#dalefield

Our predator trapping is working. Sitting ( having a cuppa) watching the cidery trees, we spotted a pair of rifleman foraging through. Never having seen them at the cidery before, we are 5km from the bush line in mixed agricultural pasture, I was sceptical at first but for the short tail and tiny size, and short flitting flight. Once common there are only fragment populations left in the bush due to predation. We must put out nest boxes for them. The entrance holes need to be only 20mm! They are an endemic NZ wren like bird that is insectivorous and loves to lift lichen and moss off trees to get to the insects. It’s Māori name is Tītitipounamu. Titipounamu is a derivative of two words: “tītiti” which means “a mirage or vision of”, and “pounamu”, which is greenstone, referencing their greenish plumage. #orchard #NZ #Aotearoa #conservation #rifleman #ornithology

Dyer’s Pass perry pear in full blossom. This tree is 10 years old now and is growing into a magnificent tree. Looking forward to a good crop of pears 😊. Sadly I had to grafted a new one this year as a previous 4 year old one succumbed to fireblight last year. If not caught early and the whole limb removed the whole tree is easily lost. Pears are very susceptible to this, which is caused by a bacteria. The Erwinia amylovora, a Gram-negative bacterium in the genus Erwinia, order Enterobacterales. It is a short rod with rounded ends and many peritrichous flagellae. Pears are the most susceptible, but apples, loquat, crabapples, quinces, hawthorn, cotoneaster, Pyracantha, raspberry and some other rosaceous plants are also vulnerable. The disease is believed to be indigenous to North America, from where it spread to most of the rest of the world.

A bath of Yarlington Mill apples waiting to be processed. Wonderful aroma in the #cidery at TeePee Cider.

Autumnal colours on one of our majestic perry pear trees. Growing nicely as standards. #orchards #perry #pears

Been a hot day at the orchard and cidery. Working on a new area for apple pressing. #cidery #teepeecider #apples #aotearoa #carterton #dalefield #taratahi #wairarapa

A rainbow pointing to Beau Vista orchard. Heralds a great crop. #cider #perry #orchard

Yarlington Mill apples set and growing. A good number this year. Looking at a single varietal cider #cider #organic #apples #yarlingtonmill

After a hard day planting large hornbeam trees for wind protection a ready made supper. Tannic ciders and perry pair well with fish and chips. #cider #perry #orchard #teepeecider #ciderpairings