Fruitfields 2022 pre-apple blossom update

The cherry and pear blossom is in full bloom at Fruitfields and beautiful. We’ve already enjoyed the apricot, greengage and early willow catkins and blackthorn blossom.

Our Fruitfields honeybees have been bringing in the pollen from these different trees and shrubs, which varies in colour as they transport it in their ‘paniers’ back to our Fruitfields beehives. We have started our Fruitfields bee experiences this year and are now fully booked through to the end of the year. We do love introducing people to our Fruitfields honeybees.

We have ‘blossom walks’ and open afternoons taking place on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th May. All are welcome and we will be selling our cider, apple juice and honey from our orchard. There is no parking but it is an excellent walk or cycle from the canal or Upper Bittell reservoir.

Over the last 3 months we have pruned the whole of our plot closest to the reservoir. As a result we hope to have given these trees the best chance of a bumper fruit crop. We’ll see!

 

Spring has sprung & the blossom is fun!

Ok, we’re never going to make proper poets, but we’re tickled with excitement at this time of year with the blossom appearing. There’s the prospect of a crop to look forward to subject to the flowers being pollinated and no heavy frosts…

All of the early fruiting trees such as cherries and pears are blossoming, including the early apple varieties of James Grieve and Red Windsor. We’re now onto the mid-season apple varieties blossoming such as Worcester Pearmain and Red Devil. Our cookers such as Bramley & Edward VII are later, as are the cider trees and other late sweet varieties like Ashmead’s Kernel and William Crump. 

Pollinators such as solitary bees, bumbles and honey bees as well as our natural predators (keep the aphid population down please Mr Ladybird) all appear hard at work!