One of my favourite parts of the garden is edible plants.
Vegetables, stone fruit, berry fruit, citrus to name a fraction of what is available and what we are lucky enough to be able to grow in Whanganui's temperate climate.
Many people share the ideology that it would be great to be able to eat off the land and know what goes into your food.
A list that I have worked on and keep adding to and adjusting is what fruit is available for harvest in each month of the year. Today's column publishes the most recent version of this.
Living in Whanganui, touted as the fourth most temperate climate in the world, we climatically can grow and harvest fresh fruit every month of the year. If one was to be living in a colder climate this would not be possible, but it would be possible to grow, harvest and store fruit for use every month of the year.
So delving into a large number of sources, this column outlines the varieties of fruit that can be grown in Whanganui and harvested fresh each month. I will be interested to hear from any gardeners who read this and can shed more precision, or any correction on harvest times of fruit varieties.
As the harvest time is based on climatic conditions and some books and catalogues do not specify the area for which they are written, harvest may vary by a few weeks.
If this inspires you then get cracking, now is a great time to be planting fruit trees in your garden. Many varieties that are only available in the garden centre seasonally are in store now with limited stocks. So take advantage of the moist soils, make your selection in store and you too can have a year round fruit harvest at your place.
Stone Fruit Pest Watch – Time to Spray for Curly Leaf Protection
With the great run of warmer days in July the buds on peaches and nectarines are certainly looking close to swelling so keep an eye on them. The moment they start to move apply Freeflo copper and Enspray 99 oil to prevent curly leaf and get rid of any residual insect problems. These two products can be mixed together.
These certified organic oil and copper sprays can be used on all fruit trees as a winter clean-up which will remove overwintering insect larvae and kill fungus spores. This will reduce pest and disease incidence in the coming summer. We recommend doing this spray combination twice two weeks apart.
Time soon to spray for protection against brown rot that destroys peaches, nectarines and sometimes apricots and plums, just as they ripen.
Many come looking for a remedy each year when their fruit is rotting – the only fix for this is preventative spraying soon. Make sure you have on hand Yates Fungus Fighter to spray once at commencement of flowering, once in full bloom, once at petal fall and once at shuck fall.
Gareth Carter is general manager of Springvale Garden Centre
Harvest in January: Avocado Hass, Plum Billington, Plum Wilsons Early, Plum Black Amber, Plum Black Doris (late), Plum Elephant Heart, Plum Hunterston, Plum Satsuma, Plum Sultan, Cherry Lapins, Cherry Dawson, Strawberries, Raspberry Waiau, Raspberry Aspiring, Boysenberry, Logan Berry, Blueberry Blue Dawn, Blueberry Blue Magic, Blueberry Tasty Blue, Blueberry Misty, Blueberry Mirimba, Blueberry Centurion, Blueberry Tiff Blue, Blueberry Powder Blue, Lemon Meyer, Orange Harwood Late, Peach Elegant Lady (Late), Peach Red Haven, Peach Wiggins ( Early), Peach Dixired, Peach Honey Babe (Dwarf), Peacherine Healeys ( Late), Dwarf Peach Rose Chiffon ( Late), Dwarf Peach Pixzee (Late), Dwarf Peach Kotare Honey ( Late), Dwarf Peach Bonanza, Apricot Trevatt, Dwarf Apricot Garden Annie, Nectarine Mabel, Nectarine Queen Giant, Nectarine Red Gold, Nectarine New Boy, Nectarine Ruby Diamond, Nectarine Silver King (Early), Nashi Hosui, Nashi Nijiseiki, Red Currant, Black Currant, Gooseberry Invicta, Gooseberry Pax, Fig Mrs Williams - first crop.
Harvest in February: Nectarine Goldmine (Early), Plum Hawera (Late), Plum Elephant Heart, Plum Santa Rosa, Plum Luisa, Plum Burbank, Plum Coes Golden Drop, Plum Reine Claude de Bavay, Plum Omega (Late), Plum Purple King (Late), Plum Lucy, Prune Plum Stanley, Apple Discovery, Apple D'Estivale, Apple Gala, Apple Hetlina, Apple Initial, Apple Oratia Beauty, Apple Prima, Apple Worchester Pearmain, Apple Coxs Orange Pippin, Blueberry Misty, Blueberry Mirimba, Blueberry Burst, Almond All in One, Almond Burbank, Nashi Reddy Robin, Apple Dayton, Avocado Reed, Avocado Hass, Blackberry, Boysenberry, Logan Berry, Blueberry Blue Dawn, Blueberry Blue Magic, Blueberry Tasty Blue, Pear Conference, Pear Doyenne Du Comice (late), Pear William Bon Chrietien, Pear Crispie, Pear Garden Wonder, Lemon Meyer, Orange Harwood Late, Peach Black Boy (Late), Peach Hiawatha, Peach Yumyeong, Peach Golden Haze (Early), Peach Snow Grace, Peach Scarlet O Hara, Apricot Fitzroy, Apricot Cluthagold, Apricot Tomcot, Dwarf Apricot Aprigold, Fig Mrs Williams - first crop, Grape Niagara, Grape Lakemont Seedless.
Harvest in March: Plum Greengage, Plum Angeleno, Apple Royal Gala, Apple Ballerina, Apple Blenheim Orange, Apple Ergemont Russet, Apple Freyberg, Apple Laxtons Fortune, Apple Priscilla, Apple Telstar, Apple Pacific Rose, Apple Roys Pearl, Chestnut 1005, Avocado Reed, Avocado Hass, Blackberry, Blueberry Burst, Blueberry Muffin, Pear Beurre Bosc, Pear Packhams Triumph, Pear Winter Nelis, Pear Taylors Gold, Lemon Meyer, Orange Harwood Late, Feijoa Apollo, Feijoa Sherbet, Feijoa Kaiteri (Early), Feijoa Anatoki (Early), Feijoa Takaka, Quince Smyrna, Quince Van Diemens, Peach April White ( Late), Peach Golden Queen, Peach Gordons Glory, Peach Garden Lady (dwarf), Peach Paragon (Early), Peach Cot, Chilean Guava, Fig Brown Turkey, Grape Lakemont Seedless, Grape Albany Surprise, Grape Moores Diamond, Grape Candice, Hazelnut Barcelona, Hazelnut Merveille de Bolwiller, Hazelnut Whiteheart, Hazelnut di Giffoni.
Harvest in Late March/ Early April: Apple Belle de Boskoop, Apple Bramleys Seedling, Apple Liberty, Apple Peasgood's Nonsuch, Apple Sir Prize, Apple Tentation, Raspberry Aspiring, Raspberry Heritage, Blueberry Burst, Blueberry Muffin.
Harvest in April: Apple Baujade, Apple Braeburn, Apple Fuji, Apple Granny Smith, Apple Kidds Orange, Apple Montys Surprise, Apple Mother, Apple Splendour, Apple Sturmer Pippin, Apple Tydemans Late Orange, Apple Winter Banana, Apple Topaz, Avocado Reed, Lemon Meyer, Feijoa Apollo, Feijoa Unique, Feijoa Kakapo, Feijoa Manawatu, Pear Concorde, Pear Winter Cole, Quince Van Diemens, Quince Smyrna, Tamarillo Teds Red, Chilean Guava, Fig Brown Turkey, Fig Mrs Williams - 2nd crop, Grape Albany Surprise, Grape Moores Diamond, Grape Candice, Walnut Meyric, Walnut Shannon, Walnut Rex, Walnut Serr.
Harvest in May: Mandarin Satsuma Miho, Mandarin Satsuma, Lemon Meyer, Lemon Yenben/Lisbon, Lemonade, Lime Bearrs, Lime Tahitian, Grapefruit Golden Special, Casimiroa Sue Belle, Casimiroa Te Puna, Persimmon Fuyu, Feijoa Wiki Tu, Feijoa Triumph, Feijoa Opal Star, Tamarillo Bold Gold, Tamarillo Tango, Tamarillo Teds Red, Fig Mrs Williams - second crop, Persimmon.
Harvest in June: Mandarin Miho, Mandarin Satsuma Silverhill, Avocado Bacon, Avocado Hashimoto, Lemon Meyer, Lime Bearrs, Lime Tahitian, Grapefruit Golden Special, Casimiroa Sue Belle, Casimiroa Te Puna, Tamarillo Bold Gold, Tamarillo Tango, Tamarillo Teds Red.
Harvest in July: Avocado Bacon, Avocado Hashimoto, Lemon Meyer, Lemon Yenben/Lisbon, Lemonade, Lime Bearrs, Lime Tahitian, Grapefruit Golden Special, Grapefruit Cutlers Red, Orange Bests Seedless, Mandarin Silver Hill, Mandarin Satsuma, Tamarillo Bold Gold, Tamarillo Tango, Tamarillo Teds Red, Casimiroa Sue Belle, Casimiroa Te Puna, Medlar.
Harvest in August: Grapefruit Golden Special, Avocado Fuerte, Orange Bests Seedless, Lemon Meyer, Lemon YenBen/Lisbon, Lemonade, Mandarin Silver Hill, Mandarin Miho, Mandarin Satsuma, Casimiroa Sue Belle, Casimiroa Te Puna, Loquat Mogi.
Harvest in September: Avocado Fuerte, Orange Bests Seedless, Lemon Meyer, Grapefruit Golden Special, Cherimoya Bronceada, Cherimoya Canaria, Loquat Mogi.
Harvest in October: Avocado Fuerte, Blueberry Misty, Blueberry Mirimba, Lemon Meyer, Cherimoya Bronceada, Cherimoya Canaria, Cherry Tangshe.
Harvest in November: Avocado Hass, Logan Berry, Blueberry Misty, Blueberry Mirimba, Cherimoya Bronceada, Cherimoya Canaria, Lemon Meyer, Orange Harwood Late.
Harvest in December: Plum Duffs Early Jewel (Christmas), Plum Santa Rosa, Plumcot Scarlet Sunrise, Plumcot Spring Satin, Avocado Hass, Logan Berry, Blueberry Blue Dawn, Blueberry Blue Magic, Blueberry Tasty Blue, Blueberry Misty, Blueberry Mirimba, Blueberry Muffin, Orange Harwood Late, Apricot Royal Rosa, Apricot Sundrop, Dwarf Apricot Golden Glow, Red Currant, Black Currant, Gooseberry Invicta, Gooseberry Pax, Raspberry Waiau, Raspberry Aspiring, Cherry Compact Stella, Nectarine Snowqueen.