Hi.

So we have two big trees that usually produce many kilos of fruit more than we can eat. We usually end up giving them away by the bag load.

This year, for some reason our trees seem to have not fruited. I am sure there was fruit growing on it before xmas, but we got like 6 and they are all pretty much inedible for some reason. I put a message on neighbourly to try and track down some bags cheaply and didn't get a single bite on it. I am wondering if perhaps crops nationwide are in short supply, or if it's just too early in the season? I am in Auckland.

I am not asking for any, just wondering if there is some sort of issue with Feijoas this year?

I had wonderful crops last year but this year one tree has a few sorry looking specimens and the others nothing. I think when we had some very fierce winds when they were in blossom they were blown off; also it was extremely dry during that time. Another woman down on the flatter parts of the village and more sheltered has heaps though.

I am in Wanaka and that means buying early fruiting bushes. My bush is 2 1/2 years old. Last year I got about 12 or so huge feijoas and this year the bush was bending under a heavy load of smaller fruit. A few days ago we had really strong winds and most of the fruit dropped. I hope that they will soften somewhat. If not, can I still use them? I found just a couple of softer ones that tasted sweetish. The firm ones are really tart at present.

The other woman, down on the flats from me, I did taste her Feijoas and they were very tart without the underlying sweetness. I swapped two store bought ones for two of her own. Not a lot of difference and usually I can detect enormous difference. The Feijoas I have stooped to buying in the supermarket are not up to scratch either. I gave mine a good feed when I was supposed to. My lemons not doing as well this year either and my mandarine which was usually prolific hasn't even got a bud on it.
I have an apricot tree - self seeded - which sulks most years and then suddenly produces billions of apricots for no reason I can detect.

I watched in dismay as the very strong winds blew the blossoms off my 2 feijoa bushes earlier this year and thought to myself "oh well, no feijoas this year." However, my tiny little bush, only about shoulder height and growing it's branches all on one side, has produced magnificently, with mostly largish very tasty fruit until about a week ago the remaining fruit stopped growing and all I've got now is little hard bullets lying on the ground.

The large bush has produced a few decent size fruit but mostly small, 'not worth picking up' fruit. I've taken a knife out with me when harvesting each morning, and cut the small ones in half lengthwise and put them on the lawn for the birds, who are very appreciatiative of them.

The woman down the road from me with a crop of Feijoas, gave me some. I tasted and they were tart without a lot of sweetness. She's always in her garden doing proper things so can't be for lack of TLC on her part - or mine.

Sadly there are two pests/diseases affecting feijoas that have been in the news in the last couple of years - guava moth and a fungal disease that has hit crops in Northland particularly hard this season. There is information about the guava moth on the Auckland City Council website.

That is true, karena. It is sad.

[ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz]

Our trees in Bay of Plenty seem to have escaped, for now.

I made the apple and feijoa crumble from the dessert recipes last night. One of the best crumbles I have ever had.

Our tree is on its 2nd year & nice fruit but it has got a bug so not happy about that. Will have to see what we can do. A few trees down our street on the kerb are beautiful but some on a walkway fairly near that whilst nice are very badly infected with the moth. I heard on the radio not to leave any fruit on the ground as that can cause the bug to get in. If your fruit is tart peel & halve put into dish & spread over a little honey & put a crumble on top it is delicious. It also makes lovely chutney etc.

We've got a mediocre crop this year, and I was very sad to see spots of what I now know is the anthracnose fungus, creeping down from KeriKeri (I'm outside of Warkworth). Only a few fruit so far have it, but dissapointing to see.

Our crop this year is not good either, and is affected by the months.

We have two youngish trees, in different areas and both have performed beautifully on their 2nd year of fruiting. We've had heaps of sweet feijoas off our small tree further up north, and our tree here at home (near Auckland) has had huge sweet fruit and more plentiful than last year. The northland tree has had reasonable rainfall up until it's fruit maturity and I have kept the tree here at home watered and I think plenty of water has been the successful ingredient for both our trees. Our son's tree had bullets and fell off before maturity and he lives here on the farm.

Jenna, the anthracnose fungus hasn't reached our tree near Kaiwaka - I hope it keeps away, we are so enjoying our fruit this year!
Regards,
Dawn.

Moths in Te Atatu