LANDBOU
plant all varieties , from lemons , and Valencia oranges to mandarin-type fruit . We try to keep our staff busy for as many months as possible and by picking you obviously create much needed cash flow .”
If Adrian needs a certain number of pickers , he wants to stick to that number throughout the season and he is loath to increase the number merely because a certain cultivar that was planted needs more hands to assist .
Certain soft citrus varieties – also known as easy-peelers – are rich in vitamins and just one orange will supply your daily need of vitamin C . These are picked in March , followed by lemons in April which are picked throughout the season . Navel oranges , divided into
early , mid- and late-season fruit , take Adrian through to the end of July . Certain mandarin varieties are planted to keep the labour force fully occupied and busy during certain window periods in July . This is followed by Valencia oranges which are picked up to mid-September and sometimes into the month of October .
“ Once the harvest is off , the trees start flowering and then we need to chemically protect the flowers to have a harvest next year . I have just had a meeting regarding what and how we are going to spray because we are limited in what we may use to avoid residue on our fruit . The market is very strict about this . Spraying and fertilising take us well into February . Irrigation is
The taller trees ( on the right ) are the same generation as the others , however , Adrian had previously planted lucerne where they are growing today which regenerated the soil .
7 MARKtoe ! Oktober 2023