Behind the Business: Grosafe

We're shining the spotlight on Grosafe! Grosafe is a family owned kiwi business. Their range of organic products for both home gardeners and the horticultural industry, have become highly recommended staples in any gardener's kit. They have a strong emphasis on good quality fungicides, insecticides, and a range of seaweed fertilisers and foliar sprays. We talked to Robbie from Grosafe about what motivated the business, her best garden tips, and more.

Q. What was the motivation behind Grosafe - how did you come into the business, and why?

Grosafe was established in 1995 by my husband Mark Yortt as a post harvest operator with kiwifruit in Katikati. Mark had kiwifruit orchards and a pack house. Having a background in horticulture he was interested in finding products that would help a grower with his crop care and protection. Mark was also very keen to try and register products that could be BioGro certified but were also commercially viable and had good formulations. Grosafe now has over 15 BioGro products that we offer to growers.

Q. What type of garden do you have: picking, productive, or a mixture?

We live by the beach so we are limited on what we can grow at the beach with our sandy soils and harsh conditions, but we do have a large avocado orchard which supplies early fruit to the domestic market around New Zealand. We are harvesting avocados at the moment.

Q. What are the most important things to do each season to maintain a healthy garden?

Spring: Making sure plants are protected from insects and fungicide attacks before pests get established. Feed plants with good foliar and fertiliser feeds while they are going into bud burst, i.e. BioPower Seaweed Flakes and OceanFert are great natural stimulants. 

Summer: Close monitoring for insect pressure and keep plants healthy with watering. 

Autumn: Same for the spring and summer, monitoring and keeping the garden healthy with foliar foods, and insect and fungicide control.

Winter: Good pruning and clean up sprays. The foundation of a healthy start to the growing season.

Q. What is your go to garden tool you can't live without?

For my vegetable garden it is Enspray 99 and BioNeem for insect control, and OceanFert the soil and BioPower Seaweed for foliar feeding.

For my ornamental plants, GroVentive Garden.

Q. One Grosafe product you think everyone should have in their kit?

EnSpray 99 Insect Oil

Q. What’s the best piece of gardening advice you’ve been given, that you would like to share?

Be proactive instead of reactive, i.e. don't wait to treat your garden for pests as once they are established it can be far more costly to get rid of the problem.

Q. Favourite crops / veggies you’re planning to plant this year for summer?

I love home grown tomatoes, and salad greens

Q. Your go-to recipe in 2023?

At this time of the year we love having dishes with avocados, mixed salad greens and seafood with zingy lime/lemon dressings.

Quickfire Questions…

Q. Favourite flower?

Lilies

Q. Favourite crop?

Avocado

Q. Current favourite Instagram account to follow?

@georgiewildingfloral

Q. Top book recommendation?

Benjamin Hall - Saved

You can view our Grosafe range here.