Tag Archives: pruning

Fruitfields 2022 pre-apple blossom update

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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!

 

Book review & chill time pruning

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I’ve had fun pruning time this morning but it was cold and I felt like a ‘chill unit’ by the time I had finished!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve just read Pete Brown’s ‘The Apple Orchard’ and this is a cracker of a book & not just because I received it as a Santa present! I would heartily recommend this novel. It takes you through the journey of the apple and to current apple orchards. It discusses the magic of the apple, the images it conjures up. The mystique surrounding this celebrated fruit and a few of the festivals associated with it during the annual cycle.

Pete doesn’t love morris dancers. Being a morris dancer, some of the comments made me chuckle. By the end of the book he has learnt to put up with morris dancers, as generally wherever there is an apple festival, morris men (& ladies) are not that far away! Thanks for putting up with us…

Say hello to The Apple Orchard

So turning to ‘chill units’. The National Fruit Collection at Brogdale & the East Malling Research Centre (both in Kent) describe that for an apple tree to reach proper dormancy it needs at least 1000 ‘chill units’ A chill unit being an hour below 7 degrees. If this is achieved then the apple tree has properly rested and the likelihood of a good crop much increased. With global warming we’ll see if the regularity of a good crop is reduced as dormancy is likely to be achieved less and less.

As our trees are still young (the oldest are coming into their sixth season) we are pruning for growth. This means we’re removing a good amount of wood. We’re creating the ideal wine glass/goblet shape and ensuring that no branches are touching or crossing, that no shoots are growing inwardly towards the centre of the tree, and that we’re encouraging as much growth as possible. 

Later on in the year we’ll look at light summer pruning, between the end of July and the start of September to encourage more fruit buds in

 

Fruitfields Pruning Courses for 2018: A perfect Christmas & New Year present!

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www.fruitfields.co.uk are delighted to offer 2 practical outdoor pruning courses on Saturday January 20th and Saturday March 3rd, 2018.

The sessions will run from 10am until 12.30pm and cost £25 per person. The group size is strictly limited to a maximum of 10 people and the course will cover the following topics:

  • Why we prune
  • Practical sessions
  • How to prune & pruning techniques
  • The history of pruning
  • A tour of our orchards
  • Developing your pruning strategy

To book your place, and avoid disappointment as places are on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, call Greg Hunt on Tel: 07860 937 469

Aerial view of our orchard where the pruning course will take place

Come and learn some practical pruning techniques within the heart of the North Worcestershire countryside. Wrap up warm and enjoy learning about the best ways to reduce the risk of disease, why we prune at all and the ability to enable a good harvest. Vitally, practical sessions will ensure everyone has the confidence to understand the best ways to prune, and to remember what they have learnt. 

Whether you have one fruit tree or several, or just want to expand on your existing knowledge, then this course will introduce you to best techniques. We strongly believe the best way to learn is to do it yourself.

With more than 650 fruit trees and separate coppices requiring pruning across our 7 acres of orchards in the glorious North Worcestershire countryside, you will feel refreshed and armed with your newfound knowledge to give you a better and stronger fruit crop in the future.

A tour of our orchards and hot drinks are included.

We will also give you an understanding of our pruning strategy and how we are to progress the position over the next few years. This will allow you to understand the options available to you, and to develop your own position.