Pacific coast Macadamias
Pacific Coast Macadamias is the name of a small tree orchard in Whanarua Bay, Eastern Bay of Plenty. We grow process and sell macadamia nuts.
Growing Macadamia Nuts
Amazingly easy to grow, the macadamia frustrates people often when the crop doesn't come up to expectations. Planting a grafted tree is a good start as seedling trees vary widely but commonly have small annoying nuts. The ground under the tree is important too, as clear ground with short vegetation discourages pests. Rats can consume astonishing numbers of nuts. It is good to space the trees so they don't touch - this slows down possums and rats who are less keen on dashing across open ground to get to your succulent macadamias.
Harvesting the crop is made simpler if you know whether the nuts are supposed to drop when mature - varieties differ on this. We have 200 droppers and 200 of the hang-on-tight varieties. There are pro's and con's for both.