The citrus orchard grows Washington Navel oranges, a sweet, seedless variety harvested in late autumn/early winter. Year 9 students study this topic in Semester 2, and Year 7 enjoy a juicing activity. Drip irrigation, raised above ground since 2018 for easier damage detection and pruning, is being integrated with an I-Core system for automated soil moisture monitoring and efficient watering.
The Peach Orchard has mostly replaced Florida Gold peaches with Sherman’s Red grafted onto disease-resistant Golden Queen rootstock. Insect-proof netting was added in 2017 due to extended pesticide withholding periods that made chemical control impractical against Fruit Fly. Fruit Fly are the major pest in the peach orchard and lay their eggs when the fruit is almost ripe. The netting allows fruit to ripen fully on the tree, improving size and quality. Peaches are mainly sold fresh through the canteen, with occasional value-added products like jam or sorbet in summer.
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