Home grown fruit all year round??

Loquat fruit on tree

BY DEBBIE OLDFIELD

We are quite lucky up here in Northland, we can grow a wide range of fruit trees from sub-tropical plants (in sheltered warm areas) thru to stone fruit you normally associate with the South Island. Trees such as cherries and apricots will fruit up here if you buy the right varieties.

Most houses with a decent sized section should be able to grow fruit for themselves for most if not all the year round.

Here's a list of readily available fruit trees/shrubs showing which months the fruit should be ready.

January -

Trevatt Apricot, Compact Stella Cherry, Redfree Nectarine, Snowqueen Nectarine, Wiggins peach, Bell Du Jumet Pear, Red Beaut plum, Santa Rosa Plum, Blueberries

February -

Fitzroy Apricot, Royal Gala Apple, Flatto peach, Beure Bosc Pear, Packhams Triumph pear, Black Doris plum, Elephant heart plum, Hawera plum, Omega plum, Blueberries, Feijoa Unique

March -

Autento Apple, Blackboy peach, Golden Queen peach, Beure Bosc Pear, Packhams Triumph pear, Taylors Gold pear, Feijoas, Niagara Grape, Albany Surprise Grape, Blueberries

April -

Apple Ballarat , Granny Smith Apple, Pink Lady apple, Quince, Feijoa, Guava yellow and red

May -

Thumbelina Golden Crunch/Candy Crunch Apple, Miho Mandarin, Okitsu Mandarin

June -

Miyagawa Mandarin, Okitsu Mandarin, Meyer Lemon, Persimmon Fuyu

July -

Corsica Mandarin, Washington Navel Orange, Moro blood orange, Meyer Lemon, Lime

August -

Washington Navel Orange, Moro blood orange, Carters navel, Caracara Orange, Lime

September -

Caracara Orange, Best Seedless Orange, Richards Special Mandarin, Tangelo Seminole, Avocado Hass

October -

Best Seedless Orange, Tangelo Seminole, Avocado Hass

November -

Best Seedless Orange, Harwood Late Orange(will hold on the tree till March), Loquat, Avocado Hass

December -

Compact Stella Cherry, Mayglo Nectarine, Maycrest peach, Billingtons early plum, Duffs early Jewel Plum, Red Beaut plum, Satsuma plum, Sultan plum, Wilsons early plum, Harwood late orange, Blueberries, Loquat, Avocado Hass