Skip to main content

Pip fruit trees

Pip fruit trees can be grown just about anywhere in New Zealand and are available on a variety of rootstocks to adapt to different soil types.

Pip fruit trees generally like warm and sunny sites, with well drained soil and space for root growth.

When mature, they'll grow to be around 4 to 5 meters high and wide.

The best time to prune pip fruit trees is during winter, when the tree is dormant.

Bunch of red apples on a tree.

Apple trees

  • Tolerance to frost
    Apple trees are hardy, and can tolerate frosts.
  • Pollination
    It is important to pay close attention to the pollination requirements of apple trees – these are outlined in the table below.

Note:
It's possible to buy dual grafted trees which self pollinate – ask about this at your local nursery.
Crab-apple trees also work as a pollinator for most varieties of apple trees.

Apple varieties

Buddy number
& Variety		 Description Pollination notes Month fruit is ripe
(1) Akane Crisp with a long picking season Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 9, 15, 23, 25 or 26 February
(2) Baujade French Granny Smith Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 4, 9, 11, 12, 15 or 23 April
(3) Belle de Boskoop Stores well, crisp and firm T Triploid, needs three apple buddies: 1, 9, 15, 21, 23, 25 or 26 April
(4) Blenheim Orange Crisp sweet, juicy, good cooking T Triploid, needs three apple buddies: 1, 2, 5, 9, 11, 12, 15, 23, 25 or 26
 
 March
(5) Cox Orange Pippin Early season, crisp, juicy, sweet apple Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 2, 4, 9, 11, 15 or 23 March
(6) Dayton Good for organic growing, crisp, juicy, good crops Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 2, 9, 12, 15 or 23 March
(7) Discovery Crisp, juicy, pink with a sharp taste, and stores well Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 8, 9, 15, 18, 22, 23, 25 or 26 February
(8) Egremont Russet Dry, sweet, pear-like; good for making cider and eating with cheese Self-fertile, benefits from apple buddy 9, 15, 23 or 25 March
(9) Freyberg Small, green, juicy, sweet Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 23 or 25 March
(10) Gravenstein Stripey Early season, multi use apple T Triploid February
(11) Hetlina Early season, firm, crisp Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 15 or 23 March
(12) Initial Popular home apple T Triploid, needs three apple buddies: 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12 or 23 March
(13) Jonagold A good all-round apple for eating, juicing, cooking and cider T Triploid, needs three apple buddies: 15, 25 or 26 April
(14) Kentish Fillbasket Large dessert/cooking apple T Triploid, needs three apple buddies:  April
(15) Kidd’s Orange Red Delicate, crisp apple Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 17, 23 or 25 April
(16) Lawfam Crisp, heritage apple Self-sterile, needs apple buddy  March
(17) Laxton’s Fortune Tart, heritage apple Self-fertile, benefits from apple buddy 2, 5, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 15 or 23 March
(18) Liberty Popular choice, good crops, reliable and flavoursome T Triploid, needs three apple buddies: 7, 8, 9, 15, 25 or 26 March
(19) Lobo Good for cooking and juicing, has good crops and stores well Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 1, 8, 9, 15, 23, 25 or 26 March
(20) Merton Russet Firm, crisp, sweet, stores well Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 5, 8, 15, 23, 25 or 26 April
(21) Mother Juicy, flavoursome, reliable crops Self-fertile, benefits from apple buddy 1, 9, 15, 23, 25 or 26 March
(22) Prima Heavy crops Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 2, 6, 7, 9, 12 or 18 March
(23) Priscilla Good for organic growing, eating and making cider Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 1, 8, 9, 15, 25 or 26 March
(24) Reinette de Canada Good crops, great for eating fresh, baking, and stores well T Triploid, needs three apple buddies:1, 9, 15, 23, 25 or 26 April
(25) Sturmer Pippin Tart, late season, stores well Self-fertile, benefits from apple buddy 1, 8, 9, 15, 23 or 26 April
(26) Tydeman’s Late Orange Late season, firm, tangy and sweet, stores well Self-sterile, needs apple buddy 1, 23 or 25 April

Nashi trees

Parts of Wellington may be too cold to grow reliable crops, but if you have a warm sheltered spot then nashi are easy to grow.

  • Tolerance to frost
    Nashi trees are tender to frosts, and prefer warmer conditions.
  • Pollination
    Nashi trees are self-fertile, but they will benefit from having a 'buddy' nashi planted nearby.

Note:
The William Bon Chretien pear tree can also help pollenate nashi.

Nashi varieties

Buddy number
& Variety		 Description Pollination notes Month fruit is ripe
(1) Chojuro Productive crops, fruit stores well, but bruises easily Self-fertile, benefits from any nashi buddy March
(2) Hosui Fruit keeps well and has great flavour Self-fertile, benefits from nashi buddy 1 February
(3) Kosui Great flavour Self-fertile, benefits from nashi buddy 2, 1 or 4 February
(4) Nijiseiki Juicy and sweet Self-fertile, benefits from nashi buddy 2 March
(5) Shinko Reliable, heavy crops with great flavour Self-fertile, benefits from any nashi buddy March

Pear trees

Pear trees are the most reliable pip fruit. They grow well on many soils and in a wide range of climates.

  • Tolerance to frost
    Pear trees are tender to frosts in spring.
  • Pollination
    It is important to pay close attention to the pollination requirements of pear trees – these are outlined in the table below.
    It's possible to buy dual grafted trees which self pollinate – ask about this at your local nursery.

Pear varieties

Buddy number
& Variety		 Description Pollination notes Month fruit is ripe
(1) Beurre Bosc Medium sized, juicy and sweet, stores well Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 1, 6 or 7 March
(2) Beurre Hardy A hardy variety with heavy crops Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 1, 6 or 11 March
(3) Buttira Precoce Morretini Early crop with juicy, delicious fruit Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 4 February
(4) Buttira Rosata Morretini Early crop with juicy, delicious fruit Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 3 February
(5) Conference Reliable crops with juicy, sweet fruit Self-fertile, benefits from pear buddy 1, 6 or 11 March
(6) Doyenne de Comice Very juicy and sweet Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 1, 11, 12 or 13 March
(7) Red Beurre d'Anjou Juicy fruit with red skin Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 1, 6 or 10 April
(8) Triomphe de Vienne Large sized, with juicy, sweet fruit Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 10 March
(9) Vicar of Vinkfield Heavy crops of large fruit Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 6 or 10 April
(10) Williams Bon Chretien Good, reliable and early crops Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 1, 6 or 7 February
(11) Winter Cole A great pollinator for other pears Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 1, 10 or 12 April
(12) Winter Nelis Late season, stores well Self-sterile, needs pear buddy 5, 10 or 11 April

Quince trees

  • Tolerance to frost
    Quince trees are tender to frosts in spring.
  • Space between trees
    Plant quince trees with 4 to 5m between them.
  • Pollination
    Quince trees are self-fertile and don't need pollination, but they will benefit from having a 'buddy' quince of any variety planted nearby.

Quince varieties

Variety name Description Month fruit is ripe
Giant of Gascogny Very large, fragrant fruit April
Scott’s Old Fashion Large, golden and smooth, good for preserving March
Smyrna High quality mild fruit, stores well April
Taihape A disease resistant New Zealand variety March
Van Diemen Hardy and good for preserving March
Vranja Very large, fragrant fruit with large leaves April