Tree Varieties

One of the most frequently asked questions is "what variety is best for me?" We have twenty three varieties of macadamias on our orchard. Three or four varieties would be ideal.

There are two broad varieties: those whose nuts drop, and those whose nuts prefer to be picked, called stickers.

Droppers advantages:

• Costs: Costs can be reduced in a commercial orchard with mechanical harvesting. This can be made easier with droppers.
• Yield: Some droppers produce more kernel/tree than stickers.

Droppers disadvantages:

• Timing: Nuts drop whether you're ready or not. Sometimes they drop when you do not have the labour, or ground conditions are wet after a period of bad winter weather.

Sticker advantages:

• Timing; Can be harvested when you're ready, ie when you have the labour and good weather.

Sticker disadvantages;

• Costs: Climbing trees or using a pole pruner takes time and money.
• Safety. Climbing trees has its risks.

When deciding what variety to purchase, get a range of opinions from experienced nurserymen, orchardists and processors. Torere Macadamias sell a wide range of plants; see their products on www.macnz.com