There’s a certain sort of conversation that only happens on Great Barrier Island.
You walk into the store for milk or bread, and 45 minutes later you’re getting a masterclass in citrus grafting, fish-frame fertiliser, lemon tree borer, and why kāka will sit on top of bird scarers, undeterred “while it goes bang”.
That was the scene this week at Mulberry Grove Store, where Steve — who spent 16 years working in top-tier horticulture before taking over the shop — shared his hard-earned advice on growing citrus and fruit trees on Aotea.
And according to him, right now is the perfect time to plant.
“It’s a really good time to put your fruit trees in,” he said while rushing between customers, coffees, and deliveries.
“Especially citrus.”
Steve says people often assume fruit trees are tough on Great Barrier because of kāka, wind, salt, wet soils and rough conditions.
But plenty of islanders are successfully growing fruit.
His first rule?
“Shelter. Shelter is the big thing.”
According to Steve, citrus hate wet feet, love sun, and need protection from wind.
“You want free-draining soil. They don’t like their roots getting wet.”
“You want full sun. As much sun as you can get.”
“And you need shelter. A hedge, trees, some sort of windbreak.”
He says planting position matters more than almost anything else.
“A lot of people have one tree doing brilliantly and another one dying in another spot. Usually it’s the spot. Often it’s wet feet.”
When it comes to planting, Steve says not to overcomplicate it.
“Dig a decent-sized hole. Go wider than the root ball so you’re loosening the soil the roots are going into.”
“You don’t need to trim the roots or do anything fancy. Just plant it so all the roots are buried.”
And yes — old-school fish fertiliser absolutely works.
“In the old days we used to catch sooty snapper and bury them in the garden.”
“Fish frames, fish bones, fish heads — fantastic.”
“You can put fish or seaweed below the roots when you plant.”
Steve says young citrus trees don’t need huge amounts of fertiliser straight away.
“Less, more often. That’s the key.”
“Don’t dump heaps on once a year. Small amounts every couple of months.”
He recommends compost, seaweed and nitrogen-rich fertilisers while the trees are young, with added potash once the trees are fruiting.
And don’t pile fertiliser around the trunk.
“Keep it away from the stump.”
“Citrus have feeding roots close to the surface. Don’t dig fertiliser in.”
“Just spread it lightly around where the roots are.”
Steve also recommends keeping weeds and grass away from the base of the tree.
“Always clear weeds away from around the bottom.”
He notes that by selecting different modern or classic varieties, you can ensure you’re always picking something fresh throughout the season.
On spraying, Steve recommends organic copper sprays mixed with a small amount of oil to control pests and leaf curl.
“The oil spreads over the branches and suffocates scale insects.”
“The copper helps stop leaf curl and keeps the leaves healthy.”
But there’s one critical warning.
“Don’t spray copper and oil while they’re flowering.”
Steve says one of the biggest mistakes people make is ignoring shoots growing below the graft line.
Most nursery citrus trees are grafted onto hardy rootstock.
“The rootstock is designed to have really good roots.”
“The fruit you actually want is grafted on top.”
If shoots appear below the graft, cut them off.
“They’ll usually be prickly.”
“They’re stealing food from the main tree.”
Steve also says citrus don’t need heavy pruning, but benefit from light shaping.
“They like being kept in a ball shape.”
“They generate a microclimate inside that shape.”
One of the biggest threats to citrus, according to Steve, is lemon tree borer.
“It gets into cuts and damaged areas in the branches.”
“It tunnels through the wood and kills branches.”
His advice is simple: paint any cuts.
“Any hardwood cuts should be painted.”
“You can use proper pruning paint or even water-based paint.”
“It stops lemon tree borer getting in and helps prevent rot.”
And then there’s the Barrier’s most famous orchard menace: kāka.
Steve was blunt about most scare tactics.
“Bird scarers are a waste of time on kāka.”
He laughs, “they’ll sit on it while it goes bang.”
He says nets are still the most reliable option for many growers.
“You’ve got to seal them around the bottom properly or they’ll just climb underneath.”
But he says citrus are often less heavily targeted than softer fruit like plums and peaches.
“With citrus they’ll often go after the buds and new growth.”
“A lot of people grow citrus here with no problems at all.”
Steve also recommends planting multiple varieties where possible.
“You want trees that crop one after another.”
“That way one finishes and the next one starts.”
And if space is tight?
Miniature fruit trees are becoming increasingly popular, and beyond just citrus.
“You can get avocado trees that only grow four feet tall.”
“Blueberries are fantastic in pots.”
“Two pots can give you a really good supply.”
Steve particularly recommends Washington oranges and Satsuma mandarins for Barrier growers, while grapefruit remain one of the hardiest citrus options available.
“The old grapefruit are probably the hardiest citrus of all.”
Despite the joking, interruptions, and constant stream of customers during the interview, Steve’s enthusiasm for fruit growing is obvious.
And now much of that knowledge is quietly being passed on over the counter at Mulberry Grove Store.
The store currently stocks Erica’s locally grown fruit trees, alongside local compost and gardening supplies suitable for Barrier conditions.
Steve says there’s also talk of running a future citrus-growing seminar on the island for people wanting to learn more.
Until then, his advice is simple.
“Pick the right spot.”
“Don’t let them get wet feet.”
“And feed them lightly, more often.”
