ORCHARD UPDATES

February Working Day - Sunday 12th
David Squirrell of Treewise lightly pruned the main orchard fruit trees and also pruned the cordons.
Two more apple trees are on order and will be planted in the next few weeks to complete the row of cordons. An Oullins gage has also been ordered to replace the original, which did not flourish.
The never ending task of weeding around the trees continued, and the last of the grass clippings was spread as mulch. The remaining clay was removed from the edge of the (frozen!) pond.

Lord Lambourne after pruning


Cordons after pruning

Working Days 2011
December Working Day - Sunday 11th
Volunteers who braved the heavy rain helped clear the elder tree of dead wood, which has been piled up under the hedge in the wildlife area, to create a safe habitat for over-wintering creatures. David Squirrell gave a very informative and helpful talk on the different pruning techniques required for field trees, cordons and fans, with some practical hands-on experience for the volunteers. David also advised that apple thinning should be more rigorous next year, to avoid damage to the branches of the young trees.
November Working Day
The grass in the wildlife area has been scythed and the long grass around the trees and along the hedges cut back. Some unusual fungi were discovered in the process! It's been suggested that these could be verdigris toadstools, which are poisonous.

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The Orchard
A list of all the trees in the orchard can be found here.
Click here to read Nick Gray’s report on planting Yellow Rattle in the Orchard

The Orchard acts as a repository for rare and locally successful tree varieties that have survived the test of time and often years of neglect. The Symondsbury Apple Project's Heritage Orchard Year, which began in September 2004, has so far brought to light significant orchard sites and apple varieties. Local research groups are investigating apple-growing history in their own parishes and projects are also planned to take place in North Dorset.
                                         
The Orchard began in January 2009 with the planting of 23 half standard apple trees. The second planting, in February 2010, brought the total number of fruit trees to 58. There are 47 different named varieties: 35 half standards, 14 apple cordons, 4 espaliers (1 apple and 3 pears), 2 plum fans, a cherry, a black mulberry and a quince.

Half standard trees grow to about 15ft in span and about 10ft high. It takes approximately 4-5 years for the trees to fruit and 15-20 years for them to mature.  They will have a life span of 60-80 years.   While the trees are young, they will be kept mulched with grass cuttings. 
 
A 70-metre hedge was planted as part of the first day of action in January 2009. It forms a boundary between the orchard and the allotments. We wanted to make the hedge work hard for us so it is primarily native traditional hedge plants with extra wildlife-friendly fruits and cultivar varieties of edible soft fruits.

We planted: Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Hazel, Field Maple , Dog Rose, Guelder Rose, Wild Cherry, Crab Apple, Holly, Rowan, Raspberry, Redcurrant and Blackcurrant - 350 plants in all, in two staggered rows, 20cm apart with plants at 40cm intervals in each row; that was the theory, but measurements using hand-spans, and other forms of creative interpretation helped to ensure that the hedge itself symbolises the diversity of people in Bridport!
Spring bulbs and wild flower seeds were sown in the meadow in 2010.  

The ground cover within the main orchard is being left as a meadow, with mown pathways and a central circle for events. The meadow grass will be scythed twice yearly by BCOG volunteers;  the pathways and the circle are maintained by Bridport Town Council.

Six wooden seats were designed, made and installed by local craftspeople, including students from Sir John Colfox School.

The result of a recent soil test registered a pH of 6 (the soil is very fertile). This provides a good starting point from which to plan for the improvement of habitat, to encourage the growth of wild flowers and greater biodiversity.

Dorset Wildlife Trust and Harry Britton have carried out wildlife surveys in the Orchard.   To see their reports, click on this link to the “Pond and Wildlife” page.