Dwarf Macadamia tree questions

Jon starts with ...
I'm considering planting a dwarf macadamia tree in eastern Melbourne but I want to know a few things before I start.

Firstly, How big do they get? I have room for about 2-2.5 metres high and 4 metre spread.

Secondly, of what quality are the nuts?

And thirdly, will they grow in Melbourne?

Has anybody else planted one of these trees?

Thank-you,

Jon

Jon says...
So about half a metre? How old is it? Did you get it off Daleys?

Thanks for the reply.

Jon

Jon says...
Thanks for the advice.

Jon says...
As you said they seem difficult to get established. A picture would be nice too, but only if you can :)

Does anyone have a full-sized tree and any tips etc?

Jon

Steve says...
As you can see my tree is really struggling, the leaves are very brown but still have some green. There are very small shoots that you cannot see growing very slowly at the tip of a couple of small branches. I do not know if it will survive but it seems to be responding very slowly to thrive once a week. My tree is not a dwarf and according to my book can grow to 10m high and 8m wide. According to book they also likes blood and bone and potash - probably explains it responding to nitrigen high Thrive.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Wayne says...
"Blood n bone contains phosphorous, this kills macadamias. "

That is very interesting to know Jimmy. I think we should keep in mind that Macadamias were once called Queensland nut and that they are native to Australia hence they should be used to growing in harsh conditions. I have always had success with them by neglecting them and water only when they looked stressed. Then again, I live in QLD, but a very wet part of it at the moment.

Steve says...
That's very interesting. I probably did add some blood and bone when I planted as my gardening book suggests the plant "likes" it! Obviously incorrect and it now is quite dead (another $35 tree gone!) So TLC kills them, thanks for the feedback, I'll try again in another spot with no fertilizer. What about a bit of compost?

Steve says...
That is a great looking tree Paul, you live in SE Queensland with a different climate. I wounder if the climate in Bendigo Vic may not be helping... Very dry hot summers and cold frosty winters? Has anyone had any success with macadamia's in Vic, or am I just wasting my time and money... Has anyone any thoughts on growing from seed/nut?

Wayne says...
"What about a bit of compost? "

I would say most definitely Steve, I notice the difference to my tree when I put fresh clippings around it

Dave says...
Have 6 macadamias growing, seedlings - Daleys. Native, h2, h16, a268,a4.
Native extremely slow growing.
Hawaiian have gone crazy easily 50-60cm over autumn. (from 45cm->1m in autumn)

A268 died off the same as Steve's above but recovered - grew about 20cm.
Lost entire top half of seedling. Sprouted again from everywhere else.
It was only directly exposed plant.

Planted around a large wattle south/easternish side for protection wind, afternoon summer sun.

Have planted corn and other 1m-2m quick growing to offer protection for exposed plants from late afternoon summer sun.

Plants have been staked and surrounded with shade cloth entire height of plant.

Have restaked three times,Initial staked & covered with white feed bags - western side during hottest part of summer. mid summer, late autumn, required again just before start of spring. shade cloth and hardwood stakes

Only tips of plants sticking out of top of shade cloth have died off due to frost. But they have been shooting throughout winter.

Romsey this year has had -5'c nights and a couple of very heavy frosts this past week 21-26 july 2010.

I've selectively fertised with secondary nutrients eg boron magnesium etc. On plants

Couple of times 8-10 handfuls of ordinary el cheapo fertiliser around the area.

Once or twice with seasol (and) soil wetter before late summer on the plants.

Summer/autumn seasol once a week/fortnight.

Keep all the grass away. During summer poured on the water 10-20L every couple of days. winter initially till it started raining then have not water for about 2 months.

They were attacked moth/caterpillar/larvea in autumn, sprayed with detergent tblspoon, vegetable oil 1/3, milk 1/3 and water 1/3 mixture and couple handfuls of talc powder. helped.

Have also sprayed around them a few times with round up, browned off leaves and some lower branches and they have come back.

Each has base about 1m diameter covered in 20cm hay. Kept moist throughout summer and completely soggy in winter.

Have moved the hay away from trunk.

Dave says...
They seem to go from having small very dark green shoots, stay dark till the leaves get about 6-10cm long, then go to light green, then as the next shoots come out a flush of deep green comes over the plant and the previous generation of leaves go light green and new are dark green.

Fertilise lightly and water heavy.
basically I fertilise pellets, then about 6 weeks watering and pellet again.

Stopping fertiliser early winter.
Lots fertiliser throughout spring & autumn. Summer mostly water. winter mostly water.

Thought I was going to loose them during depth of winter as they all shed leaves 4/5 or more of plant. Pretty sure it was due to the temps and frost.

Dave says...
Do you have bees/other compatible maca plants around?

From here.
http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2011/06/toms-answers-week-commencing-17-june.html?site=capricornia&program=capricornia_gardening_talkback_with_tom_wyatt

REPLY: Macadamia if a seedling will take 7 to 10 years to flower. Murcotted or grafted should bear within three years. If grafted spray with Copper oxychloride and Mancozeb 30 grams of each to 4.5 litres of water apply monthly until flowering commences. To induce flowering wood apply Sulphate of Potash and Zinc under the canopy spread one clenched handful per sq metre every two months.

rod26 says...
i work on macadamia farms heat and frost will kill a young tree

Jason says...
Microseris, I'm growing hybrids here in Portland. They took about 11 years to start flowering and in the 3 years since then have been increasing in production each year. This year I had about 100 nuts from the two oldest trees and next year looks to be much better again (probably looking at 300 or so nuts from those two trees) plus I have another 2 trees coming into production now. The pure integrifolia trees and those more biased that way seem to be more rounded in shape for me?. Is that true all the time?. tetraphylla biased trees seem much more upright? in saying that all mine that are hybrids have yellow/white flowers. I do have a pure tetraphylla but it's only small and hasn't seemed to have the vigour of the hybrids down here. I haven't had any problem with them regarding heat, even at 47c or frost at -2c. Pretty good trees :).

I planted one cutting grown commercial tree at the same time as the hybrid seedlings. The commercial tree is about 2.5x2.5 meters in size now after 14 years and only flowered for the first time this year. The seedlings are more like 5 x 6 meters or 6 x 3 meters depending on shape and flowered 3 years ago for the first time. Seedlings are the go imho. My seedlings taste as good as nuts from commercial varieties, not all of them are giant nuts though. Some are.. Some not

Manfred says...
It looks OK to me. We need more information about its circumstance.

Macadamias are a rainforest plant but grow in a lot of different situations. In dry frosty areas they can take 100 years to fruit (street trees in Wagga, west of Sydney).

They like a lot of water, but can survive without much. Don't fertilise it anymore. They can tolerate some phosphorous when they are very small, but yours is big enough now not to need it anymore and too much can poison it.

Mulch, mulch, mulch!