Lucaston Park Orchards

USA cherry study tour.

lucaston — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:23:59 +0000

Matthew Griggs from Lucaston Park Orchards, is in the USA this week touring cherry farms and pack houses. I flew into Portland Oregon on Saturday and spent yesterday at a 12000 acre growing area called the DALLS. The farmers in this area are picking sweetheart variety which spells the end of their season. The quality of the fruit is pretty good for end of season, but they have had some hot weather this year causing the fruit to be a little smaller and softer than we would expect from our growing area in Tasmania. The tour will be heading north through Washington state and into Canada. As the week goes on we will be looking at more orchards and pack houses as we go.

Storing apples

admin — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 01:09:11 +0000

People often wonder how apples can be available to enjoy for most of the year, when the apple picking season is from early March till the end of May

While apples are growing and ripening on the tree, the leaves are absorbing carbon dioxide and in combination with water and minerals and the amazing process of photosynthesis utilising sunlight, carbohydrates are produced.

Oxygen is produced as a by product.

Once an apple is picked from the tree it becomes like us. It breathes in oxygen and because it is no longer connected to the tree, it only has its own carbohydrate reserves to draw on to stay alive. As it continues to use its own reserves the apple will become less dense and eventually soft which nobody appreciates.

This process can be slowed down by keeping the apples cold. Most biological processes are temperature dependant so by keeping apples in a coolstore at 1 to 2 degrees we can keep them crisp for two to three months depending on the variety and its intrinsic keeping qualities and firmness to start with.

To store apples and keep them in great eating condition for longer than this we have to keep them under Controlled Atmosphere conditions.

What this means is that as well as keeping the apples cold, the room is made air tight and the oxygen level is reduced from normal air at 21% to around 2.5%. The carbon Dioxide is allowed to increase from normal air at 0.03% to between 1 and 2.5% depending on the variety. These levels have to be carefully monitored so that the oxygen does not become too low or the CO2 too high.Bags of limil are often placed in the storage room. This absorbs CO2 and in the process converts to limestone and water.

These conditions allow the apples to continue to respire and stay alive but at a much slower rate than previously and hence they do not use up their own reserves to anywhere near the same extent and hence remain crunchy and enjoyable till later in the year.

Other fruits such as cherries and raspberries cannot be stored as they do not have starch reserves.

We open the Controlled Atmosphere room and take out enough apples for each month and then seal it up again. We have a nitrogen generator to reduce the oxygen level in the room each time. This is a high pressure compressor which takes normal air and pushes it through a membrane that only allows nitrogen to pass through and into the room. After this we let air in through a tap to replace the oxygen that the apples are using and keep the oxygen level in the room at about 2.5%.

And we do all this with the goal of supplying our customers with a great and healthy eating experience right through the year!

Grow your own Raspberries in Tasmania

admin — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 07:29:15 +0000

Firstly, although raspberries can be grown in most parts of the state, appropriate site selection is essential. Raspberries grow best in a well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral soil in a sunny and frost free area out in your garden, or on your balcony.

By far the most popular raspberries grown in Tasmania are the summer varieties, these can be viewed as a more upright fruiter. With the fruit growing on the cane planted or grown in the previous year. Some great varieties for the Tasmanian climate are Chilliwack and tulumeen. The best way to grow the summer fruiters, is in a row on a stable trellis to support the fruiting cane. This could also be done with a stake pressed firmly into the ground and tied loosely to the cane. If you have limited space, a great way to grow your raspberries is in medium sized pots which make a cool addition to your veranda or balcony.

How to Grow

When purchasing your new canes the most important thing to check is the roots. They should be moist and have plenty of root hairs. The canes should be planted in late autumn to early winter, 10-15cm apart, in soil that has been loosened and mixed with generous amounts of compost, ensuring that the roots are well covered. The cane will begin shooting leaves and small branches in early September and flower six weeks later. (It is essential that the flowers are not frosted at this time). They will generally fruit around end of November through to January, although all timings may vary depending on the variety and site planted. Raspberries will require some watering during the growing season to keep the soil moist but they don’t like to have wet feet so overwatering is never recommended. If you are planting in poor soil or you have a heavy crop, an organic seaweed based fertilizer is always great for general plant health. During the spring and summer, the mother plant may grow up to 8 or more new canes from its root system. These are called suckers and will replace the mother cane which will die once it has finished fruiting. The old fruiting cane should be cut out in autumn and next year’s canes selected. It is recommended that one or two of the biggest canes are kept to fruit for next year while the rest should be cut out and removed. A healthy raspberry plant can last many years if rotated correctly using new suckers each year. If you are not having any luck in an area of your garden try a different place in your garden with some fresh canes. Happy eating!

Disclaimer:

Although every care was taken to ensure that all information is correct Lucaston Park Orchards takes no responsibility for any damages occurring.

Written by Matthew Griggs, Lucaston Park Orchards, Tasmania

Autumn pruning.

admin — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 04:03:57 +0000

With the arrival of the Autumn season, pruning is underway on the orchard. The trees are moving into their dormant period and are being pruned in preparation for the new growth in spring and to optimise the trees and their fruit.

James has worked with the Griggs family for over 10 years, and knows and loves every tree.

We juice our own apples.

admin — Thu, 31 May 2012 03:37:56 +0000

At Lucaston Park Orchards we have facilities on site to juice our own apples, meaning that they come straight off the tree and into our storehouse for juicing.

Matthew, 4th generation Griggs orchardist, is busy working the squeezebox to juice apples.

It’s all hands-on at the orchard. When Matthew isn’t juicing apples, you might find him fixing a tractor, driving posts for a new orchard, or fulfilling orders.

It’s not all Apples!

admin — Wed, 30 May 2012 06:21:42 +0000

It’s not all Apples here at Lucaston Park Orchards. We grow more than 10 different types of fruit. One of the smallest yields and most unusual of fruit that we grow are Quinces. What is a Quince, and what can you do with them?

According to Wikipedia, the Quince is a small deciduous tree growing 5–8 m tall and 4–6 m wide, related to apples and pears, and like them has a pome fruit, which is bright golden yellow when mature, pear-shaped, 7–12 cm long and 6–9 cm broad.

The Quince has a wide range of uses including, desert wine, cider, jam and it even has medicinal uses.