Not sure what to do and no one to ask? Here are some ideas on a single printed page: [Quick Ref PDF]

Listed below are lots of tasks to be getting on with or thinking about in the orchard…
(Please expand tasks lists with: brief descriptions; if anyone should be consulted before starting a task; add progress comments. To avoid clutter, where there is more substantial detail, this can be put on a separate dedicated page and linked to)

But first, a note on use of Tools from the shed:

  • Covid-19 Precautions:
    • Please help your self to hand-sanitizer from the bottle in the shed (please message the email list when it runs out!)
    • Take care (e.g. wear gloves) if sharing tools with anyone else during the session.
  • Cleaning tools:
    • Prevent spread of plant diseases: use bottle of meths (purple fluid) and cloths to clean tool blades before and after use, and between using them for work in different areas of the orchard.
    • Please clean mud off tools like forks and trowels before returning them to the shed.
  • Sharpening:
    • If you're starting work and something isn't sharp enough, please let someone know (you can always email the group list if you have placed blunt tools in an obvious place).
    • If you feel confident in sharpening, there is a diamond stone sharpening block near the front of the tool shed for sharpening shears and larger blades. (Somewhere there should be a secateur sharpener for secateurs, loppers and smaller blades… but that may have gone missing).
    • You can ask Lewis if unsure how to sharpen.

Upcoming Project Sessions

(See home page for details of upcoming sessions and their likely task focus)

  • Cleavers is growing up all over the terraces and slowly spreading towards the right of them. It's highly invasive and should be pulled out regularly.

Nurse quince and pear trees back to health:

  • Some of the pear trees (and the quince tree) are suffering from black or orange spots on the leaves
  • We need to clear ALL vegetation (except for gooseberry or currant bushes) under affected trees and replace with wood chippings, stopping woodchippings about 6 inches from the tree trunks as they tend to leach nutrients from the soil when first put down.
  • Woodchippings are in the black wheelie bins on the steps between the top compost heaps and the tea spot and by the top path.
  • Ultimately it would be good to do this for all our fruit trees, but those clearly suffering are the priority, topmost the quince.

Clearing:

  • Some clearing still remains to be done through the Autumn.
  • Look for wherever needs doing, especially along paths, below fruiting trees, the small path going round behind the herb bed, Mediterranean zone etc.
  • Bindweed and Goosegrass quickly entwine themselves in fruit tree branches in summer. The back of the new chutney patch is a place where bindweed has always run rife - check here and pull out if it's coming back.
  • Smaller trees appreciate clearance around them - e.g. A13, A14, Ga2, P5, P6, and the 2 cherries and almond.
  • Weeds and brambles have grown up around and through the dead hedge. (Bamboo should be dug out around it too - see below.)
  • Keep smaller paths clear too - these sometimes disappear completely in summer.

Mediterranean Zone:

  • We aspire to having this much more open and planting Mediterranean herbs like marjoram and thyme.
  • Keep brambles, grass and sedge (the thick tough clumps of grass - using a mattock is the easiest way) under control; weed through and top up the woodchip, and keep the border hedge in check and away from the Tayberries and Loganberry (these are the soft fruit in/behind the support triangle next to the compost heap up there).
  • This includes removing the grass/brambles/ivy etc on the slope between the almond tree and apple 16, and up to the border with our neighbours.
  • The two St. John's wort bushes in front of the vines have been heavily pruned, but, if they are an obstacle to supporting and accessing the vine or fig, they may be completely removed at some point.
  • The fig tree is in need of a new support structure (the previous support collapsed, so the fig is leaning and unstable.)

Bamboo removal:

  • Check for new shoots and dig out. Pull out if position makes digging impractical.
  • New growth is likely to be seen around the edges and under the dead hedge
  • Dispose of waste bamboo (may be compostable if dried out) - incineration bin is currently full of bamboo and some horsetail. Several trugs of old bamboo beside top compost bays - need to be taken for offsite disposal or incinceration.
  • [Might be worth burying a physical barrier down the side of the path to stop the roots returning, maybe if somebody has some old roof tiles or something like that? Gavin]

Consolidate path through middle of Wildflower Micro-meadow:

  • It would be good to be able to continue to work on managing the wildflower meadow over the coming few months.
  • As a precursor, it will be much easier if everything along the middle path can be cleared.
  • Our intention is to woodchip this path, but before doing that, it would be good to turn over the turf before applying the chip, to level it off and reduce grow-back of grass.

Wildflower meadow maintenance:

Step Building and Repair:

  • Please read & add details on: Step Building & Maintenance task page.
  • Several collapsed steps need repair - easiest when ground is soft (i.e. not too dry in summer or frozen in winter).
  • Fix chicken wire to remaining steps: Ideally we want wire on all the main flight of steps from top to bottom of the orchard.
  • Also new build where required (but not down residential boundary as need wheelbarrow access).

Ongoing Tasks

Clearing:

  • Look for wherever needs doing, especially along paths, below fruiting trees, the small path going round behind the herb bed, Mediterranean zone etc.
  • Bindweed and Goosegrass quickly entwine themselves in fruit tree branches in summer.
  • Smaller trees appreciate clearance around them - e.g. A13, A14, Ga2, P5, P6, and the 2 cherries and 2 almonds (i.e. a tree and a small shrub to the left of it) towards the Mediterranean Zone.
  • Keep smaller paths clear too - these sometimes disappear completely in summer.

Compost turning and maintenance:

  • Review state of top compost bins.
  • Chop up, mix in wood chippings & turn the compost to encourage aeration through the pile.

Apply wood chippings to paths

  • Where paths are in danger of becoming slippery (especially when sloping), we want to apply wood chips
  • Chippings are stored in large black bins up the steps from the teaspot
  • (Please refill the bins from the dumpy bags by the allotment gate whilst still available)

Small pond maintenance:

  • Provide structures (e.g. wood) for frogs to get in and out of ponds easily
  • Skim ponds regularly to remove floating weeds

Herb bed overhaul:

  • [- Karen S to lead]
  • Needs weeding, re-edging and stepping stones to be put in place (probably reusing the tiles we already have).
  • The support for the hop also needs re-doing (big stake from wood cuttings?)

Fruit cage overhaul:

  • Improve ease of access; repair/replace damaged netting; weed; improve soil.

Waste disposal:

  • Brown bins currently full of material from blighted quince trees. Let it thoroughly dry out and die before adding to compost - if it does not we will take it offsite.
  • We still have some waste that needs to be destroyed rather than used for compost etc.
  • Probably safe to compost dried out horsetail now (by lower compost bins).
  • Take small quantities of bamboo offsite for disposal. In the event of major bamboo digging, it can be stored for incineration or taken to Simon & Morwenna's green bin (please ask them first!).

Remove large dying trees

  • Several dead/dying elms by the compost toilet and near the dead hedge. Some now felled by Stephen Pill - new check needed to establish if any more need removing in this area of the orchard.
  • (Do we have any dying ash trees?)
  • We are best to liaise with and support Stephen Pill to help us do this with his chainsaw and tree rigging skills
  • See also "Tree Works" notes on Infrastructure & Composting page.

Clear bindweed/goose grass and any brambles that are not on the map (or overgrown)

  • Put bindweed/goose grass in so-labelled brown plastic food bins (where it will quickly rot and can then be added to compost heap)
  • Please don't put in compost bin any bramble cuttings with stems fatter than a 1 pound coin as they are very waxy, take forever to break down and are a hazard to turning the compost.
  • Bramble cuttings can be thrown over the metal barrier onto the big pile just below the top path opposite the fruit cage. They seem to dry out here then feed easily into the wood chipper (when we get round to it)

Hugelkultur


Task Ideas

(To be fleshed out, for some perhaps details and methods need to be agreed before they can be done)

Dig out small elm and ash trees

Chutney patch:

  • Not currently in use
  • Need to reassign area for other use e.g. new tree/s; part of plot to be retained for veg.

Matting

  • investigate sources and costs of matting - for use in place of cardboard when mulching (for 2018)

Cuttings beds:

  • Reinstate the top one.
  • Lower bed is now a de facto full size tree growing site.

Replace unwanted pear trees with new ones

  • Consider removal of Thorn variety by fruit cage.

Plant new espalier quince or other new tree at the top of the terraced plots

  • Our one existing quince has been badly affected by blight for several years, despite numerous attempts to cure it in different ways.
  • A major contributing factor may be its position, with too little light and warmth, and too much damp.
  • At the 2021 Autumn meeting we discussed a plan to put in a new quince at the very top of the orchard on an espalier and see how it fares. If the new one thrives and the old continues to suffer, we may take the old one out.
  • Rapid drainage of water is likely to be an issue for a new quince at the top. Measures to retain soil moisture should be considered, perhaps including putting in a pond liner beneath the lower part of the terraces.

Water butt improvements:

  • Improve ease of access; clean it out when it gets manky.
  • Water butt by the tool shed needs straightening, stabilising and the guttering feed to it fixed.

Collect and store comfrey leaves for comfrey concentrate:

  • We want to find some containers in which to make comfrey concentrate (to which water can be added only at point of applying it to plants)

Completed Tasks

(But which will require doing again at a later date)

[Move tasks like pruning here later so info isn't lost]

Horsetail removal:

  • Neighbouring residents have asked us to remove the growth/s closest to their garden.
  • Removal by hand easy - best if pulled up rather than cut as this gets most of the root.
  • Need to keep an eye out for regrowth by stream.
  • How to dispose? (For now left in a pile by lower compost bins to dry out)

Fruit Thinning:

  • Some apples need thinning. Thin to 2/3 apples per bunch.
  • The bulk of the plums that are within reach have been thinned. More may be done with the stepladder - there are still many overloaded bunches higher up.

Managing the laid hedges:

  • In the winters of 2018 & 2019, we had the hedges professionally laid (by Malcolm Dowling) along the east & west orchard boundary
  • We will need to prune the 2 hedges on either side of the orchard once a year in Winter to regulate growth.
  • The hedges should also be no wider than when they were originally layed (about 1-2 feet), so everything wider than that should be cut to the ground or (better) pulled/dug up. However, take care not to remove the wildflowers from the Hugelkultur bed (raised mound near the chutney patch) which has got a bit engulfed in recent months.
  • In the winter we will want to trim these laid hedges to 5ft (make sure no lower on the side joining our neighbours gardens as they have expressed concerns about privacy). This will ensure the rest of the orchard gets plenty of daylight.
  • For related pruning, see "Tree Works" notes on Infrastructure & Composting page

Mulching

  • When mulching leave a gap around the base of the tree. The mulch should form a band around the tree. Don’t be afraid to mulch quite widely – 90% of a tree’s roots spread away from the tree close to the surface.
  • Use compost from top left bay.
  • And cardboard - there is currently a stock under the shelter. If you have any to bring more is always welcome.
  • Mulch the smaller trees - berries, currants, gages, quinces, small pears, cherries, almonds…
  • Leaf mould can be taken from the pile below the path near Redland Green gates (currently out of stock, March 2019). Further details on Leaf mould on Infrastructure and Hard Landscaping page.

Top and Soft Fruit Pruning:

Fruit thinning:

  • RHS Guidance Page (but this is perhaps a bit too drastic!)
  • Summer job mainly applying to apples and plums
  • Leave 2-3 fruit per bunch and remove the remainder
  • Take off any diseased fruit
  • Ensures quality of harvest not quantity (and we'll get a large quantity anyway!)
  • 2017 work: (Richard, 17 July): thinning complete on: Apple 1 (Scarlet Pimpernel), Apple 8 (Tom Putt), Apple 9, Pear 4 (Thorn), Apple 5 (Lord Derby), "Court of Wick" (apple 3).

Quince maintenance:

  • Please read & add details of observations/work done on: Quince Tree Maintenance task page.
  • Quince tree has suffered from blight for the last three seasons, so lots of work to remove dead leaves and undergrowth.

MRCO Default Seasonal Activities (2011): [PDF] [source DOC]