few beef) in the Five Forks downlands area of North Otago for the last 14 years in partnership with Janet. Some years ago 

I put in a shelter belt on a paddock near the house with the idea of putting it in Hazelnuts. Local growers Don and Helen Newlands informed me of a field day on his property. I ordered 1200 Hazelnut plants and pollinators from Hazelnut Nurseries and then started looking at where to put them! We decided a separate block from the farm would give more options, so for several months looked around the Oamaru area for a suitable block. 

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Dave & Bev Null

Blenheim

HGA newsletter, winter 2003

In this issue our growers’ corner takes a look at the hazelnut operation at the Nutt Ranch in Blenheim, and we are listening to Bev and Dave Null.

This property was purchased in 1995 as 8ha of pasture land. The land was purchased with the growing of hazelnuts in mind. The land is marginal for horticulture use and is in a dry area of Marlborough.

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