Antoinette produces heavy crops of medium to large fruit with semi-smooth green skin. Sweet juicy, mild aromatic flavour with flesh that is smooth and soft. Skin is medium to thin in thickness and does not bruise easily. A small to medium tree that has a semi-upright growth habit. Flowers well. Not overly vigorous, but a strong grower. Antoinette is an early season variety (April - May) ready when the fruit changes colour and drops when touched.
Size & Position - can eventually grow to around 4x4m. Feijoa prefer a sunny position and tolerates most soil conditions, from heavy clay to light sandy soils. They are frost hardy, so can be grown anywhere in NZ.
Pollination - Although classed as self-infertile, pollination is by larger birds such as Thrushes and Black Birds. These birds will travel some distance for their food and therefore pollination in the home garden is generally not an issue with 1 plant. Remember though planting 2 different ones will give you a longer season of delicious fruit.
Flowering occurs at the base of the new season's growth. It is, therefore, essential to prune early in the season (if pruning is required) to ensure growth happens for flowering to occur. Pruning is required to maintain the desired shape and stimulate the production of flowering wood. It is also required to open the tree up so birds can have easier access for pollinating. Remove weak and damaged branches back to the main branch and thin the tree, if required, by removing internal branches back to the main trunk.