what's on in the grove this spring
Spring is our busiest time. We carry out soil samples and leaf tests to manage soil nutrition that will influence next year's harvest. We are now tree pruning to encourage new growth and fruiting wood.
Soil samples
We take our soil samples in September and send them to our soil scientist for analysis. The results tell us what nutrients to apply for our trees to remain healthy. In Autumn we take another soil sample to monitor the nutrient levels that were applied to the grove in Spring.
Foliar spray
Just before bud set, we spray our trees with a mix of fish and seaweed and trace elements, such as Boron and monitor new growth as that tells us what the root system is doing underground.
2009 harvest
The 2009 harvest produced exquisite oils from a high yield. We harvested in freezing, rainy conditions. Two weeks earlier a cold snap bought hail that damaged our table olives so they were picked for oil instead. Despite the rain, we had a wonderful harvest thanks to the warmth of family and friends. Even my 83 year old mother joined us to pick olives alongside her great granddaughters.
hand-held harvesters versus long winter nights
We had an opportunity to trial a hand-held harvester. What a wonderful time saving device. Unfortuately it broke down just as the watery, winter sun began to set behind snow covered mountains. We ended up hand-harvesting long into the cold winter night lit only by the light of the tractor while the press waited patiently for our fruit to arrive.
Frost trials
We left a few, large French Picholine olives on the trees over winter to see what effect the frosty conditions would have on them. They over-wintered well. The fruit was deliciously ripe and with reduced polyphenals we suspect the oil would have been full of tropical fruits. We decided to brine the olives instead as the fruit remained undamaged by frosty conditions.
our climate
Our climate is hot and dry in summer with temperate winter frosts. The distance from the Tararua mountains creates a micro-climate for perfecting characteristically herbaceous, green-gold oils so familiar to Mediterranean countries.
our products
