ENZA JAZZ Apple Trees and the Path to the Export Market

ENZA JAZZ Apple trees are remarkable machines. Regardless of the ever changing environment around them they carry out their role every year and deliver juicy JAZZ Apples for export to apple eaters aroud the world.

For the 2010/2011 New Zealand apple season we are following the life cycle of a JAZZ Apple tree.  ENZA will track the different stages of growth from dormancy all the way through to fruit maturity and selection for packing. It is bound to be a tale of drama, of battling the elements and riding the highs and lows that are a part of striving to succeed in the tough business of growing up into a juicy apple.

Our tree is known as ’48 JAZZ’ and is on the Encore Orchard of A. R. Griffiths and Sons Orchards in New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay.  As the season progresses we will zone in on one little apple and see how it copes over the season with the pressure to attain the recognition of being and export grade apple.

Week 3 - 30/8/10

The cool, rainy weather of the past week has slowed bud movement slightly, but we continue to see the spurs expanding. At this time of year, the bud movement shown, is commonly refered to as "cracking." Looking at these simple fruit spurs, it’s incredible to think that each bud will eventually produce five flowers, which if pollinated, will produce five apples. 

Week 2 - 23/8/10

We continue to see signs of movement in the buds, as they take on a more red/burgandy color, which begins to change the appearance of the tree.  Note the bud to the far left, is starting to show some green tip, as it wakens to the coming spring.

Week 1 - 16/8/10

Buds on JAZZ 48 are swelling and starting to move. This indicates that spring is nearly upon us and our JAZZ tree is moving towards the first im[portant step of the season, pollination.