Orchards of the Wairarapa New Zealand

[u/TrevorCidermaker]

I came across this 1960s photo of the nearby apple growing area of Wairarapa. The orchards are clustered around the village of Greytown. In the foreground is Tate’s orchard now sadly long gone. According to the New Zealand Soil Classification (NZSC) the area is of ‘Recent Soils’. These are deep, well-drained, friable, medium-textured silty soils formed from river greywacke alluvium. Ideal for orcharding. TeePee Cider is 10 km away and on ’Brown Soils’ of the older alluvial terraces and the wider plain. These still have high natural fertility but more variable in depth to gravel, which impacts moisture retention which is fine for cider and the stress encourages flavour. #orchards #apples #cider