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Heather Spence Nelson Branch, June 2020

Brent McGlashen amid his ripening hops, late January 2020

The 2019 TCA conference field trip to MacHops prompted a request for further information on hop plants for sale. A conversation with Brent McGlashen, as affable and helpful as ever, elicited the following.

Varieties available from MacHops are Sticklebract, Green Bullet, Pacific Gem and Chinook. The NZ Hops website lists the following qualities of each.

• Sticklebract, a triploid heirloom alpha hop that delivers solid bitterness matched to pine and citrus aroma characters;

• Green Bullet, a dual purpose bittering hop with a spicy “dried fruit” character and solid finish;

• Pacific Gem, A solid bittering hop with spicy black pepper and berry fruit aroma characters

• Chinook, a U.S aroma hop.

Varietiesdeveloped by Plant and Food Research and owned by NZ Hops (the grower cooperative), are protected by PVR and not available for sale.

Crowns can be ordered for September delivery and if planted in spring, will produce cones in March. In Brent’s words, ‘they’ll hit the ground running’. Crowns are $15 each, excluding packaging and postage.

Hops grow in pretty much any soil conditions provided it’s free-draining, and is not gluggy clay. They require lots of water over summer and like a lot of fertiliser. MacHops uses organic fish powder, seaweed foliar sprays and compost (hop).

Order from Brent McGlashen, MacHops Ltd, 21 Poole St, Motueka, 7120, or admin@machops.co.nz

Of further interest – TCA members who went on the MacHops field trip will remember the huge glasshouse where Brent was growing passionfruit. In January this year the vines were dripping with large fruit and the other half of the glasshouse was full of cherry tomatoes and strawberries, the latter in vertical plantings. Marigolds everywhere ensure very successful pest control.

There are two categories for the photo competition: 

• Category 1: A photograph featuring “tree crops”. That is, the trees, shrubs and other plants, produce and products of interest to tree croppers.
• Category 2: A photo that features “tree croppers”. That is, the people involved in the NZTCA, or members and the public attending tree crop events.

Winners

Overall national winner: Peter Syms, Nelson
Winner category 1 Tree Crops: Peter Syms, Nelson

Overall winning photo by Peter Syms, Nelson: Billington plums beside the hen house after morning drizzly rain. The sun has dried out the leaves but not the cold, unripe fruit. Taken in the afternoon in December.

Peter Syms with Dick Roberts trophy.

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Winner category 2 Tree Croppers: David Wayne, Nelson

Category 2 winning photo by David Wayne, Nelson

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Other Finalists
Click on images to view a larger version.

Mzia Khmaladze, Wellington Horowhenua

Honeyberry (Haskap) trial at a member’s property, Mzia Khmaladze, Wellington Horowhenua

 Harvesting water with swales, Peggy Yates, Northland

Baerbel Leeker, Northland

Wonderful Pomegranate – Punica granatum, Richard Winder, Wairarapa

Croppers under a Big Wairarapa Sky, Neil Douglas, Wairarapa

Nicolas Empson, Waikato

Nicolas Empson, Waikato