For most people, their sixties are the time to start thinking about retirement. But not Roger Matthews. With an orchard full of feijoas and other fruit to keep him busy, he scoffs at the idea. HortNZ spoke to the Morrinsville resident on the art and challenges of feijoa growing.
Roger has spent most of his working life in local government all over the North Island often in senior management roles. He spent three years in business development at Unitech looking at ways to commercialise research.
“We couldn't move on until the maize was cropped and what was left was basically bare earth,” Roger says.
Inside the gate of Pounamu Orchard are 150 macadamia trees planted in 2018, with gaps filled by chestnuts. The property has no bore and relies on rainwater. Three droughts knocked out some of the young trees, while others have struggled and haven't got much further than their original planted size.
Further in is a small citrus planting that Roger has established “for fun,” featuring lemons, limes, mandarins and kaffir limes which are sold to local supermarkets.
A small mix of apples, both eating apples and for cider-making, are also planted on the property. A hybrid of Japanese and European chestnuts, figs, plums and avocados complete the eclectic orchard line-up.
Feijoas are Roger's largest planting. Four years ago, he planted 1100 trees in three half-hectare blocks including the Kakariki, Anatoki, Wiki Tu, White Goose, Opal Star and Golden Goose feijoa varieties. White Goose is often used for making feijoa wine in New Zealand, whereas the thinner-skinned Golden Goose variety can be eaten whole – skin and all.
As feijoas are pollinated by birds, each row of trees has a bird-box on its leading post to facilitate pollination. Varieties are alternated to maximise pollination.
A feature of Roger's feijoa plantation is that it is espaliered – that is, the branches of the feijoa trees are trained horizontally along wires. This style not only saves space but improves flowering and increases the ease of harvest. With a nod to health and safety it means that no ladders are required.
“The aim is to shape the branches to get the right pattern and allow for plenty of air movement,” Roger says.
Roger completes the pruning himself – two days in each row with a fearsome pair of battery-powered secateurs which will bisect Feijoa stems, No. 8 wire and fingers with equal ease – “the most dangerous thing in the orchard”, Roger says.
Annual production has risen to about 1.5 tonnes over three years, with the fruit going to market through MG Marketing.
“It's a $100,000 investment,” Roger says. “We hope to break even in five years.”search projects aimed at guava moth and anthracnose fungus. The projects are funded by the government's Sustainable Farming Fund.
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