Moving adult macadamia trees for the better gain
For impatient macadamia farmers, who do not want to wait at least nine years before breaking even on the cost of planting new trees, there is now a quicker way to get that return.
At the same time, Lomar Breet can help farmers replace those trees sacrificed (called “inboet”) when they all grow bigger and some rows have to be cut down to make space for the foliage of other trees. This step is necessary to get enough sunlight on foliage for an optimum nut harvest from each tree.
Two years ago Breet, who also owns a construction company, acquired two tree spades from the US and fitted them onto construction vehicles.
This adapted machinery enables him to uproot grown trees and replant them elsewhere.
He designed bins in which to keep the uprooted trees while transporting them to another location, and hired a truck on which he erected a structure that can hold 18 of these bins.
The art of successful replanting depends on the time elapsing from the trees being uprooted until being planted again, ideally less than 12 hours. This often means that trees are uprooted in the early hours of the day.
Laeveld Agrochem designed the protocol to be followed when preparing the soil at a new location and, with proper aftercare, a 96-100 per cent success rate can be achieved.
When trees from the same orchard are removed and planted elsewhere in the place of trees that died, the success rate is almost guaranteed at 100 per cent.
Before uprooting a fruit tree, it is pruned to the extent that it can be transported. A tree must be old enough and its trunk strong enough for it to be picked up.
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Trees are planted with a similar machine fitted with a tree spade. Everything should fit perfectly, to avoid any air being caught between the soil left on the tree and the hole in which it is planted. Trapped air will cause the finer roots to dry out.
Once planted, the new spot is filled with water, which replaces any air that might have been present and helps the soil to settle.
The trunk of the tree is painted with a layer of ordinary PVA paint to protect it from harsh sunlight. The trunk is vulnerable now, because it was previously protected by its and other trees’ foliage.
By replanting adult trees this way, trees that would previously have been removed now get a second life elsewhere.
Depending on the needs of the farmer, Breet either replaces dead trees, establishes a new orchard for them, or utilises it for himself.
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Unfortunately, the process is quite labour intensive and expensive. Four workers do the pruning, six uproot the trees and eight do the replanting.
The benefits, however, kick in when the return on these trees breaks even with the cost after only four years.
According to Breed, such costs mainly depend on how many trees and how far they have to be moved. If at the same location, his machinery and operators can be rented per day.
Enquiries: Lomar Breet on 078-456-6496.
