Most orchards are planted with grafted or budded trees. Macadamias are particularly difficult to graft and it was not until the mid-twentieth century that M.integrifolia was successfully grafted using a simple side graft. In today’s nurseries the whip-graft is more commonly used and M.integrifolia is often grafted onto M.tetraphylla rootstock.

Macadamia seedlings are easy to germinate. When they reach 5cm in height and have two or more leaves they are potted into plastic bags. The priority for a young orchard is to establish robust, healthy trees. Macadamias are planted in rows from 7 to 10m apart with 4 to 5m between trees depending on the variety. This creates a density of between 200 – 350 trees per hectare.

Once the trees are bearing nuts, growers will then concentrate on maximising volumes, improving quality, minimising pests and disease as well as maintaining a healthy root system. Trees conform to a rigid crop cycle of leaf growth, flowering, nut growth and nut drop. Soil and leaf analysis are essential tools in a high standard orchard. Other essentials include record keeping of varieties, planting dates, weather patterns, fertiliser programs, pest and disease control monitoring, harvesting yields and post-harvest testing for quality.

As in most agricultural industries, pests can be a major problem for growers. Depending on the country, the range of pests which can affect macadamia orchards can include bugs, beetles, borers, coccid, canker, caterpillars, other tiny creatures, rats, feral pigs, wallabies, hares and monkeys.