When to plant macadamias in Zapopan

Why these dates

Young trees are damaged at around -2C. Even a mature macadamia will not tolerate a hard frost, which confines it to genuinely frost-free climates.

Macadamias are planted once and then left in place, so there is no sowing offset to resolve. Nor is there a dormant season to plant into: this crop keeps its leaves and keeps growing through the winter, which is exactly why cold damages it. The window on this page therefore waits until the last frost in Zapopan has passed and the soil has begun to warm, giving the roots the longest possible run before the cold returns.

Hardiness is not the obstacle here. Zapopan is zone 10b, comfortably inside the range this crop is rated for, so an established plant should come through an average winter without protection.

Do not expect a crop in the first year. A plant set out now should give its first worthwhile pick around year 5, and will then produce every year after that, which is what makes the planting decision worth getting right the first time.

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