First Timers We plant our fruit trees as soon as we can, because they can take a few years to get big and strong enough to actually make fruits. A brave quince tree will make quinces in its first year in your garden, a walnut will take at least twenty. Most of the apple trees are producing this year (just one still not sure of themself), but also coming online are peaches, sweet chestnuts, the medlar and, most excitingly, the pear.
We planted just 5 apple trees and one pear in February this year. We buried our darling 15 year old labradoodle, Cosmo in February too and planted an apple tree above him. It symbolically bears a single fruit.
We bought hedging and the fruit trees from a local nursery which only grows trees native to this part of the country; they also happen to be my favourites: Cox Orange Pippin, Russet Egremont, Worcester and a Conference pear. I put luxury mulch around each last week- a freshly cut sheep’s fleece, costing just £2 each from the local farmer to cover shearing costs! Apparently, as the fleece has generous helpings of droppings stubbornly stuck to it and holds moisture, it is ideal as a rich fertiliser and mulching material. We shall see. A neighbour did the same around her trees, however her dogs decided to attack the fleece, roll in it and distribute it around their garden. Our chickens regard it, fortunately, with half-hearted curiosity.
I have no idea of the quality of the established apple trees here, however we have inherited a small cherry and a young plum, both bearing some fruits. The cherries look deliciously plump, also noted by the pesky pigeons and squirrels. I netted the cherry and harvested about 8 they look beautiful, but much like our deep red raspberries they are surprisingly lacking in flavour and sweetness. Our next door neighbours had a glut of apricots last year and none at all this year. I must get an apricot tree.
I have grown a wide variety of tomatoes, stripy, black, orange, plum, beef - even after giving lots away, I still have too many and they are a bit crowded. I have no idea what’s what, but it seems the ones planted up outside are doing better than those tended to in the poly- tunnel.
It’s been frustrating week; I’ve developed excruciating sciatica, so much has been neglected. Health is Wealth...
We enjoyed our first early potatoes, with butter chives and flat leaf parsley. Just lovely.
We planted just 5 apple trees and one pear in February this year. We buried our darling 15 year old labradoodle, Cosmo in February too and planted an apple tree above him. It symbolically bears a single fruit.
We bought hedging and the fruit trees from a local nursery which only grows trees native to this part of the country; they also happen to be my favourites: Cox Orange Pippin, Russet Egremont, Worcester and a Conference pear. I put luxury mulch around each last week- a freshly cut sheep’s fleece, costing just £2 each from the local farmer to cover shearing costs! Apparently, as the fleece has generous helpings of droppings stubbornly stuck to it and holds moisture, it is ideal as a rich fertiliser and mulching material. We shall see. A neighbour did the same around her trees, however her dogs decided to attack the fleece, roll in it and distribute it around their garden. Our chickens regard it, fortunately, with half-hearted curiosity.
I have no idea of the quality of the established apple trees here, however we have inherited a small cherry and a young plum, both bearing some fruits. The cherries look deliciously plump, also noted by the pesky pigeons and squirrels. I netted the cherry and harvested about 8 they look beautiful, but much like our deep red raspberries they are surprisingly lacking in flavour and sweetness. Our next door neighbours had a glut of apricots last year and none at all this year. I must get an apricot tree.
I have grown a wide variety of tomatoes, stripy, black, orange, plum, beef - even after giving lots away, I still have too many and they are a bit crowded. I have no idea what’s what, but it seems the ones planted up outside are doing better than those tended to in the poly- tunnel.
It’s been frustrating week; I’ve developed excruciating sciatica, so much has been neglected. Health is Wealth...
We enjoyed our first early potatoes, with butter chives and flat leaf parsley. Just lovely.
Aaaaw! I love the little brown pup! I'm off to the shelter to adopt a dog after my impending trip to the UK.