Q.
Hi, I was wondering when to prune my feijoa tree which has made a lot of growth, and how much I should prune off? Thanks, Jan.
A.
You prune feijoas to open up to allow bird pollination, wind movement and sunlight in for fruit ripening. It is not necessary to prune feijoas every year, but if you are going to prune them wait until after fruiting has finished. Feijoas can be pruned hard, it depends if you want to create a hedge or just trim the branches back to the desired length. Prune on a dry day, to limit the spread of fungal spores and diseases. Use sharp secateurs to make clean cuts on an angle, above a bud or branch.
Remove all clippings and prunings and dispose of dead and diseased material. Clean tools after use. If problems do occur, spray with a registered fungicide.
Fertilise with Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser regularly from spring to late summer to ensure a healthy tree and bumper harvest.
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When and how do I prune my feijoa tree? Comments
I also wondered about this. My trees grow on a shared pathway so I have to 'hold them back' to allow others access.Finally I just waited until all the fruit was finished - then just broke off bits here & there! The trees are doing fine. They are a very 'forgiving' fruit tree and mine produce beautiful big feijoas.
Diane Davidson
Thanks
eliz anderson
Our feijoa tree has fruited for the 2nd year. We have a lot of thin twig like branches inside of tree. Do we thin out these?
Colin Barber
Hi Colin, yes remove any spindly and poor growth, and prune back some of the main framework of the plant to encourage fresh strong growth. When pruning you are aiming to keep an open framework, enough for a bird to fly through. This allows plenty of sunlight into the centre of the plant as well. Happy gardening from the Tui Team
jenna
When should I prune my miniature peach tree and by how much. It has lots of luscious growth. The leaves stay on the tree until early spring. Regards. Megan
Megan
As it fruits on old wood, I cut back only half the tree each year, so it still has plenty of fruit on the unpruned half.
Nznana
Hi was wanting some advice on what varieties of fruit trees would be good to plant in Rotorua area we are at about 1,600feet I want to plant apples,(eating and cooking) apricots, plumbs, cherries, feijoas, quince, lemons and limes. I just want to know what varieties would be successful. And also wanting to plant the same on another property on the edge of lake taupo. Can you help?
david goodman
Apricots and Cherries flourish in Central Otago in all their huge frosts. Some varieties need different number of chill hours so do better in different areas.
Ann Steel
Hi David, this is a great question. Apples, plums, quince and feijoas can all be planted, it is likely to be too cold to reliably grow citrus, cherries and apricots, as these can be affected and damaged by frost. Go to apples varieties are Baujade, granny smith, royal gala and fuji. With plums look for late fruiting ones such as Omega and Damson. And with feijoas look for Kakapo, Wiki and Triumph. ^ Tui Team
gemma
Hi Megan, if you prune your tree now you will be removing fruiting wood for this seasons crop. The best time to prune peaches is as soon as they have finished fruiting. Prune about a third off at any one time. ^ Tui Team
gemma
Hi. Was wondering if I can plant peach or nectarine trees at Matarangi on the coromandels. Am about 600meters back from the ocean and moderate wind.
David Heilbron
Hi David, yes you can plant both. Choose a position in full sun and sheltered from as much wind as possible. Suggest staking your fruit trees while they are young to help assist the root zone in establishing itself quickly. At planting time, blend in sheep pellets or compost into the soil, and add some fruit tree fertiliser at the same time. Apply Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic at least once a month. All the best ^Tui Team
jenna
Hi, can you please advise me how &'when to prune a black doris/billington plum tree. This is it's second winter in the ground and hasn't been pruned yet.
Francee Pilcher
Hi Francee, you are in luck as plums do not require a lot of annual pruning. If your plants are getting too tall, or not enough light is getting into the central parts of the tree you should prune. Plum trees can take a few years to produce the flowering and fruiting wood, so avoid pruning this season, just in case you prune off that precious fruiting wood. Happy gardening ^Tui Team
jenna
Hi, can anyone advise the best way to prune a feijoa hedge? It grows against a fence and has a fairly dry/dead looking centre. All the growth is on the outside but it needs to be cut back as it's a bit top heavy and encroaching the lawn. I'm wondering if it will cope with hard pruning and regenerate in the centre? Thanks.
Ken
Hi Ken, feijoas respond well to hard pruning and the dead looking centre will regenerate the following season once pruned. Fruiting will be reduced after pruning but the fruit may be slightly bigger than previous years. There is no hard a fast way to prune a feijoa hedge. Prune to shape and remove branches that are encroaching on the lawn or trim them back by at least a third. Feed your hedge regularly with Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser from spring to after harvest to ensure a healthy tree and bumper harvest.
Tui Team
Hi, am i too late to prune my feijoa hedge now we are just starting spring?
Caley
Hi Caley, the best time to prune your feijoa tree is in winter or just after fruiting has finished. It also can depend on whether you have an early or late fruiting variety, but if you prune now you could be cutting of new growth and the tree can be more prone to pests and diseases getting in through the fresh wounds.
Tui Team
Can feijoa trees be espaliered successfully?
Bob Sharpe
Hi Bob, yes they can be - with a good framework and wires to support the tree, as the branches can be brittle to start with until they establish. Use a vigorous growing variety that grows 2.5 metres plus, rather than a semi dwarf variety that only grows to 1.5m – 2m. Varieties such as Apollo, Gemini and Mammoth all grow to 4 metres. Feijoas fruit on current seasons growth, by continuously pruning and training, fruiting may be reduced until the framework is established.
Tui Team
Hi Tui, what kind of fruit trees will grow in a strong wind area in the Wairarapa? If shelter belts are needed, what kind of trees are best for this? Thank you.
Megan
Hi Megan, for fruit trees to thrive in a high wind situation, they will need to have shelter to provide protection. If trees are left unprotected and exposed, pollination will be low as bees don't pollinate in high winds, blossom will get blown off the trees, the soil dries out a lot quicker and so yields will be low. Shelter belt plantings will benefit from an artificial wind break until the plants are established, this can be removed later or left in place. You don't say if you are coastal or inland, so the following are a few hardy plants suitable to plant as shelter in high wind areas. Corokia, phormium (flax), Toi Toi, hebes, coprosma, muehlenbeckia, manuka, kanuka, pittosporum and psuedopanax, all are hardy NZ natives. The wind will naturally keep these trees low growing, they are all evergreen. It is always good to talk to your local garden centre and nursery for shelter trees suitable for your region before planting.
The best fruit trees to plant would be those on dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock so that they don't grow too high and so reduce the effect of the wind on their growth. Before planting make sure the soil is well prepared with plenty of organic matter added, ensure the soil is free draining. Fruit trees that can be grown include citrus - lemons, oranges, grapefruit; Feijoa (these are mostly pollinated by birds); Blueberries; Apples, pears, nashi; Nut trees such as almonds, hazel nuts. Check with your local garden centres and nurseries for other planting suggestions in your region.
Tui Team
Hi We have had feijoa trees for 15 years that generally fruit well. Gave them a good hard prune this winter after fruiting and now there are "a lot" of new leaves growing everywhere on some of the older branches and in many cases in thick clumps of them - note there are no flowers n these clumps of new leaves. Can we get rid of these or thin them now (December) or wait til after fruiting? Thanks
Paul
Hi Paul, you can prune your feijoas in December, especially if there is no flowering or fruiting branches. Potentially you will be removing next seasons fruiting wood as feijoas fruit on the end of the previous seasons growth. The tree will also benefit from being thinned out to allow light in and help birds fly through the tree to pollinate the flowers. The only time you wouldn't prune in December is if it was flowering and fruiting branches you were removing, and in that case you would prune when fruit has finished. The Tui Team.
Why aren't my lime trees producing fruit? I have tiny limes but they just fall off before they turn into anything. I have fertilised with Tui Citrus Food in spring and autumn. Thanks.
Heather Baron
Hi Heather, the most common reason for fruit not setting is watering. It is likely that your limes are dropping because of irregular watering or the tree has dried out as some stage during the growing season. Alternatively, overwatering or poorly drained soils. If the tree is still young it could be that the tree is not established enough yet to sustain fruit. Poor pollination can also be a reason, if it is too wet or windy for the bees to work, pollination will not be as good. Limes need the sunniest, hottest spot you have in the garden to initiate flowering, as well as regular watering in the growing season. Sudden drops in temperature can also cause fruit to drop, regularly feed your tree with Tui Seaweed Plant Tonic to help with sudden temperature fluctuations, this helps stimulate new root growth and improves overall plant health. Mulch around the tree in spring to conserve soil moisture and to prevent the soil from drying out as quickly. It is normal for citrus trees to drop fruit, if your tree is healthy and not dropping leaves or turning yellow, there is little cause for concern at this stage.
The Tui Team
Hi, can you please tell me how to prune my feijoas and when is the best time to do this. Thanks
Gwenda Scott
Hi Gwenda, the time to prune feijoas is after fruiting has finished in late autumn, early winter. They flower at the base of new seasons growth so regular trimming will ensure good fruit crop each season, although yearly pruning is not essential. If the tree is getting too high prune back by approximately one third. Remove any branches that are criss-crossing inside the canopy, this will open up the tree so that birds, which are the main pollinators, can pollinate the flowers in spring. Remove dead, damaged wood and weak spindly growth. Make sure you use sharp secateurs so that your cuts are clean and on a sloping angle just above a bud or branch. Remove all clippings and prunings and dispose of dead and diseased material. Fertilise your tree with Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser or Tui Citrus Food, regularly from spring to late summer to ensure a healthy tree and bumper harvest.
Lianne, Tui Team
Is it okay to let Dahlia foliage die down & just leave... because I'm not going to lift my Dahlias. I usually put a layer of wood chips over the tubers. Thankyou
Judi McConnochie
Hi Judi, yes it is okay to leave your dahlias in the ground as long as you have free-draining garden soil, otherwise dahlias will rot if left over winter in heavy poorly drained soils. They don't need to be lifted each season and only need lifting every 3-4 years to divide as the clumps get large. However, if you live in a cold region where the ground freezes over winter then you may wish to consider lifting your dahlia tubers. Mulching around the tubers is a good idea, make sure you do this before any frosts. If mulch is applied after frosts it insulates the soil and keeps the soil cold, defeating the purpose of using mulch to protect plant roots over winter. Wait until your dahlias have died down completely or have been hit by the first frost before cutting back the foliage.
Lianne
When & how should I prune my Hydrangeas??
Karen Gaylene Donaldson
Hi Gaylene, the best time to prune your mophead and lacecap hydrangeas is in late winter, early spring around August September, that way you will be able to identify flowering buds and leaf buds. These types of hydrangea flower on the previous seasons growth and the old flower heads can be left on the plant through winter to provide protection for the buds during winter. Buds that produce leaf are slim and long, flowering buds are plump, reddish and round and have have formed at the end of the previous growing season. Cut each stem back so there are at least two plump buds on each stem, avoid going too far back to the base of the plant as you will end up with only leaf buds. Select a few older stems (silvery grey in colour) to cut right back to the base so that you are getting new growth each season. Make sure you use sharp secateurs and cut to an outward facing bud on a downward sloping angle away from the bud. Remove spindly weak growth and any dead wood. Climbing hydrangeas are pruned in summer once flowering has finished.
Lianne
Hi, I have a feijoa tree that has guava moth. We have put traps in, but am wondering if a) we need to put a lot more traps in the tree or b) do a drastic prune of it. What advice would you give?
Michelle Warner
Hi Michelle, guava moth have a continuous life cycle and so when feijoas have finished, they move on to citrus or other fruiting trees or hosts. The best way to control guava moth is to collect up fallen fruit and dispose of in the rubbish, do not compost. I know some people have resorted to putting fallen fruit through the waste disposal unit or boiling up so that the larvae can't survive. There are pheromone traps that can be hung in the tree from the time of fruit set until fruiting has finished, a pheromone trap interrupts the the life cycle of the guava moth. I have used a home made lure and have heard of other people having success with this.
Hang it in fruit trees to attract the moths as follows:
Dissolve Vegemite, sugar, vanilla essence in boiling water. Add 1 teaspoon of ammonia. Mix well. Divide the liquid between four plastic milk bottles that have had a 5cm flap cut into the side (opposite the handle, make the flap like a hinge). The top of the flap (hinge) should be approximately 8-10cm up from the bottom of the bottle. Tie the bottle to the tree using a short tie, otherwise it swings around in the wind, make sure rain cannot get inside the flap. Hang it 1.5-2 metres up from the ground as that is the height the moths fly. Hang the lure as soon as buds burst and flowers appear, continue replacing every month until harvest. Within a few nights moths should find the lure.
Lianne
Why prune Feijoa so the bird can fly thought them when bees do the pollination??
Corran
Hi Corran, feijoas are mostly pollinated by birds, particularly blackbirds, thrush and wax eyes. They strip the red stamens off the flowers and in the process pollinate the flowers with pollen on their heads. Bees and insects visit the flowers but are not the main pollinators. Most feijoas are self-fertile and can also be pollinated by wind borne pollen.
Lianne