We led 4 x grafting workshops this year with 37 participants grafting and going home with at least 1 apple tree to care for and if successful – fingers crossed – plant in the Autumn. That’s 37 new apple trees to be planted!
Incredible Edible Helston invited us to their edible community garden to share the skills of grafting in an open community workshop. A full detailed write up can be found on the Helston Climate Action blog. A further session was held at Redruth Victoria Park, at Food Troops Community Kitchen and garden – do go and check out this wonderful new space.
We also grafted further apple trees to ensure a selection of sizes and varieties suitable for the Cornish climate ready for community orchards at the end of the growing season. Please get in touch if you want to order any trees for Autumn/Winter planting.
Some of the apple trees we grafted last year have been provided to local community groups and organisations including apple trees to Cormac Ltd for a Community Planting Event on 25th February at Tehidy Country Park; to Portreath Pre school where they planted a Pendragon red fleshed apple (!) and some are heading to Redruth East End Park for a community planting day taking place over the Easter holidays.
Orcharding in the community – in numbers
10 apple trees planted by over 20 members of the community with more still to be planted
37 people learning grafting skills and taking home an apple tree
Over 30 more apple trees grafted and earmarked for community orchards for next Autumn
12 participants learning about pruning at an all day orchard pruning workshop and a further 6 participants at a community orcharding session
5 people learning pruning skills on the job whilst we provided general pruning services.
5 apple trees given away to be planted by individuals at home
That’s a pretty productive community orcharding period!
Orchard management services
We continue to provide general orchard management services to individuals or organisations including pruning, design and advice and have worked at a number of fascinating orchards over the past two months.
Creating climate-resilient orchards
We’re also growing some other top fruit trees to help diversify our orchards in the coming years – Sorbus domestica or True Service trees have small to medium sized fruits – depending on the tree – which, similar to medlar fruits, need to be bletted before ready for use. Read more
Apple pressing in the community
Thanks to recent funding from local councillors we now have funds to purchase a community apple press which we plan to take out to community venues in Autumn – please get in touch if you’d like us to visit your group, school or organisation as we develop this project for Autumn 2022.
Community Orchards
We are building relationships with organisations who wish to plant orchards on their community grounds but need support with making it happen whether it’s advice, practical skills or trees. Please get in touch to chat about how we could support your project.