New Zealand’s diverse climate allows for a wide range of fruiting plants to be grown throughout the year. Here is a month-by-month guide to help you plan your fruit garden, including planting, caring, and harvesting activities for the most common fruiting plants grown in New Zealand.
January
- Planting: Citrus trees, passionfruit vines.
- Care: Water regularly, mulch to retain moisture, and prune stone fruits after harvest.
- Harvesting: Plums, peaches, nectarines, early apples, blueberries, and raspberries.
February
- Planting: Citrus trees, subtropical fruits like feijoas and tamarillos.
- Care: Continue watering and mulching, net trees to protect from birds.
- Harvesting: Plums, peaches, nectarines, figs, grapes, apples, pears, and blackberries.
March
- Planting: Citrus trees, avocado trees.
- Care: Water young trees deeply, mulch, and protect from late summer heat.
- Harvesting: Apples, pears, figs, feijoas, and grapes.
April
- Planting: Berry bushes, citrus trees.
- Care: Prune deciduous fruit trees after harvest, continue watering and mulching.
- Harvesting: Feijoas, kiwifruit, persimmons, and late apples and pears.
May
- Planting: Bare-rooted fruit trees like apples, pears, and stone fruits.
- Care: Begin winter pruning, protect young trees from frost.
- Harvesting: Kiwifruit, persimmons, and late feijoas.
June
- Planting: Bare-rooted deciduous fruit trees, berry bushes.
- Care: Complete winter pruning, mulch around trees to protect roots.
- Harvesting: Continue harvesting persimmons and kiwifruit.
July
- Planting: Continue planting bare-rooted fruit trees and berry bushes.
- Care: Prune deciduous fruit trees, mulch and protect from frost.
- Harvesting: No major harvesting this month.
August
- Planting: Finish planting bare-rooted trees, citrus trees.
- Care: Fertilize fruit trees with a balanced fertilizer, protect from late frosts.
- Harvesting: Citrus fruits like lemons and oranges.
September
- Planting: New berry bushes, citrus trees.
- Care: Fertilize and mulch, protect blossoms from late frosts.
- Harvesting: Citrus fruits and early strawberries.
October
- Planting: Subtropical fruits like feijoas and tamarillos.
- Care: Thin fruit on apples, pears, and stone fruits, regular watering.
- Harvesting: Strawberries, late citrus fruits.
November
- Planting: Continue planting citrus and subtropical fruits.
- Care: Mulch to conserve moisture, net trees to protect from birds.
- Harvesting: Early cherries, strawberries, and early stone fruits.
December
- Planting: Citrus trees, passionfruit vines.
- Care: Water regularly, mulch, and protect young trees from sunburn.
- Harvesting: Cherries, early plums, apricots, raspberries, and blueberries.
Conclusion
By following this month-by-month fruit gardening diary, you can ensure a productive and healthy fruit garden throughout the year in New Zealand. This guide will help you stay on top of planting, caring, and harvesting activities for the most common fruiting plants grown in the region. Happy gardening!
