Property care guide

Prune for airflow while dormant; remove dead, crossing, and inward-growing wood.

Winter pruning keeps apple trees open before spring growth starts.

• Clean secateurs between trees.
• Keep cuts simple rather than heavy if the tree has not been pruned for years.

Set up codling moth and fruit-damage monitoring before summer fruit swell.

Apple pest management works best when monitoring starts early, before larvae are inside fruit.

• Use pheromone traps or visual checks to understand pressure before acting.
• Remove fallen or damaged fruit promptly to break pest cycles.
• Bagging fruit, trunk bands, and netting can reduce damage without routine spraying.

Check fruit colour, bird damage, and windfalls; pick ripe apples before they drop heavily.

Harvest checks reduce waste and help you use or share fruit while quality is still good.

• Collect windfalls promptly for compost, animal feed, or quick processing where safe.
• Net or bag fruit only where birds are taking more than the household can share.
• Store sound fruit separately from bruised fruit.

Prune lightly for shape and airflow before buds move.

Pears respond better to steady, modest pruning than hard cuts.

• Remove diseased wood first.
• Avoid pruning in wet weather if disease pressure is high.

Monitor for codling moth, pear slug, and early fruit damage.

Pear pest pressure is easier to manage with early monitoring, hygiene, and healthy tree growth.

• Check leaf surfaces and fruitlets during regular garden walks.
• Remove fallen fruit and badly damaged leaves where practical.
• Use sprays only with staff-reviewed timing and label care; avoid blanket treatment.

Check pears for harvest readiness and pick before fruit drops or bruises.

Pears often finish ripening off the tree, so weekly checks prevent sudden losses.

• Lift and twist-test a few fruit rather than waiting for everything to soften on the tree.
• Use bruised fruit first.
• Remove fallen fruit to reduce pest cycles.

Feed citrus as spring growth begins; mulch after feeding and keep mulch off the trunk.

Citrus is a hungry evergreen and usually responds to spring feeding more than winter feeding.

Feed note: Spring citrus feed should be balanced, with nitrogen for new leaf growth and potassium for flowering/fruiting; avoid heavy winter nitrogen while soil is cold and wet.

• Use compost, citrus food, or well-rotted manure.
• Yellow leaves can be drainage, cold, or nutrient related; check before overfeeding.

Check citrus leaves and stems for scale, aphids, ants, and sooty mould.

Citrus pest problems often build with ants and sap-sucking insects, then show as sticky leaves or black mould.

• Improve airflow and remove heavily infested small shoots where practical.
• Manage ants because they can protect scale and aphids for honeydew.
• Horticultural oil or soap needs staff-reviewed timing and label care; avoid heat, drought stress, and open flowers.

Pick ripe citrus regularly and remove damaged fruit from under the tree.

Regular picking keeps fruit useful and makes pest or disease problems easier to see.

• Leave green fruit to size up; pick ripe fruit before it becomes over-mature.
• Share surplus early while fruit is still good.
• Compost or dispose of badly damaged fruit rather than leaving it as pest habitat.

Plan spring citrus feeding and check for scale or sooty mould.

Citrus care is easier before pest pressure and dry weather build.

Feed note: Plan a balanced citrus feed before spring growth, with nitrogen for leaf flush and potassium for flowering/fruiting; watch drainage and pest pressure before adding more nitrogen.

• Encourage airflow.
• Use oil sprays only with staff-reviewed timing and label care.

Check citrus leaves and stems for scale, aphids, ants, and sooty mould.

Citrus pest problems often build with ants and sap-sucking insects, then show as sticky leaves or black mould.

• Improve airflow and remove heavily infested small shoots where practical.
• Manage ants because they can protect scale and aphids for honeydew.
• Horticultural oil or soap needs staff-reviewed timing and label care; avoid heat, drought stress, and open flowers.

Pick ripe citrus regularly and remove damaged fruit from under the tree.

Regular picking keeps fruit useful and makes pest or disease problems easier to see.

• Share surplus early while fruit is still good.
• Check for scale, ants, and sooty mould while picking.
• Compost or dispose of badly damaged fruit rather than leaving it as pest habitat.

Prune lightly after harvest or before spring growth; open crowded centres and keep picking height manageable.

Feijoas fruit on newer growth and usually need light shaping rather than hard pruning.

• Keep some shelter; avoid opening the tree too hard in windy sites.
• Mulch before dry spring weather.

Collect fallen feijoas often and sort fruit for eating, sharing, or processing.

Feijoas ripen quickly once they fall, so regular collection reduces waste and bruising.

• Collect from clean mulch or a sheet where possible.
• Use bruised fruit quickly.
• Remove spoiled fruit from under trees to reduce pests.

Prune only in dry weather as growth starts; remove dead wood and improve airflow.

Stonefruit is more disease-prone than apples and pears, so timing and dry cuts matter.

• Avoid winter pruning in wet weather.
• Clean tools and remove diseased prunings from the garden.

Watch for leaf curl risk and remove diseased stonefruit material from the garden.

Stonefruit disease prevention relies on hygiene, airflow, dry pruning, and timing before spring growth is fully open.

• Collect fallen infected leaves and remove diseased prunings from the garden.
• Avoid pruning stonefruit in wet winter weather; wait for dry conditions as growth starts.
• Copper or other dormant treatments need staff-reviewed timing and label care before bud movement.

Feed and mulch as weather warms; remove dead leaves and keep only strong pups.

Bananas are heavy feeders and respond to warmth, moisture, and steady mulch.

Feed note: As warmth returns, prioritise compost/manure plus potassium-rich organic inputs; bananas use a lot of nitrogen for leaf growth but need potassium for strong bunch development.

• Use compost, manure, seaweed, or potassium-rich organic inputs.
• Keep frost-damaged leaves until cold risk has passed if they protect the stem.

Check bunch fill, props, and ripening; harvest before birds or wind damage the bunch.

Banana bunches need regular checks once filled so fruit can be cut and ripened safely.

• Support heavy stems if wind is likely.
• Remove spent stems after harvest and select replacement pups.
• Compost chopped stems as mulch if disease is not present.

Prune canes or spurs while dormant and tie leaders before spring growth.

Grapes need winter pruning to control fruiting wood and avoid a tangled canopy.

• Remove prunings from the trellis.
• Plan airflow now to reduce mildew pressure later.

Feed, mulch, and check vine ties before spring growth runs.

Passionfruit grows hard once warm and needs support, moisture, and steady feeding.

Feed note: Use compost and a balanced fruiting-vine feed as spring starts; too much nitrogen can push leaves at the expense of flowers.

• Mulch roots but keep the stem clear.
• Watch for yellowing that may signal cold, wet feet, or nutrient stress.

Collect ripe passionfruit from the vine or ground and clear spoiled fruit.

Frequent harvest keeps fruit quality high and reduces pest build-up under vines.

• Pick or collect ripe fruit every few days in peak season.
• Keep mulch under vines but remove spoiled fruit.
• Water consistently during dry spells if fruit is shrivelling before ripening.

Mulch with acidic organic matter and remove weak or dead wood.

Blueberries need acidic, moist, free-draining soil and gentle renewal pruning.

• Use pine needles, leaf mould, or acid-loving mulch where available.
• Avoid lime near blueberries.

Pick ripe blueberries regularly and protect fruit from birds if needed.

Blueberries ripen in waves and are easiest to manage with frequent light picking.

• Use bird netting carefully so birds cannot become trapped.
• Pick only ripe berries; leave pale berries to sweeten.
• Keep soil evenly moist during fruiting.

Remove spent canes, tie in healthy canes, and refresh mulch.

Cane berries need old wood removed so new fruiting canes have light and airflow.

• Remove diseased canes from the garden.
• Top up mulch after pruning to keep roots cool.

Tidy old leaves, refresh mulch, and prepare runners or new plants before spring.

Winter and late winter tidy-up helps strawberries start clean growth.

• Remove mouldy leaves.
• Use straw or leaf mould to keep fruit off wet soil.

Pick ripe strawberries often and remove mouldy fruit from the patch.

Frequent picking keeps plants productive and reduces mould spreading through the patch.

• Keep fruit off wet soil with straw, leaf mould, or low mulch.
• Remove mouldy fruit immediately.
• Net only if birds are taking the crop, and check nets often.

Feed with compost and mulch before spring growth; divide only crowded clumps.

Rhubarb is a long-lived feeder that benefits from winter compost and a clear crown.

Feed note: Rhubarb responds to compost and nitrogen-rich organic matter before spring leaf growth, but keep the crown clear so it does not rot.

• Keep mulch away from the crown.
• Do not eat leaves; compost only if safe for your system.

Refresh mulch, check drainage, and feed lightly as spring growth starts.

Avocados dislike wet feet and heavy root disturbance, so soil care matters more than digging.

Feed note: Feed lightly only as spring growth starts; protect shallow roots with mulch and avoid strong fertiliser when drainage is poor.

• Keep mulch broad but off the trunk.
• Avoid digging under the canopy where feeder roots sit.

Prune lightly while dormant to remove dead wood and keep fruit within reach.

Figs can become large quickly and are easier to manage with steady shaping.

• Wear gloves if sap irritates skin.
• Mulch after pruning rather than feeding heavily.

Thin crowded growth and lift low branches for airflow and picking access.

Olives like sun and airflow; pruning is usually about structure rather than heavy feeding.

• Avoid overwatering.
• Use light compost only if growth is weak.

Check mulch rings, drainage, and young tree structure before spring growth.

Macadamias need steady soil moisture and space more than frequent heavy pruning.

• Keep mulch away from trunks.
• Do light structural pruning only where needed.

Collect fallen macadamia nuts regularly and dry or sort them promptly.

Regular collection improves nut quality and reduces losses to moisture, pests, or mower damage.

• Collect from clean ground or sheets where possible.
• Dry nuts in a well-ventilated place before storage.
• Remove spoiled nuts from the block.

Trim lightly after cold weather to keep the plant compact.

Woody herbs can get leggy if they are never shaped.

• Do not cut back into old bare wood.
• Take small harvest trims rather than one hard cut.

Contain runners, refresh compost, and divide if the pot or patch is congested.

Mint is useful but invasive; managing roots prevents it taking over beds.

• Grow in a pot or contained area.
• Compost tired stems and replant healthy runners.

Clip lightly for shape and remove dead or crossing shoots.

Bay trees can become large; small annual shaping keeps them useful near the kitchen.

• Avoid hard cuts unless reshaping is planned.
• Use healthy prunings as dried bay leaves.