Wassailing is a West Country tradition when, on Twelth Night of old (17 January), country folk toast and drink the health of the largest and most prolific apple tree in the orchard for a healthy, fruitful crop of the coming season.
Are you going to wassail that biggest tree in January?!
Very nice looking trees. I am just reading The RIver Cottage Handbook No. 2 - Preserves by Pam Corbin. She states that principal crops in Kent are eating/cooking apples, plums, pears and cobnuts. South-west is known for its cider apples, but also has eating apples, 'Dittisham Black' plum (Devon) and 'Kea' plum (Cornwall). So, is your soil/climatic conditions suitable for cider apples?
about 700 in all, in three sections. I must count them this winter. There were once about 1,000 but we have thinned them out a bit where they proved too close together.
The orchard is in 3 main sections which were planted in 1992, 1997 and 1999 with several changes made since.
This cider section within the overall orchard contains 64 trees, 8 rows of 8, on MM111 rootstock 20 feet apart.
sorry for the poor quality of this video, taken on internal memory, will post better later.
@stephenhayesuk how many years from planting a sapling does it take to start getting apples from it? how many bushels of apples (approximate) do you get from your 700 trees? and how many gallons of cider are u getting
I have addressed those questions in some of my other videos. Briefly, I woudl expect to start getting some fruit in the third year, and maximum cropping in 5-8 years depending on soil, weather, pest and disease control etc.
Our crop is light, 5 tons per acre or more is achievable but we get more like 3 tons an acre of saleable fruit, about 10 tons in all. I made 50 gallons of cider last year, could have been much more, a friend made another 200 gallons from our fruit
Wassailing is a West Country tradition when, on Twelth Night of old (17 January), country folk toast and drink the health of the largest and most prolific apple tree in the orchard for a healthy, fruitful crop of the coming season.
Are you going to wassail that biggest tree in January?!
ivankinsman 2 years ago
we give thanks to the Great Maker and share hot spiced cider with friends on the second Saturday in January.
stephenhayesuk 2 years ago
Very nice looking trees. I am just reading The RIver Cottage Handbook No. 2 - Preserves by Pam Corbin. She states that principal crops in Kent are eating/cooking apples, plums, pears and cobnuts. South-west is known for its cider apples, but also has eating apples, 'Dittisham Black' plum (Devon) and 'Kea' plum (Cornwall). So, is your soil/climatic conditions suitable for cider apples?
ivankinsman 2 years ago
If I may ask how many trees do you have in your orchard?
Thanks
Stime64 2 years ago
about 700 in all, in three sections. I must count them this winter. There were once about 1,000 but we have thinned them out a bit where they proved too close together.
The orchard is in 3 main sections which were planted in 1992, 1997 and 1999 with several changes made since.
This cider section within the overall orchard contains 64 trees, 8 rows of 8, on MM111 rootstock 20 feet apart.
sorry for the poor quality of this video, taken on internal memory, will post better later.
stephenhayesuk 2 years ago
@stephenhayesuk how many years from planting a sapling does it take to start getting apples from it? how many bushels of apples (approximate) do you get from your 700 trees? and how many gallons of cider are u getting
altoids18ROX 1 year ago
@altoids18ROX Greetings
I have addressed those questions in some of my other videos. Briefly, I woudl expect to start getting some fruit in the third year, and maximum cropping in 5-8 years depending on soil, weather, pest and disease control etc.
Our crop is light, 5 tons per acre or more is achievable but we get more like 3 tons an acre of saleable fruit, about 10 tons in all. I made 50 gallons of cider last year, could have been much more, a friend made another 200 gallons from our fruit
stephenhayesuk 1 year ago
Five Stars!!
MadBadVoodo 2 years ago
Thanks for sharing!
gocrazy4u 2 years ago