On Friday March 18Th SLOG Will Hold It S Most Ambitious Meeting Yet. We Have Invited A

THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE SLOG QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE 7 – SPRING 2011

* FRUIT GROWING * *CONSERVING LOCAL ORCHARDS* *PROMOTING HERITAGE VARIETIES* www.slorchards.co.uk

In this Issue As well as being a scourge of the establishment, Editorial 1 Robin is an entertaining yet thought-provoking Forthcoming Events 2 speaker who is passionate in his views and love Recent Events 3 of the English countryside and all things rural. He was born on a small family farm which he Fruit-Full Schools 3 still runs, in Barton, Cambridgeshire. Robin is “How not to grow fruit 4 founder and Chairman of the Countryside trees” Restoration Trust (which includes a traditional Orchard Profile : 7 orchard amongst its farms, see its website Brantwood http://www.livingcountryside.org.uk/), Patron of Save Our (red) Squirrels and a Council Fruit Focus : Crab Apples 8 Member of the National Trust. He has regular New Rootstock : M116 9 columns in The Daily Telegraph, The Grafting to Order/Trees for 9 Countryman and the Shooting Times – although Sale he does not shoot - and regularly contributes to National Trust Orchard 10 the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. In addition to his talk, Robin will also answer questions and Project sign books: he is a prolific author (31 books) Robin Page talk Poster 11 such as Rustic Rebel, Revolting Peasant etc. This is an evening not to be missed! We will have a SLOG membership stand at the Editorial talk which will feature our latest purchase: the new “Shark” electric fruit mill which, coupled On Friday March 18th SLOG will hold it’s most with the small apple press will speed up the ambitious meeting yet. We have invited a process and significantly increase extraction rate significant national speaker, Robin Page, to at next season’s harvest. speak at the Castle Green Hotel in Kendal. The objectives are numerous: in addition to the Our sister group NCOG (North Cumbrian obvious opportunity to listen to and question a Orchard Group) are now fully functional and Countryside Champion, it is a chance for SLOG have established a schedule of meetings for to raise its public profile and to recruit new 2011. We have agreed a reciprocal membership members. We hope it will also appeal to all arrangement with them so that their members members, indeed we hope members will turn can attend SLOG meetings and SLOG members out in force for what promises to be a can attend NCOG meetings. For details of fascinating and provocative evening. Robin NCOG meetings, visit the website: Page is a former presenter of the well-loved TV http://www.slorchards.co.uk/SLOGevents.html programme, One Man and His Dog. Robin’s SLOG will also have a busy schedule of events talk is entitled: ‘A Walk in an English this year (see page 2), starting with pruning and Orchard’, but no doubt he will talk about a grafting days and involving two orchard visits. range of subjects with the honesty and forthrightness for which he is nationally known. Now that the frost is out of the ground, it’s time to plant trees such as those you grafted a year THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE ago. If your grafts didn’t take, have another go is patron of Save our Squirrels. An entertaining next month (details page 2), or else use SLOG’s speaker and a thorn in the flesh of politicians “Grafting to Order” programme to get the and bureaucrats. For tickets, contact Ros on variety you want on the ideal rootstock – for [email protected] tel: 01539 details see page 8. 741943 or Andy on [email protected] tel: 01539 727772 DIRECTIONS: Castle Green Hotel, Castle FORTHCOMING EVENTS Green Lane, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 6RG

th For the most up-to-date information look Saturday 16 April, Damson Day at Low in: Farm, Lyth Valley This event enjoyed http://www.slorchards.co.uk/SLOGevents.html beautiful weather last time and attracted record crowds so we hope for more of the same in 2011. SLOG stand will be there. Keep an eye on the WDA website on th Saturday 5 March 11am-4pm Grafting http://www.lythdamsons.org.uk/index.html Workshop, Growing Well, Sizergh Directions: Take A590 to Gilpin Bridge, then A5074 Graft your own apple trees using a choice of direction Bowness for 2 miles to Low Farm M26 or MM106 rootstocks at £2.50 each and a wide range of scion wood varieties. Led by Saturday 21st May 2.00-4.00pm - Spring Hilary with advice available from other orchard visit to Kentmere experienced members. Bring your own Stanley We are visiting Mark Kidd's organically certified knife (a few will be provided) and gardening orchard in Kentmere. The older orchard is gloves for protection. Wear suitable footwear as mostly apples planted fairly close on a hilly site the path to the yurts may be muddy. Start time of about 1 acre, and Mark has a new 'traditional' from 11am with demonstrations through to 4pm style orchard in the process of being planted so you can join in the morning or afternoon, or lower down. He has 3 miniature sheep which bring a picnic and stay all day! Note that 11am- graze under the trees (a special breed that don't 2pm is exclusive to SLOG members while 2- strip the bark). There are some bee hives for 4pm is open to both SLOG members and pollination. The oldest trees are about 4 years Growing Well Customers. DIRECTIONS: On the now and he sells the fruit at the gate and at A591 south from Kendal, turn into the car park at markets. DIRECTIONS: Sunny Orchard Farm, Low Sizergh Barn Farm Shop and Tearooms. Park Kentmere Rd., Staveley, Cumbria LA8 9JF at the far end of the car park and walk over the fields This is just on the main road to Kentmere on the past the chicken house as signposted. right. Approx a mile from Staveley. You will see the sign 'Duck eggs for sale'. There is parking for 6/7 Saturday 12th March - National Trust cars and more space on the road. Grafting Workshop at Acorn Bank, Temple Sowerby, Penrith CA10 1SP Saturday May 28th and Sunday May 29th If you miss the SLOG workshop, try this one! CountryFest, at the Westmorland Organised by Chris & Sara Braithwaite, Showground, Lane Farm, Crooklands, assisted by Hilary and others. Learn all about Kendal. grafting and graft your own trees to take away Last year’s show attracted over 9,000 visitors. with you. Places must be pre-booked, charge to We will have our stand in the Grow Your Own be advised. Directions: area. For more information go to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w- http://www.westmorlandshow.co.uk/index.html findaplace/w-acornbankgardenandwatermill.htm Tues July 26th 7.30pm – SLOG AGM at Friday March 18th. Doors open at Levens Institute 7.00pm for an 8.00pm start. Robin Page This is your chance to air your views on what gives the SLOG Celebrity Talk. Castle SLOG should or should not be doing and help Green Hotel, Kendal. Tickets £7.50 to shape our future strategy. include refreshment. Robin is a farmer, writer and conservationist. Saturday July 30th – Summer Orchard Founder of the Countryside Restoration Trust, Visit, Briery Bank, Arnside he sits on the Council of the National Trust and This is a beautiful old traditional orchard, 2 THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE restored by SLOG member Peter Goulder, organisations to create opportunities and solve which contains a wide range of old varieties, problems. Despite all the media stories of situated on the hillside overlooking Morecambe difficulties in dealing with government bodies Bay such as Customs & Excise etc it was refreshing

th to hear how helpful some of these bodies had Saturday August 20 – Budding been. Once established, Simon realised he Workshop, Growing Well, Sizergh needed access to real cider apple varieties in order to create a quality product and he WINTER TALK Monday 6th explained how he and Gareth developed a December, Levens Institute business relationship with a local farmer and Despite sub-zero temperatures, a hardy group of planted over 250 apple trees, the majority being twenty or so SLOG members turned out for our cider varieties. It was clear that Simon is annual winter talk supplemented by an apple passionate about his business, innovative and tasting competition, a bring-and-buy table, a committed to make it a success. The only raffle and the first sales of our own SLOG disappointment was that all his product was Recipe Book. committed to retail customers and he had no The apple tasting comprised of ten different samples to offer! Nevertheless, we are very varieties which were all peeled so that grateful to Simon for making time between judgement had to be made on taste alone finishing his last cider production batch and without the clues of appearance based on skin, starting an employment contract with British size and shape. Hugh Connor scored eight out of Aerospace to give us an entertaining talk and ten to win the Cooker, Eater or Russet? answering the many questions in considerable category. The Local or Supermarket? category detail. resulted in a tie between Hugh Connor and Mark Evens who each scored eight out of ten. SLOG PRUNING WORKSHOP th However, determining the variety from the list Saturday 12 February of ten varieties proved extremely difficult and the winner with three out of ten was Nick About 25 members gathered at Halecat Orchard Birkby. The clear favourite for taste was in Witherslack equipped with secateurs etc for a Pitmaston Pineapple, with Adam’s Pearmain “hands-on” pruning session. The weather was second and Herefordshire Russet third. Very bright and sunny as Adele and Bob explained few tried to estimate retail prices, so for the the theory and practice of winter pruning. Sarah record the Gala and Golden delicious from Bradley kindly provided tea and cakes to round ASDA both cost £1.40/kg. This compares with off a pleasant and instructive afternoon. Morrison’s prices ranging from £0.84/kg for Dutch Jonagold (always cheapest) to £2.99/kg for New Zealand Jazz. Why would anyone pay FRUIT-FULL SCHOOLS £2.99 plus the carbon footprint for apples flown by Stuart Lockton halfway round the world when you could buy English Cox at £1.37/kg? Or better still, grow your own favourite variety to eat fresh from the tree with a variable cost of zero and a carbon footprint of zero! Our speaker, Simon McDonald, explained how he and his business partner, Gareth Ellis The national charity Learning through founded Lancashire Cider (in their spare time) Landscapes, in partnership with Garden because the microbrewery segment was very Organic and Common Ground, has developed competitive but nobody was brewing cider an exciting national project enabling thousands commercially in North Lancashire despite a of children to establish heritage fruit orchards within their school grounds and in partnership surfeit of apples going to waste. He stressed the with their local communities. The project has importance for a new business of developing been awarded a National Lottery Local Food relationships with other people and grant and started in January 2010. 3 THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE

Once pupils in the 5 secondary schools have Fruit-full Schools will stimulate children’s gained the knowledge of their own trees, they knowledge of cultural diversity and engage will work with surrounding primary schools to them in hands-on learning about the benefits of establish at least 15 more new school orchards. local fruit. 65,000 children will participate in cultural festivals such as Wassailing, Apple Day If you wish to contact Stuart, he can be reached and other creative celebrations across England. on [email protected] Schools will share experiences and access learning resources through the national Apple Club - the online hub of all activities - developed in partnership with the UK champion for local distinctiveness, Common Ground. HOW NOT TO GROW FRUIT TREES The story of an orchard’s battle against adversity and man’s stupidity by Mark Evens The project will culminate in a national campaign in which young people encourage members of the community to sample local fruit Part II : Selecting Varieties varieties and sign up to the ‘100,000 Reasons Why I Love Local Fruit’ campaign. The intention all along was to plant mainly apples, with just a few pears and plums. The 50 secondary schools across England are reasoning for this was that apples keep, or else already engaged in the project. In North West can be juiced or turned into cider. Also, even I England Stuart Lockton is the Regional Co- ordinator; he is working with 5 schools spread recognised that here might be a tough location between Carlisle and Birkenhead. for pears. I undertook some extensive research into varieties of apples and drew up a “short Over the past year pupils have been learning list” of 61 different varieties. In doing this I was about heritage apples and have organised greatly helped by Ian Roger, of R.V. Roger school apple days. Nurseries, Peter Blackburne-Maze, Brian Gale and Hilary Wilson (who was particularly helpful as regards what might do well in Cumbria). The list was then narrowed down based on alleged suitability for the climate, disease resistance (particularly to scab and canker) and last, but not least, alleged qualities for flavour, keeping, juicing and cider. The plan to make cider was quite an important element, so a number of traditional cider apple varieties were chosen, which I am not sure has been done before in North Cumbria! The cooking apples would be for use in cider (to give acid balance) and juice, Pupils from Sir Thomas Boteler School, Warrington visiting Norton Prior orchard. as well as for cooking. The eventual selection and reasoning was as follows. Next month Stuart will lead grafting workshops Annie Locally grown Laxton’s Sweet in the schools. This will be the start of new Elizabeth keeping Superb dessert. apple orchards in each of these schools, with cooker. Said to do pupils grafting and caring for local and heritage well in the varieties of apples in nurseries, meanwhile they North. will be entering a national orchard design Ashmead’s Good flavour Lord Good competition. Kernel dessert and Derby disease locally grown. resistance. (Cooker) Belle de Good disease Lord Generally 4 THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE

Boskoop resistance and Lambourn liked and Tom Grown versatile. e grown Matthews locally. locally. cider apple). Bramley’s It was there Major High Said to do seedling already. tannin well in the cider North. apple. Katy Early dessert Tremlett’s High Brownlee’ Good disease Monarch Sweet which can be Bitter tannin s Russet resistance. cooker used in cider. cider Said to be which may apple. good flavour be OK in Keswick Of course! Winston Good dessert. cider too. Codling disease Said to resistance. like wet Hardy. conditions. Keeps Dabinett Bittersweet Newton Sweet well. cider apple. Wonder cooker. Lane’s Keeping Good Prince cooker with disease Albert good disease resistance. resistance. D’Arcy Unique Orleans Good Spice flavour Reinette disease dessert. resistance Disease and good resistant. flavour, “Enjoys sea but needs air”. But needs warmth to hot summer to develop! ripen well!! Discovery Early eater Rev. W. Cooker and juicer. Wilkes which Two and a half years on, it is clear that some should varieties are doing better than others. The handle wet biggest disappointment is the Fiesta. I read conditions. recently in “The Fruit Garden Displayed” that it Duke of Bred in Ribston Good is “prone to toxicity and canker on acid soils Devonshir Cumbria (ish). Pippin flavour. e (Dessert) Widely less than pH 6”. I can testify to this. Most of my grown in Fiesta has been hit by a severe form of peeling, North. papery bark canker Egremont Not Cumbrian, Rosemary Good Russet but someone Russet disease persuaded me resistance. Figure 1: Papery to grow it. Good Some varieties, such as Lord Lambourne, are flavoured bark canker on dessert. naturallyFiesta less vigorous. Other varieties Fiesta Recommended Scotch Multi- (particularly the triploid ones) are much more by a local Bridget purpose vigorous. This can cause problems with wind grower. Said apple with damage (see below Figure 2: Lane's to be Cox-like fragrant under “staking”). dessert. juice. Prince Albert. Note the deer fences. Grown The trees with widely in vigorous but North- whippy growth (i.e. more like a plum) have West. done well and cope with wind better. Examples Forge Cooker which Sunset Cox-like are Laxton’s Superb, Duke of can be used in dessert. cider. Said to Grown Devonshire and Dabinett. The Newton Wonder do well in wet locally. is supposed to be vigorous, but mine isn’t. Also, regions. it seems to be inclined to flower on the tips, Golden Cooker which Tom Putt Cooker which Newton Wonder isn’t supposed to do, so Spire can be used in and cider maybe it isn’t Newton Wonder. For some reason cider (AKA apple. 5 THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE the Lane’s Prince Albert is doing very well. This but have a number of disadvantages: they are is not supposed to be a vigorous tree, but mine is awkward if the tree is feathered and in any case growing well and fruiting too! (see Fig.2). As sappy feathers will grow inside them; they don’t regards the plums and pears, there wasn’t half as protect against deer or other large marauding much science in the selection – more a question beasts; when you do take them off, the bark is of getting a variety of ripening periods, cross- more tender than if it had been left exposed. It pollination and some chance of coping with the would have been better to fence them properly. conditions. I settled on a Damson (Shropshire The second bad decision was to use only canes Prune), Marjorie’s seedling plum, Greengage for staking. I had thought that as they were only (some hope!), Rivers’ Early Prolific plum, maiden whip plants, they wouldn’t need more Hessle pear, Concord, Williams Bon Chrétien, than a cane and a bit of bending in the wind and Conference. All except for the Conference would make them grow stronger. I hadn’t seem to be growing OK but not fruiting yet. The reckoned that some of them would grow quite Conference has the wettest spot in the orchard, quickly such that the roots were not well enough next to the beck and is suffering badly from developed to anchor the tree in a strong wind. In canker. retrospect, I should have put in a stout stake Lastly a word about rootstocks. For the apples, I when I planted them, however silly it might chose MM106. I didn’t want dwarf trees, but I have looked. I ended up staking them all within did want to be able to pick them easily (although the first year. The advice, if staking after cider apples can be shaken off). I harboured the planting, is to drive the stakes in at 45 degrees, thought that, once established, I might be able to to avoid damaging the roots. This is very hard let sheep back in the orchard to save me mowing work. It also means that the tree is more likely the grass. To that end I decided to go for a half- to blow against the stake causing bark damage standard form. With the benefit of hindsight as happened to a number of them this summer (again) I might have been better to have selected (particularly Tom Putt and Belle de Boskoop). I a slightly more vigorous stock (such as M111) have had to re-stake the vulnerable trees for the less vigorous varieties, or to have gone vertically, which would have been easier and for a more intensive planting of bush trees and more sensible in the first place! forget the sheep. Instead, I think that some of The trees were planted into ordinary soil (no the trees may be a bit small to put sheep under, compost) with a bit of bonemeal added. Some of whereas others may need constant summer them were treated to a mycorrhizal fungus dip. pruning to keep in check. The trouble is that As far as I can see this made no difference at all most nurseries do not offer M111. Maybe the and was just a waste of money and time. best thing would have been to have grafted them Protection all myself…? The plums are on “St Julien A” We have huge numbers of rabbits in the orchard, and the pears on “Quince A”, both of which are hence the use of rabbit guards. In the first year a semi-vigorous (or semi-dwarfing, depending on deer arrived and ate the top off one of the your point of view). Golden Spires. To discourage them I bought one Planting and staking of the movement detectors that shines a light Planting was greatly helped by having ploughed and plays the radio at them. As recommended in the furrows (5 spits wide). Nevertheless, the instructions, I tuned it to a station with planting over 100 trees is not to be undertaken mostly human voices (Radio 4). I’m not sure it lightly. In planting, I think I made one good is very effective. Although we haven’t seen decision and two bad ones (about the best ratio I much of the deer, I suspect they may gather can usually hope for). The good decision was to round to listen to the radio at night. I have use woven polypropylene mulch mats (“tree visions of going into the orchard early one spats”) 18” square and pre-cut to go round the morning to see them all listening to “Farming trunk. These were easy to apply and have done a Today”. great job of keeping down the weeds near the Deciding that Radio 4 alone was probably an trees. insufficient deterrent, I put plastic mesh fences The first bad decision was to use the spiral 4ft high around every tree. This seemed easier, “rabbit guards”. They do keep the rabbits off, cheaper and less ugly than putting a big fence 6 THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE round the whole orchard and also meant that I could do away with the rabbit guards. There hasn’t been any further damage from animals, but the fences bring their own problems in that the trees rub against them and damage the bark. If I’d put the stakes in vertically, then this would have been easily dealt with. [Ed-this is the second part of a three-part series. In the next quarter Mark discusses pruning, orchard management and his conclusions] The orchard, planted in 1989, is lower down on ORCHARD PROFILE the lake side of the road. Although it comprises BRANTWOOD only nine trees, it is full of interest. It is here that Head Gardener Sally Beamish is developing an Brantwood was the home of the Victorian innovative orchard management system based writer, artist, critic, social reformer and on biodynamic principles. These ideas conservationist John Ruskin from 1872 until his originated from Rudolf Steiner in 1924, who death aged 80 in 1900. The estate comprises 250 integrated the principles of organic farming with acres of gardens, pastures and woodland “natural preparations” and the astrocalendar to stretching from lakeside to open fell. There are advocate a holistic approach to agriculture. A eight different gardens, which continue Ruskin’s descending lunar rhythm is believed to make sap own experiments in horticulture and land flow less active, accordingly for this year management. Close to the zig-zag path are two pruning was planned for 22-25 February; 15-18 apple trees which date from Ruskin’s time; a and 20-24 March. Entering the orchard, the first Galloway Pippin and a Bramley’s Seedling, both of the twenty-two year old trees is a vigorous of which, despite being around 120 years old, half-standard Keswick Codlin on MM106, then a have been rejuvenated by hard pruning. Closer Ribston Pippin, two Beauty of Bath, Grenadier, to the house, in the Professor’s Garden, is a row two Egremont Russet, Edward VII and Court of cordons planted on M26 in 1992 using Pendu Plat, mostly bush trees, some on M26, Victorian varieties that are typical of what some on MM106. The trees originated from would have been grown in Ruskin’s day. nurseries as diverse as Deacons on the Isle of Looking uphill, the seven dessert varieties on Wight and Tweedies of Dumfries, some arriving the left are White Transparent, American by boat! The Court Pendu Plat had suffered Mother, Brownlees Russet, Ribston Pippin, from canker, but under the biodynamic regime it Pitmaston Pineapple, Cornish Aromatic and has recovered; the scars are still visible but no Roundway Magnum Bonum. On the right are longer sporulating. However, coral spot (early seven culinary varieties, Norfolk Beefing, Lord canker symptom) has now appeared on the Derby, Smart’s Prince Arthur, Lane’s Prince Keswick Codlin and Beauty of Bath, so Albert, French Crab, Golden Noble and Belle although a battle has been won, the war is not de Boskoop. Lower down by the “Jumping yet over. The orchard is grassed down and Jenny” restaurant are four young stepovers : mown, despite this the trees are vigorous and set Bradley’s Beauty, Dumelow’s Seedling, too much fruit which then needs to be Proctor’s Seedling and Yorkshire Beauty which handthinned, which on the Keswick Codlin in were grafted under Hilary’s guidance at Acorn particular amounts to a barrowful of surplus Bank. fruitlets. The fruit, when harvested, is all made use of; the best quality sold fresh, the next grade used for cooking in Jumping Jenny restaurant, and the surplus juiced and sold in the bottle so nothing is wasted. Elsewhere in the garden are two pears, a heavy-cropping Black Worcester and a slightly more shy Jargonelle, whilst against the south-facing wall of the house is a 7 THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE fig, fruiting happily within a confined rootspace. has a range throughout Europe and Asia Minor. Sally has been at Brantwood just over twenty years, during which time she has led considerable restoration of the garden and continues to initiate new ideas not least the biodynamic project in the lakeside meadows and adjoining orchard. As a charitable trust of limited means, Brantwood relies on volunteers to supplement its limited resources. One of our SLOG members, Kathleen Robertshaw, is already a volunteer there and will testify to the happy team spirit. The views over Coniston Water and beyond to the Coniston Old Man range are magnificent, yet it is off the beaten track, and surprisingly tranquil compared to most Lake District “beauty spots”. So if you fancy a spot of volunteer work in a peaceful location with unrivalled views…..and/or if you’re interested to learn more about Malus ‘Purple Prince’ biodynamic apple growing - this is probably the only biodynamic orchard in Cumbria - just call The crab apple yields fruit which may be so Sally Beamish or enrol for a great one-day called in the sense that it has a culinary use in course on 24th May entitled 'What in Heaven's preserves, but in truth many crabs have been Name is Biodynamic Gardening?' See bred for ornamental purposes; either for the Brantwood website for more details colour of their blossom, fruit or foliage. http://www.brantwood.org.uk/courses.htm or Nevertheless, their fruit is famous for crab apple contact Kathleen Robertshaw at jelly, and is high in pectin making it useful for [email protected] setting jams. The RHS advise that flavour Website: www.brantwood.org.uk Open all year, improves if fruit is not harvested until after it Wednesday – Sunday 11am – 4.30pm until 13th has been frosted. Crab apples bloom profusely March and from 14th November; open seven over a longer period than edible apples, making days a week from 14th March to 13th November them versatile pollinators. Birds enjoy eating the 11am – 5.30pm. Gardens admission £4.50. fruit of wild crab apples, but will leave some Location 2½ miles from Coniston on B1234 on hybrids untouched. east side of Coniston Water. The best way to travel is by boat across the lake from Coniston, either on the National Trust’s steam yacht “Gondola” or Coniston Cruise’s solar-electric launch, both of which arrive at Brantwood’s own jetty at the foot of the orchard. Postcode for Satnav: LA21 8AD Tel 015394 41396

FRUIT FOCUS CRAB APPLE

Crab apples are a more diverse group than edible apples – the reason for this is that edible apples belong to or are derived from the single species Malus sylvestris, whereas there are over 30 species (and even more hybrids) of crab apples in the genus Malus. The wild crab apple also belongs to the species Malus sylvestris and 8 THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE

Royal Beauty retains its red fruit, providing winter colour Malling Research rootstock M116, produced by crossing MM106 and M27 in 1965 and thought The Individual species such as Malus to be of little or no commercial value, is proving floribunda (Japanese crab), will grow true from to have a useful market niche. seed on their own roots. However all varieties This is thanks to Worcestershire-based grower and hybrids must be propagated by grafting or Frank P Matthews, which found that the budding onto the same range of rootstocks as for rootstock's main advantage over others is its edible apples. The best culinary hybrid is strong resistance to Phytophthora. generally reckoned to be ‘John Downie’ whose Nick Dunn, who runs Frank P Matthews, red/yellow fruit are reputed to offer the best explained that the performance of M116 is flavour in preserves, although it is susceptible to similar to that of MM106 — the main difference scab, especially here in Cumbria. ‘Golden between the two being M116's resistance to Hornet’ is the most popular yellow fruited crown and collar rots. hybrid, whose fruit hang on the tree well into He believes that this advantage could benefit winter, long after leaf fall, because the birds cider-apple growers and Northern Ireland's shun it. ‘Red Sentinel’ has bright red fruit which Bramley growers, whose trees have to withstand also persist though winter. ‘Profusion’ is grown wet conditions. for its red blossom and (or despite) its purple "Cider growers are desperate, because they lose foliage. ‘Evereste’ has attractive white blossom up to five per cent of their trees a year due to and red/yellow fruit which the birds seem to Phytophthora," said Dunn. "Every year we're like. New crab apple varieties are still being asked for thousands of replacement cider-apple bred, tested and introduced. One that shows trees." promise is ‘Jelly King’, with white blossom and Arguably M116's main downside is that it is orange/red fruit, bred in New Zealand and very difficult to propagate by normal means, introduced here by Frank Matthews (amongst such as by rooting hardwood cuttings - which, in others). The name implies suitability for crab any case, is very expensive. Dunn uses tissue apple jelly, and it will be interesting to see if it culture, which is also expensive but has the offers better resistance to scab than ‘John advantage of being much more reliable. Downie’. Wild crab apples can be grown as an This operation is done by a contractor, which attractive hedge and www.hedgenursery.co.uk provides plug plants that Frank P Matthews offers bare root packs of 25 at reasonable prices. grows on for a year before budding them. This Cultivation is very similar to edible apples. year, around 10,000 will be budded, probably Rogers of Pickering offer six different crab mostly with cider varieties for gapping up. apple varieties on MM106 or crab rootstock. M116 is being trialled by the National Ashridge trees offer 16 varieties, all as Association of Cider Makers (NACM) on three standards. But the greatest range of varieties is West Country sites. The varieties involved are 50, sold wholesale by Frank Matthews Katy, as the control, Dabinet and three new www.frankpmatthews.com ones: Angela, Lizzy and Tina. They are on M116, or M116 with a M9 interstock or Golden NEW APPLE ROOTSTOCK Delicious interstem to help control growth. The trees are spaced at 4.6m x 1.5m and supported M116 is a new apple rootstock which has only by a wire trellis. just become commercially available from Frank "MM116 is supposed to be more resistant to P Matthews. Between MM106 and M26 in Phytophthora and replant disease," said NACM vigour, this very productive rootstock has orcharding adviser Liz Copas, who is running resistance to collar rot/phytophthora, replant the trial. "Phytophthora can be a killer. If you disease and woolly aphid. As productive as get a wet winter, you can expect a lot of MM106 with 10% less vigour this is likely to infection in trees that are just coming into good prove to be an all round performer for many cropping." commercial (particularly cider) and amateur SLOG has obtained a small batch of M116 situations. The journal “Horticulture Week” of which will be available at the 5th March Grafting 03.07.09 described it as follows: “The East

9 THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE

Workshop for evaluation under Cumbrian TAILPIECE conditions. “The Apple of Your Eye” is a quarterly publication, GRAFTING TO ORDER the next one being the summer issue due mid-May. Contributing articles, preferably in word.doc, are The SLOG grafting to order service is again welcome, along with photos where possible, by the available this winter. If you want a particular end of April 2011 to: [email protected] variety on a particular rootstock, it can, subject to availability, be grafted for you. Bob Bradley Disclaimer - The information in this newsletter is provided on the understanding that SLOG makes no warranties, either is the co-ordinator for this service. Price is expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, unchanged at £15 per tree, buyer collects. Call reliability, or suitability of the information. Nor does SLOG Bob on 015395 52340 with enquiries & orders. warrant that the use of this information is free of any claims of copyright infringement. APPLE TREES FOR SALE The opinions expressed in this publication do not neccessarily represent the views of SLOG. © 2011 South Lakeland Orchard Group SLOG still has a list of maiden apple trees for sale at £13.50 each, comprising traditional varieties suitable for our Northern climate mainly on M25 & MM106 rootstocks all grafted last spring.

Visit http://www.slorchards.co.uk/List%20of%2 Ros, Adele and Bob select maiden trees at Halecat to pot up for sale 0Trees%20for%20Sale.html to see the list and for guidance on purchase and collection.

News from the National Trust's Orchard Project

The NT's Orchard Project will be finishing at the end of March and all their current news is on the latest Orchard Matters newsletter on the SLOG website National Trust Orchard Project newsletter

10 THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE English Orchard ”

An Evening with ROBIN PAGE

Robin Page is a farmer, writer and conservationist. He founded the Countryside Restoration Trust (CRT), with the help of friends, and has seen it grow to a national charity dealing with farming and wildlife. The CRT now owns “ five farms, a smallholding, a wood, and A Walk several other parcels of land. He has written thirty-one books and is ex- presenter of “One Man and His Dog”. He is also on the Council of the National Trust and is Patron of Save Our in an Squirrels.

11 THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE

Friday 18 th March

CASTLE GREEN HOTEL (The Function House) A684 (Sedbergh Road), KENDAL, LA9 6RG Starts 8.00pm (doors open & refreshments from 7.30pm) Tickets £7.50 including refreshments (tea/coffee) LICENSED BAR Tickets from: Ros Taylor, Tel 01539 741943 email [email protected] Organised by