Flowering is not far away. From late July through to early September, orchards across the Northern Rivers and wider Northern NSW region will move through flower development and full bloom. What happens in an orchard over the next few months, and how well growers prepare for it, has a direct impact on the outlook for Grower’s 2027 crop. For both hands-on growers and absentee owners relying on a farm manager, now is the time to get the essentials of macadamia orchard management locked in.
Book Your Pest Scout Early
Pest scouting should be booked in now, before the rush hits as flowering develops. Waiting until problems are visible in the canopy often means losing the window to act early. Growers working with a macadamia consultant should confirm scouting dates as part of their broader pest and disease management program for the season.
Calibrate the Blaster
Before the spray season the orchard spray machinery needs to be calibrated. Incorrect calibration can be costly both agronomically, through poor coverage or wasted product, and financially, through the price of chemicals applied incorrectly and potentially a yield and quality impact. A properly calibrated blaster is simple to achieve and should be an annual check within any sound macadamia farm management routine.
Soil and Leaf Testing, and the Fertiliser Program
Soil and leaf testing should be arranged with your agronomist ahead of building the fertiliser program for the new season. Testing results form the basis of a program that matches nutrition to what the orchard actually needs, rather than working from assumptions – or what the neighbour might be doing. With fertiliser costs being a very significant cost (especially more recently), this is also the time to discuss the range of fertiliser and chemical options available and how they compare on cost and suitability for the orchard. Sound macadamia agronomy at this stage sets up the nutrition program for the year ahead.
Lock in Contractors
Certain orchard operations will require the services of Contractors – for instance spraying, pruning, manure spreading and others. Farm managers and owners should be organising these operations now rather than waiting until the season is underway, when contractor calendars fill quickly. This is also a useful time to think about any orchard development work planned for the year, so it can be scheduled around the core growing season workload.
Audit Rat Bait Stations
An audit of rat bait stations is worth doing before the season. Check for stations that need repair and replace any that are beyond fixing. This is a straightforward task, but one that is easy to push to the side. Rats are one of the most underrated pests within the macadamia orchard.
Getting the Season Started Right
None of these tasks are complicated on their own, but together they set the tone for how the orchard will perform in the following harvest. Whether managing the property directly or overseeing it from a distance, getting pest scouting, calibration, soil and leaf testing, fertiliser planning, contractor bookings and rat baiting sorted early gives the season the best possible start. For absentee orchard management in particular, having these items organised ahead of time reduces the number of decisions that need to be made under pressure once the season is underway.
Allen Agri Consulting provides macadamia orchard management, agronomy and macadamia property assessment services to growers across Lismore, Ballina, Yamba and the wider Northern Rivers and Northern NSW region. Get in touch to arrange your pre-season pest scouting, soil and leaf testing, or fertiliser program review.