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OUR GROVE |
 During
the winters of 2007 and 2008, we planted 3000 hazelnut trees for nut
production.We have used the same varieties that we sell to growers, and will batch our nuts with those that we buy back from our commercial growers. We have retained grass cover under the trees as we find this has a cooling effect in Mudgee’s hot summer climate and we are not limited by supply of irrigation water. Grass cover also reduces risk of erosion. Our mechanical hazelnut harvester works well in a grass sward. We are experimenting with several row widths and spacings between trees. Half the grove is irrigated by micro jet spray and the other half by a sub soil delivery system. Both have strengths and weaknesses in terms of grove management. While most of our trees are single trunk, we have several that have several trunks – similar to the traditional shape uses in European hazelnut production. Our windbreaks are three row – short clumpy bushes on the wind side, then medium shrubs and a row of casurinas or river she-oaks. These are irrigated and have mostly established well. |
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