Category: blog
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The value to wildlife of windfall apples
by Juliet Bailey, in whose orchard the picture was taken, with some additions by David Lindgren The old orchards are full of wildlife, day and night. Redwings, Fieldfares and other birds, but also rabbits, foxes and deer. Here is a Muntjac feeding on fallen apples before dawn on a frosty morning, seen thanks to a…
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A reminder of the beauty of spring
by Juliet Bailey The first week in May has been peak blossom time in my orchard of Gloucestershire apple varieties. They started to bloom in the first week in April, and there are still several trees showing no pink as yet. I have been keeping a record this year, so will be able to put…
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June Drop
Under some of the trees in my orchard there is a spattering of small unripe apples. This is June Drop, which (so I read ) can be due to various causes but particularly to there being insufficient carbohydrate to support the developing crop. The weaker ones in a bunch will drop off leaving the stronger…
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Blossom time and fruit finishing
The first week in May has been peak blossom time in my orchard of Gloucestershire apple varieties. They started to bloom in the first week in April, and there are still several trees showing no pink as yet. I have been keeping a record this year, so will be able to put them into various…