Which fruit trees are best to plant in South Westland? We get lots of rain and it is cold in the winter. We live below a mountain.

It isn’t impossible to grow fruit trees in your region, you need to select cold hardy varieties that flower later in spring so the flowers don’t get frosted or provide some sort of frost protection just in case. Avoid early flowering and fruiting varieties. 

• Plant in a sunny, sheltered spot protected from prevailing winds.
• Plant in free draining soil with organic matter dug into the soil before planting. Good drainage is key if in a high rainfall area. 
• Choose fruit tree varieties that require a high chill to initiate flowering and fruiting, the chill factor is the number of days with temperatures below 7 degrees C.
• Heritage fruit tree varieties are cold hardy and have better tolerance to pests and diseases.

Some variety suggestions are:

• Plum – Luisa (self fertile), Hawera, Black Doris, Billington – some varieties require pollinators, make sure you have the correct pollinator. Luisa does not require a pollinator, but you will get a better crop yield if another plum variety is planted nearby.
• Apples – Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Sturmer, Monty’s Surprise.
• Feijoas – Kakapo, Apollo, Unique, Pounamu, Wiki Tu.
• Citrus – Meyer Lemon is the hardiest variety, protect from frost until established.
• Peach – Black Boy, Golden Queen, Red Haven.
• Blueberries – go for the deciduous Northern high bush varieties
• Nashi pear
• Raspberries, strawberries and gooseberries

These are some suggestions, it will be trial and error and there will be some losses and disappointments along the way. Check out what fruit tree varieties are growing in your area, maybe post on your local community facebook page.