Earlier in the year Whaea Zarna put a list of fruit trees we wanted for our garden space and for the beginning of a food forest out to staff and school whānau asking for tree sponsorship. We were blown away when they all sold in two days! In term two, whānau who purchased a feijoa or citrus tree were invited to come to school and plant their trees. This term the time was right to plant the deciduous trees and the opportunity was extended to the remaining whānau to be involved.

After karakia, kai manawa and whānau were instructed on where and how to plant their tree. This involved mixing soil dug out of each hole with compost, and ensuring the hole was the right depth for the tree. Once the tree was carefully removed from its pot or bag and placed in the hole, the remaining soil and compost needed to be filled in and firmed down. The trees were then given a generous drink of water to help reduce the transplant shock, a sprinkle of sheep and chicken manure pellets were sprinkled around the soil, and finally the soil was covered by a thick layer of mulch. The mulch is to help retain moisture and to prevent grass and weeds growing. It is important to remember when putting mulch around your trees to pull it back from the trunk a bit as the mulch can cause the tree trunk to rot.

In the following weeks kai manawa have planted flower seedlings and sprinkled mixed flower seeds around the base of each tree. Flowers under fruit trees act as a living mulch, encourage beneficial insects and improve the interconnected biodiversity. Using donated pre-loved wind cloth and stakes we have put up a wind shelter around each tree which will protect it from the strong coastal winds in the early years of growth.

We are grateful to Commercial Signs in Mount Maunganui for kindly designing and donating a sign for each tree.

To date these are the trees we have planted:

2x Mandarin

2x Orange

6x Feijoa

2x Lemon

2x Lime

2x Grapefruit

Cherry

4x Apple

Peach

Fig