About Ohaeawai Nursery
- Tapora is located on the Okahukura Peninsula, on the edge of the Kaipara Harbour.
- Our new nursery is isolated and off the beaten track. The exact location will be kept secret for security and PSA control purposes. No visitors will be allowed.
- Approx. 35 to 40 kms away from the nearest kiwifruit orchard.
- Surrounded by the Kaipara Harbour and our own pastoral land ensuring we are able to control the environment around our nursery, thus maintaining the highest biosecurity measures possible.
Field Grown Plants
- Have substantial advantages over potted plants
- Bigger better developed root systems
- Earlier grafting, fruiting and maturity
- Winter dormancy delivery
Geographic isolation from other kiwifruit producers and regions
- Virgin Kiwifruit country
- Stringent hygiene controls
Means you can have confidence in our high health plant status.
Our People
Ashley and Estuko Whittle, a husband and wife team with a background in primary production across a variety of industries, including avocado, cut flowers, dairy/beef and international marketing. Together with Graham we are committed to ensuring we produce the best quality plant material to enable our customers to succeed.
Graham Milne is a member of the International Plant Propagators Society, the International Society for Horticultural Scientists and The Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture. He is also Patron of the Auckland Begonia Circle and RNZIH registered general show judge, Specialist Begonia Judge.
The Water Wheel Transplanter
Our system of growing plants is to raise seedling in the glass-house, harden them off, and then transplant them out into the field where they produce substantially stronger and better plants than pot grown ones (which is how most other nurseries grow theirs).
We start by laying plastic mulch and an irrigation drip tape. We then use the transplanter to punch holes in the plastic at the spacing we set, and then we fill those holes with water and a starter nutrient solution. The guys on the back of the machine work at a fast pace to place the seedlings in the prepared holes.
This system gives us a unique advantage, and I believe it is the only water-wheel transplanter in New Zealand. As a gardener you will know that when you plant seedlings you should fill the hole with water to stop transplant shock, and it get the plants away to a good start. This system also prevents them from drying and dying if they don’t receive rain in time. Most commercial market gardens cannot afford the time to fill the holes with water, as it is slow back-breaking work planting out thousands of seedlings.