Macadamia Tree – Tree Friend
Macadamia
a & b) The macadamia tree begins to bear fruit when it is 6-7years old, grows its first fruit at 4.5 years and lives for approximately 60 years.
c) The macadamia, when a productive tree bears fruit from Late March and continues to come down over the next 6 months, so during Autumn and early Winter. The peak of its nut is typically the months of May and June. This season is specific to the the NSW mid North Coast.
d) Once the tree has begun bearing fruit at 6-7 years, it will reach full maturity by 10 -15 years of age and will continue to produce indefinitely.
e) Macadamia trees are native to south east Queensland and north east NSW, Australia.
f) The average annual rainfall in area of origin is between 400mm to 900mm, the macadamia trees require 60-120 inches of annual rainfall.
g) The latin name of the macadamia is macadamia integrifolia and it is from the proteaceae family.
h) Interesting facts, benefits, products and uses of the macadamia tree:
- Is a large broadleaf evergreen
- Used for shade
- Thrives in humid climates with high rainfall.
- Once ripe and ready for harvest nuts fall from the to ground and are easy to harvest.
- Limited number of fruits produced by a tree per season
- Seven species but only two produce edible fruits
- 80% of the nut is fat
- Husks of fruit can be used for mulch
i) The macadamia has a round oval shaped canopy that is symmetrical with a bare trunk. Height at maturity is 8-15m, width of arbour is 8-10m and the average trunk diameter is 300m.
j) The challenges or special requirements when planting and growing the macadamia include:
- Susceptible to trunk cancer in poorly drained soils, minimum .5m-1m preferred depth for planting.
- Needs wind breaks when planting young trees.
- Likes sandy loam soils with an ideal PH 5-6.5
- Likes full sun.
- Grow with coffee in between for good companion planting.
