Nikau planting

14-year-old palms in 45Lt pots 

Nikau are very slow growers. It takes a good 15 years for them to form the beginnings of a trunk, so a two-metre specimen may be more than 30 years old. Our native nikau are prolific berry producers that are favoured by kereru / wood pigeon. Not only do kereru gorge themselves on the berries but they are very effective at seed dispersal, so once nikau are established and fruiting the cycle of distribution begins and they become self-sustaining.

Because of the long establishment time, we purchased twenty 14-year-old palms in 45Lt pots for this season’s planting. These have been planted in groves of five, in four different locations around the gully to supplement smaller nikau that have been planted over the years.