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Apple U-Pick Orchards in Wellington area of New Zealand in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of New Zealand have apples orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Wellington

  • Molewood Orchard - apples,
    17 Mole Street, Greytown, NZ 05712. Phone: 0211 535 933. Email: molewoodorchard@yahoo.com. Open: Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm, from March 11, 2023 to May 31 2023; Open at other times by arrangement; Please see our website or Facebook page for further details. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, EftPos.
    Molewood Orchard Facebook page. (ADDED: February 25, 2023)
  • Penray Gardens - apples, pears, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Fresh eggs, gift shop, picnic area
    1199 Statehighway One, Otaki, NZ 05581. Phone: 63645302. Open: Monday 9am to 4;30pm Tuesday 9am to 4;30pm Wednesday 9am to 4;30pm Thursday 9am to 4;30pm Friday 9am to 4;30pm Saturday 9am to 4;30pm Sunday 9am to 4;30pm. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. Penray Gardens South of the Otaki River Bridge on the Western Side of the Road. Plenty of parking is available. Check Facebook page for current PYO availabilityAlso have many varieties of chillies, hungarian peppers, lemons and limes available for picking when in season.
  • Ration Creek Orchard - Apples
    Pauatahanui, RD1 Porirua, Wellington, NZ . Phone: (04) 2348332. Email: phillip-reidy@xtra.co.nz. Open: Apple orchard open during season from March to June; from 10 am to 5 pm each day. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash or phone banking only.

 

Apple

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

  • Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
  • Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
  • For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
  • Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
    Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples . See more here: How to store apples at home
  • Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)