How many years does it take for macadamia nuts to bear fruit?

Macadamia nut, also known as macadamia nut , Queensland chestnut, Australian walnut, and Queensland nut, is a nut native to Australia. It is cultivated in Yunnan, Guangzhou and other regions of China. It enjoys the reputation of "King of Nuts" among many dried fruits. Many farmers want to plant this fruit tree, but how many years does it take for macadamia nuts to bear fruit? Let’s take a look below.

1. How many years does it take for macadamia nuts to bear fruit?

Macadamia nuts can produce their first flowers and fruits 3 years after planting , and produce profits in 4 years. The African nut grows best in fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. It has a shallow root system and is not suitable for growing in areas with strong winds. Macadamia trees will enter their peak production period when they reach 12 years old, and each tree is expected to produce about 100 kilograms of fruit.

2. Key points of macadamia nut planting technology

‌1. Seedling cultivation technology

There are two main ways to grow macadamia seedlings: grafting and cuttings. When grafting, the smooth shell species is usually chosen as the rootstock . The grafting time is from November to March of the following year, and the survival rate is higher. When taking cuttings, choose healthy branches. After taking cuttings, provide shade and keep them moist. Move them into nutrient bags after the root system becomes strong.

2. Garden construction technology

Choose a sheltered, sunny, well-drained plot for planting, and the planting density is generally about 300 plants per hectare. When transplanting, you need to dig large holes, apply enough basal fertilizer, pay attention to protecting the root system, water the roots sufficiently, and cover with grass.

‌3. Soil management‌

Fertilize based on mineral nutrition diagnosis, and the amount of fertilizer applied throughout the year needs to be adjusted according to the growth of the tree. Weed 2-3 times a year to keep the canopy free of weeds and ensure water supply .

‌4. Shaping and pruning‌

Prune inner branches to keep the tree shape ventilated and light-permeable. The pruning method is "remove the strong and keep the weak, remove the big and keep the small, remove the straight and keep the slanted", control the tree height to about 5 meters, cut off the crossing branches, overlapping branches, etc., and retain the medium and short branches.

‌5. Fertilization management

Apply post-harvest fertilizer in time after harvesting the fruits and dig fertilizer trenches along the tree crown. The amount of fertilizer applied throughout the year needs to be adjusted according to the growth of the tree, and attention should be paid to adjusting the soil pH value.

‌6. Pollination and fruit preservation

Pollination can be promoted by raising bees, placing dead fish and rotten meat, and artificial pollination can be carried out when necessary. To preserve the fruit, you need to spray the leaves when the fruit grows to the size of mung beans, and pay attention to adjusting the spraying time and intensity.

That’s it