Warning - Newby

New to the site, and apparently my first post has to be approved to stop spamming before I can post, so here I am.

Live an hour out of whangarei, on about 30 acres, 10 of which is bush, and are virtually completely self-sufficient, and have been for 11 years now.

We have a large polyhouse, huge garden, two orchards (subtropical and standard), Chooks, ducks, sheep, goats, cows (Progressive red devon).

Also, I have to mention this because no-one here listens anymore ... my Coffee trees are flowering!!

Stacey

Well if they are flowering that is certainly a start. If they fruit .... .... then all the other processes, like the curing and fermentation of the beans, will be almost as big a learning curve as processing olives.

Hi Stacey and welcome to the LSB zoo

Sounds like you have a nice set-up. Are your coffee trees under plastic or field grown?

They are under plastic in the polyhouse right now, but apparently can be grown outside here.

In fact, the neighbour has on out the back of their house that is much bigger (and older) than mine, but I don't think it has flowered yet.

They are only about half a metre tall yet, and in pots. Was intending on planting one outside, and the other up into a bigger pot still in the polyhouse, but now I'll wait until they have finished doing their thing.

Not sure what the pollination is like, as they are grown as a house plant with successful coffee produced, and never heard of anyone tickling them, but even so I am tickling them to be sure.

Also have pineapples. Which produce really yummy pineapples!

Hi Stacey,
Good to hear about your coffee and pineapples.

Im looking forward to planting pineapples on our Northland block. It is good to hear nice pineapples can be grown in north NZ.
Are you pineapples the red or yellow ones? And can you please tell me where you sourced the plants from? I'm in the process of organising the orchard "Wish List" and where to find the plants when needed. Thanks.

In my kitchen in New Caledonia, I have a dozen pineapple tops sitting in cut down waterbottles filled with water. It is surprising how easy it is to get them to root; just by sitting the pineapple top's base in water. So far there have been no failures: 18/18 have rooted and 6 have been given away.
The remaining plants are waiting for me to transplant them out in the garden, but I have to borrow a spade and make the garden bed first! It will be good practice for when we return to NZ!! Love Pineapples!

You'll have to go and visit Russell Franshams tropical garden and plant shop at Matapouri. when you get settled..........he has everything tropical..... http://www.subtropical.co.nz/ lovely garden to just wander around but I always come away with something exotic.....my American neighbour said "I bet you dont have a Key Lime......he did.....and I have it now......[]

Thanks for that link Witheze.
I'm pleasantly surprised at what CAN be grown in Northland! We shall enter visiting the Tropical garden on the "things to do" list. It sounds a great place to spend some time!!

Great about the Key Lime... that is cute!
Key Lime tart... sounds good!
Hmmm... I wonder if he has Kensington Pride Mangoes as well??

Someone up your way is growing the giant guava, like the sort that come in cans from South Africa. They are yummy and I'd like to get one of them.
Anyway, welcome Barnes.

Stikkibeek;401953 wrote: Someone up your way is growing the giant guava, like the sort that come in cans from South Africa. They are yummy and I'd like to get one of them.
Anyway, welcome Barnes.

Yes ... you'll usually find them labeled as "Tropical Guava" ... we have one down in the subtropical orchard.

Too young to fruit yet, but it is growing nicely.

Mum has several very large trees of the South American Guava - think it is the same as you describe. It fruits heavily, and they can be eaten fresh or bottled, but beware the hard seeds when bottling. It has an amazing soft fruity tropical scent when it is fruiting.
Cool about your coffee trees. Friends of ours have them inside and they have fruited.

thevarneys;402016 wrote: Mum has several very large trees of the South American Guava . It fruits heavily, and they can be eaten fresh or bottled, but beware the hard seeds when bottling.

I'm sure it doesn't do the bottle any harm, but could be hard on that million dollar cap , or bridge in your teeth, or even that false plate you paid an arm and a leg for!
They are delicious and indeed do go pink when cooked.

Pineapple are quite easy to grow. You just cut off that leafy bit on the top of the store bought pineapple (as you normally would) and then plant that in a warm, sunny place. It's a member of the bromeliad family

Welcome Stacey! I'd love to live somewhere warm enough to grow my own mangoes and coffee (and pawpaw for the OH - if he asked nicely - revolting things) but then I'd miss homegrown apples and plums.... clearly I need a summer place and a winter place!