ROB & ABIGAIL
GEMBROOK, VICTORIA

During the 2024 Hort Connections Conference, Rob kindly hosted ANFA members for a farm visit. It was a great day of sharing experiences (the good and the bad), talking about the future and getting to know fellow finger lime farmers.

Greeted by Rob’s adorable dogs and farewelled with Abigails scrumptious brownies, the visit was more than just for finger limes.

To see a finger lime orchard an hour East from Melbourne was unique and Rob has kindly shared some of his details of how they are pushing the status quo of where to grow finger limes.

 

Varieties grown:

Red Champagne, Collette, Red Ruby, Judy’s Everebearing, Green Crystal, Pink Ice, Chocolate Limonette, Tasty Green (Chartreuse)

Number of trees:

1530 (all grafted)

Soil type:

Loam/Clay

Tree/orchard Ages:

Main planting in Spring 2022

Orchard set-up:

• 3.5m between rows, 2m between trees
• Spring fed dam, leading to tanks with a petrol pump.
• Licenced approval for a bore with new solar powered pumps into new 80,000L tanks.
• Irrigation controlled by a Mait Remote Base Station Solar Powered for controlling watering system. Intellipump irrigation control program controlled remotely through team viewer.

What got you into finger limes? Backstory:

‘We wanted to do something with our pastures other than grazing a small herd of cattle. Cattle had been run on the property since the late 1960s.

We considered more traditional crops and orchards, but our focus gradually focused on native products. Eventually we decided on finger limes. While not indigenous to Victoria our site has plenty of water with several sites to choose from.

The main factors were that it was Indigenous bush tucker and found it to be such an interesting tree.

Once we met with Vlad (Ozfingerlime) we saw that they would stand a reasonable chance of working.

Product plans:

‘We will be trying multiple product lines so that we can focus in on the most viable, initially fresh and processed’

Unique or sustainable practices:

Between rows we are in the process of spraying all existing plant/weed matter.
The intent is to sow a perennial native grass, microlaena, between rows.

Biggest challenges to date:

• Weed management….
  Initially, and against advice, we did not spray out existing plants and weeds in the 3 sites. The reason being that we generally avoid spraying unless unavoidable mostly because of the impact on soil diversity. This decision has unquestionably added a huge amount of work. We are now progressing towards weed free lines between trees within each.
• Irrigation
  Moving dripper lines and inconsistent water flows.
  All 1500 dripper heads had to be redone.
• Electric fencing problems

Equipment:

• 50hp tractor
• 140hp tractor
• 1.6m PTO mulcher
• Mankar spray unit
• 400 ltr spray tank
• 100 ltr battery spray tank

Favourite way to eat Finger limes:

‘Seafood, G&Ts and champagne, Tamar Valley Coconut & Finger Lime yoghurt’

 

Thank You Rob & Abigail for letting ANFA members visit your beautiful Gembrook farm!