Season Calendar
featured market EVENT
Nov
26
Listing Title November Grower Roadshow
Nov
30
Nov
19
Listing Title Zespri Organics Field Trip
Monthly Tips - What to expect during the seasons
March – June
Harvest
Make sure all load out areas are prepared and ready. It is imperative that all hazards are identified and eliminated. It is a requirement to ensure that all handwashing and toilet facilities are available for all workers on the orchard so that hygiene is kept to a high standard. It is also a good idea to make yourself available during harvest – you’d be amazed how motivating a batch of scones can be!
June – September
Winter Pruning
It’s important to set the foundation for the season ahead. Identify ideal bud numbers and develop a plan to target those numbers. Doing this will help you reach an optimal balance between crop load and dry matter. Also, be sure to closely monitor pruning activity to ensure targets are met
August
Hi-Cane
Make sure you have considered your winter chill units for your locality before choosing an application date. Timing is crucial – if apply Hi-Cane too early you’ll get doubles and triples, and if you apply it too late you have less bud break. It really pays to know your natural bud break if you don’t already. As research suggest Hi-Cane is best applied 20-30 days before natural bud break.
October – November
Remember the importance of following the “bee safe” practices. Optimise male vine distribution by ensuring each female is within 6 metres of a male vine in Hayward and 8 metres in all Gold varieties. Also monitor male/female flower synchronisation – if flowering is not in sync, you will need to consider supplementary pollination. Conducting bee counts will give you a good idea as to how pollination is proceeding during flowering.
January
Monthly Tips
- Summer Crop Management
- Cosmetic Fruit Thinning
- Trunk Girdling – ensure you record the date
- Enjoy downtime while it lasts
- Crop Estimates
- Root Prune
- PVH Monitoring
February
Monthly Tips
- Crop estimates
- Cosmetic Fruit thinning
- Trunk Girdling – ensure you record the date
- KiwiGreen monitoring
- Pre-harvest packhouse maturity samples taken
- Spray loadout areas & order metal if required
- Packing agreement issued and signed
March
Monthly Tips
- Summer canopy work
- Cosmetic fruit thinning
- Pre-harvest packhouse maturity samples taken
- Clearance samples for early start
- Harvest and packing
- Post- harvest sprays (Actigard, Copper)
- Be prepared for early frosts
April
Monthly Tips
- Pre-harvest packhouse maturity samples taken
- Clearance samples collected
- Harvest and packing
- Post-harvest sprays (Actigard, Copper)
- Be prepared for early frosts
May
Monthly Tips
- Clearance samples collected
- Harvest and packing
- Post-harvest sprays (Actigard, Copper)
- Be prepared for frosts
- Mainpack harvest and packing
June
Monthly Tips
- Clearance samples collected
- Harvest and packing
- Post-Harvest Copper
- Copper spray after leaf fall
- Winter Pruning
- Copper Spray after winter pruning
- Monitor winter buds after pruning
- Soil Tests and Fertiliser recommendations
July
Monthly Tips
- Repairs & Maintenance
- Copper Spray for PSA
- Talstar and Engulf for Cicada, PVH & scale control
- Monitor winter buds following pruning
- Time to think about orchard management
- Time to think about orchard leasing and go on holiday
August
Monthly Tips
- Base fertiliser application
- Hi-Cane application – ensure you record date
- Winter bud numbers counted and recorded
September
Monthly Tips
- First side dressing
- Note bud break date
- PSA spray
- Cutting out PSA infection
- Be prepared for frosts
- Tip Crushing
- Confirm Bee Keeper arrangements
October
Monthly Tips
- Second side dressing
- Tip crushing
- Spray for scale, leaf roller, sclerotinia & PSA pre-flower
- Flower bud monitoring
- Flower bud thinning
- G3 flowering check male synchronisation
- Note bees in date
- HW trunk girdle for PSA flower bud rot
- Gap audit
- Be prepared for frosts
- PSA sprays
November
Monthly Tips
- KPIN registrations arrive complete & send back to Zespri
- G3 fruitlet thinning
- HW flowering
- Note bees in date
- Note full bloom date
- Leaf tests and recommendations
- Start summer canopy work
- GAP Audits
- PSA Sprays
- G3 male Pruning
- Tip Crushing
December
Monthly Tips
- KPIN registrations completed and sent back to Zespri
- Trunk girdling – record date
- Leaf tests and recommendations
- Summer canopy work
- GAP Audits
- Early crop estimates for Zespri
- Male Pruning