The blossoms are out, daylight savings has kicked in, and we recently welcomed half a million bees into the orchard from our mates at Taylor Pass Honey 🐝🍒

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These bees are here to pollinate your adopted tree and help us grow the best-tasting cherries for your summer delivery. Right now, they’re still tucked up inside their hives but once the temps hit around 12–13°C, they’ll be out giving your tree the VIP pollination treatment. The orchard honestly sounds like an airstrip when they’re all flying — loud, wild, and very, very cool.

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Stay tuned for the next lot of bees arriving🌸

Your cherry tree has reached what we call the open cluster stage🌸 This is when the flower buds begin to separate and prepare to bloom. If you take a look at the uprights, they’re absolutely packed with potential. Each flower bud is opening into three to five flowers which is exactly what we’re aiming for (lots of BIG cherries!!)

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The whole orchard is very close to hitting 10% blossom, which means that the bees are set to arrive within the next couple of days. Keep an eye out for updates very soon🍒🍒

Your cherry tree is hitting an exciting stage: white tip! This is when the petals start to peek out, and it means full bloom is just around the corner. Each bud holds around three flowers, and very soon, those flowers will need the bees to come along and pollinate🐝

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Since we’re fully netted, we can’t rely on wild bees. So very soon we’re bringing in close to a million bees from Taylor Pass Honey (which is one of our fav times of the year!) So stay tuned for when the bees turn up. With a bit of frost still hanging around, we’re keeping a close eye on temperatures and frost protection to keep your tree safe and sound🍒

What a difference a few warmer days make! The first buds of spring have arrived, and your tree has officially moved into the “green tip” stage. That’s when the swollen buds split open and reveal fresh new tissue. It’s an exciting sight for us every year because it means the season is shifting gears.

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Your crop is looking really promising, and with frost fighting still in full swing, we’re doing everything to keep those tender buds safe. All signs are pointing towards a cracker harvest this summer, and the bees will be here very soon to help us pollinate your tree🌸

Snow on the Pisa Range might make for a great ski day, but it’s not so great for us. Cherry buds at this stage need to be kept above a critical temp of -2°C to stay viable for flowering and pollination. At midnight last night we got the AGI frost fans humming, and by 6am the sprinklers were running too. Covering the ground with water might sound odd, but when it freezes, it lifts the surrounding temperature just enough to keep those buds safe.

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It was a frosty one out here this morning. At this early bud stage, anything below -2°C is risky, and we dipped just under for a short while this morning. No need to worry though, your tree has the full works of frost protection.

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The frost fans will be spinning for about 7 hours (started this morning) and we're also giving another 1.5 hours of frost sprinklers to lock in protection. This combo means your tree is well insulated and getting the very best care during this early Spring period.

During winter, the buds on your tree enter a special state called dormancy, kind of like hibernation. It’s their way of staying safe during Central Otago’s frosty weather. They shut down to conserve energy, build up nutrients, and activate a clever defence trick called supercooling which means they can drop below freezing without actually freezing. Science, eh?

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Buds go through two stages:

• Endodormancy (deep sleep mode)
• Ecodormancy (awake, but waiting for the right temps to grow)

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Even though the tree looks bare, those little buds are hard at work, quietly building up the energy they’ll need to burst into bloom in spring. So next time you check your dashboard, zoom in close! Those tiny buds are the start of something sweet. 🍒

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Winter’s in full swing down here in Central Otago, and while things slow down above ground, there’s still plenty going on behind the scenes! We’ve finished pruning and now we’re getting your cherry tree clipped to our UFO trellis, keeping it nice and straight. This is a key stage in your tree’s development as it sets things up perfectly for strong spring growth and maximum fruit yield and growth.

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Think of it as a winter haircut and a bit of yoga all in one😂✂️ Not too long now before the bees will be buzzing, the buds will pop, and your electric cherries will be on their way. Can’t wait to show you more soon!

Central Otago’s been serving up frosty mornings and frozen gloves this past month, not exactly fun for the team, but absolutely perfect for your tree! The cold helps it rest and recharge, building up the energy it needs to burst into blossom when the warmer days arrive. Even with the inversion layer hanging around, we’re out here making sure your tree is getting the best care through winter — pruning, mulching, and keeping things tidy so it’s all set up for a cracking season.

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Only a few months to go before your trees icy branches turn into big, sweet cherries. Can’t wait!

‍Hey team, big news — your adopted cherry tree officially had a TV cameo!

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A couple of weeks back, we featured on A New Zealand Food Story with Ben Bayly, sharing the journey of how we’re growing export-grade cherries for Kiwi families using 100% electric machinery. It was such an awesome opportunity to show the rest of NZ what we’re up to and give people a peek at the very trees you’ve adopted. We loved having Ben and the crew out here, and seeing the orchard (and your tree!) on national TV was a real pinch‑me moment for the whole team.

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If you missed it, you can catch the full episode here: 👉 Watch here

We’ve just rolled out wool weed mats under your tree. Yep, actual wool!

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They’re made from sheep dags (the bits of wool that usually get thrown out) and turned into biodegradable mats by an awesome Kiwi company called Terralana. These mats keep weeds down, lock in moisture, and even insulate the soil through our frosty Central Otago mornings. Over time they’ll break down naturally and feed the ground — how good’s that?

We reckon your tree deserves the best care we can give it, and this is another step towards that. Right now, your tree is still in its winter rest and the cold’s exactly what it needs to set up a cracker season ahead. In a few months we’ll start seeing bud swell, then blossom, then fruit… and before you know it, harvest will be here!!

Just a quick hello from down here in Central Otago. We’ve been busy pruning and mulching and your tree’s had a proper winter prep now. We’re nearly through the orchard and things are looking tidy. Chilly mornings have started rolling in, but the trees are soaking up what sun we’ve got left before heading into their winter chill.

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Once again, big thanks for all your support. Stay tuned for the next update!

Euan and the team are busy pruning back the big dormant branches and mulching them back into the soil. This helps nourish the trees and provides them with all the nutrients they need to grow even bigger and better next season. It’s all part of making sure your tree produces the best cherries for you this harvest🍒

Your tree now has the perfect shape to grow the best fruit for the season ahead, we’ve run the mulcher through the old wood, recycling those branches right back into the orchard floor. That rich mulch will help feed the soil and lock in moisture for the hot days to come. Your adopted tree is looking great and is all set for a restful winter season before the big bloom in spring.

Our pruning’s almost wrapped up — just a few rows to go! Your tree’s had its annual haircut and is looking sharp and ready for the cooler months ahead❄️

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A tidy tree means better light exposure and makes our frost fighting efforts more effective once winter hits. Thanks to the Pickman Picca machine, we’ve doubled our efficiency this season — we’re tracking nearly a month ahead of schedule! 💪🌳⚡

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While your tree’s chilling out in the orchard, we took our fully electric Monarch tractor for a spin around Highlands Motorsport Park 🏁⚡️ Safe to say… it turned a few heads!

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Who said electric farming gear can’t have a little fun? 😎💨

🍂 Autumn has arrived at Forest Lodge, and your electric cherry tree is settling in for a well-earned rest after a fantastic harvest!

We’re currently busy with pruning, post-harvest maintenance, and prepping the orchard for winter, making sure every tree (including yours!) is in great shape for the cooler months ahead. The leaves are turning golden, the air’s getting crisp, and with help from our fully electric gear, we’re keeping things clean, green, and cosy🌳🍒⚡

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Our biggest harvest on the orchard so far, and the cherries from your tree were the biggest and juiciest we’d seen.

Our cherries got bigger & better by year, and this was our first export-quality harvest from your tree.

The first cherries were picked off your tree, and it was our very first harvest on the orchard.

We gained our NZ0 certification which means that we officially use zero fossil fuels both on the orchard and in production.

We installed our UFO growing trellises, meaning your tree grows Upright for the most efficient harvest and best cherries possible!

The Forest Lodge journey began, and your tree was planted.