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TreeCropper 106

Waikato Branch Annual Tree and Plant Sale 2021

Saturday 3 July 2021 – 8 am to 12 pm
Venue: Hamilton Gardens, Governor’s Green

To get there; Enter Gate 2 from Cobham Drive, Governor’s Green is the grass area opposite the carpark.

Everyone welcome to sell and buy

Buyers – There will also be a good range of public stalls selling tree crops and plants, ornamentals, farm trees and natives, perennials, cuttings and produce.

The Waikato Branch of NZTCA will have a stand with club information and a small assortment of fruiting plants suitable for the home garden.

Sellers – Set up and sell, this is a great way to sell any trees, seedlings, herbs, garden plants, gardening-related equipment or any excess produce.

No pre-allocated sites
Please email and tell us what you will be selling waikato@treecrops.org.nz
Sellers must be set up by 8.00 am
Commission 10% of sales

CASH OUT service – AEGIS Private Security Ltd will be joining us this year to provide a ‘cash out’ service. Please note there is a $2 charge to withdraw cash.

Any queries, please contact: waikato@treecrops.org.nz

TreeCropper 105

2 From the editor
3 President’s report
4 Correspondence
5 Yerba Mate
7 Growing commercial peanuts in NZ
8 New Year’s honour for member
9 High Health Orchard
12 Linden trees
16 Nitrogen fixing in sugarcane
18 Sugarcane in Waikato
21 Conference 2021
23 Wish Trees
31 Farmable Orchard app
33 Apple acidity
35 Hot climate apples
36 Index
38 Kombucha
38 Tip to reduce myrtle rust
39 Pips & Pieces
40 Subscriptions

TreeCropper 104

2 From the editor
3 President’s report
4 Correspondence
6 Birds in the orchard
9 Honeyberry research update
11 Okinawa spinach
13 Ecosourcing plants
16 Ecosourcing nursery Q&A
19 Using glyphosphate
23 Measuring your carbon footprint
26 Auckland Conference 2021
27 Conference field trips
29 Growing jackfruit
30 Conference speakers
31 Making gorse rum & ice cream
33 Multi-grafted apple tree
35 The papaya project
39 Knowledge in a nutshell – Vicky Mee
41 Year round fruit on a 1/4 acre
42 Wassailing
43 Damson gin liquer
44 Palm honey
46 Genetic diversity and biocontrols
47 Pips & Pieces
48 Subscriptions

Walnut Blogletter 34 – November 2020

TreeCropper 103

2 From the editor
4 President’s report
6 Correspondence
7 Highly recommended plum varieties
10 Harlequin ladybird 14 Eating acorns
18 Acorn recipes
19 Cider
21 Hops
22 Saffron milk caps
26 Growing truffles
29 Creating an orchard using permaculture principles
33 Otto Muller, inventor
37 Japanese raisin tree
39 Pips & Pieces
40 Subscriptions

TreeCropper 102

2 From the editor
3 Best branch newsletter
4 President’s report
5 Check your envelopes
5 Correspondence
7 Auckland conference
8 Platycodon grandiflorus (doraji root)
10 Honeybees and salt
14 Lingonberry
21 How to be a successful plant hunter
22 Four thieves vinegar
24 Meadowsweet
26 Macadamias & bananas
30 Comfrey as a mineral accumulator 33 Edible roses
35 The story of Granny Smith
37 New Zealand’s oldest/most popular apple
38 Dick Roberts Photography Award photos
40 Cold plasma blasting
42 New chestnut processing techniques
44 Uses for apple skins
45 Dr Don McKenzie Award recipients
47 Pips & Pieces
48 Subscriptions

Hop plants – ready to hit the ground running…

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.

Auckland Branch Meeting January 2020 – Plums

Dick Roberts Photo Competition Winners 2020

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.