Autumn at Forest Lodge – A Season of Change (and Getting Stuck Back In!)

Summer has come and gone in a flash, and as we wave goodbye to the heat and the hustle of harvest, we’re now welcoming autumn here at Forest Lodge Orchard in all its colourful glory. The leaves on our cherry trees are starting to turn from that lush, vibrant green into a sea of golds, oranges, and reds, and it’s a stunning reminder that while harvest may be behind us, the work never really stops around here—it just shifts seasons.

Wrapping Up a Heck of a Harvest

Before we dive headfirst into tree maintenance, we want to take a second to reflect on this past harvest. What a season it was!

The cherries were big, bold, juicy, and full of flavour—our best yet. Every box we sent out (powered by sunshine, of course!) was a little parcel of Central Otago magic. Our team absolutely smashed it, and we couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished this year.

Autumn = Time to Get Cosy (and Get to Work)

With the fruit picked and the break behind us, it’s now time to get the orchard all cosy and winter-ready. This is the season for:

🍂 Pruning – We’re trimming back the trees just above the top wire (2.7m) to let in more light and help our frost fans do their job better when those chilly mornings roll in come Winter time.

🌱 Soil Work – Our rows are narrow, which means compaction builds up where the tractor runs. We’re fixing that using our electric Monarch tractor and a rotary hoe to loosen things up and give the roots room to breathe.

⚙️ Orchard Maintenance – It’s all hands on deck to make sure every tree is in great shape to rest and recharge before the next growing season kicks off.

The Power of Electric

We’re making this all happen with the help of our fully electric fleet, including our latest machine love—the Pickman Picca elevated work platform. It’s already made a huge difference, especially in speeding up our pruning work. What took us months with ladders last year we’re now getting through in just a few weeks, and our team are loving not having to lug ladders up and down rows all day. Plus, it’s quieter, cleaner, and runs entirely on the solar power we generate here on the orchard.

At the same time, our Monarch electric tractor is pulling its weight (literally), helping us break up compacted soil and prep the ground for a strong growing season ahead—all while charging up on sunshine. We’ve finished 23 rows so far, with 111 to go, and we’re feeling good about the progress.

The Importance of Autumn Maintenance

Autumn might feel like a slow-down after harvest, but in reality, it’s a massive part of setting ourselves up for next season. The work we do now lays the foundation for even bigger and better electric cherries next summer—and we’re already excited about what’s to come.

Stay tuned as we roll through autumn and into winter prep. There’s still plenty happening behind the scenes here at Forest Lodge—and as always, we’re doing it all with zero diesel, zero emissions, and a whole lot of love for this land.

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