Growing chestnuts on your whenua

Growing chestnuts on your whenua

Chestnuts are a relatively low-cost tree crop. They need deep, well-drained soil on gentle slopes, plenty of rain and hot summers to ripen, and they start producing after a few years.

This factsheet covers planting and managing the trees, harvest and pest control, then running costs and returns using a Waikato orchard as the example. Food safety, export and freshwater requirements are included.

Our Land and Water National Science Challenge
Open LinkOpen Kete

Compliance

  • Blueberries

    Enterprise
    Compliance
    Horticulture
    Profitability

    Growing blueberries on your whenua.

  • Macadamias

    Enterprise
    Compliance
    Horticulture
    Profitability

    Growing macadamias on your whenua.

  • Citrus

    Enterprise
    Compliance
    Horticulture
    Profitability

    Growing citrus on your whenua.

Compliance

  • Cherries

    Enterprise
    Compliance
    Horticulture
    Profitability

    Growing cherries on your whenua.

  • Apples

    Enterprise
    Compliance
    Horticulture
    Profitability

    Growing apples on your whenua.

  • Potatoes

    Enterprise
    Compliance
    Horticulture
    Profitability

    Growing potatoes on your whenua.

Compliance

  • Wheat

    Enterprise
    Arable crops
    Compliance
    Profitability

    Growing wheat on your whenua.

  • Onions

    Enterprise
    Compliance
    Horticulture
    Profitability

    Growing onions on your whenua.

  • Kiwifruit

    Enterprise
    Compliance
    Horticulture
    Profitability

    Growing kiwifruit on your whenua.

An alternative perspective

  • Chestnuts - Critical climate risks

    Climate
    Adaptation
    Risk
    Sustainability

    See how often frost and heat could threaten chestnuts in your rohe as the climate changes.

  • Owl Farm case study - Heat stress management

    Climate
    Livestock
    Water
    Wellbeing

    Read how Owl Farm cools its herd through hot Waikato summers with shade and sprinklers.

Explore related content

Hops

Enterprise
Compliance
Horticulture
Profitability

Growing hops on your whenua.

Maize

Enterprise
Arable crops
Compliance
Profitability

Growing grain maize on your whenua.

Truffles

Enterprise
Compliance
Horticulture
Profitability

Growing truffles on your whenua.

Wine grapes

Enterprise
Compliance
Horticulture
Profitability
Viticulture

Growing wine grapes on your whenua.

Chestnut tree suitability

Whenua
Horticulture
Productivity
Sustainability

See how well suited the whenua in your rohe is to growing chestnuts.

Mānuka honey

Enterprise
Compliance
Honey
Profitability

Producing mānuka honey on your whenua.

Crop growing requirements

Whenua
Agribusiness
Arable crops
Horticulture
Productivity

Look up the growing needs of a wide range of vegetable, fruit and nut crops.

Farm Source guide - Focus your planting

Whenua
Biodiversity
Conservation
Erosion

Uncover options for riparian planting, native trees and shelter that boost farm biodiversity.

Cherry tree suitability

Climate
Horticulture
Productivity
Sustainability

Explore how well suited the whenua in your rohe is to growing cherries.

Apple suitability

Climate
Horticulture
Productivity
Sustainability

See how well suited the whenua in your rohe is to growing apples.

Alastair and Ann Reeves of Reeves Farms

Climate
Collaboration
Emissions reduction
Sheep and beef

Waikato sheep breeders who select for low methane and lead their coastal catchment group.

Auckland regional climatology

Climate
Adaptation
Farm planning
Resilience
Risk
Water

Learn how Auckland's subtropical climate shapes what you can grow and when.