| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| jenn |
help with treeswe have so many trees and we need to clear them, we appear to have lots and lots of cherry trees and apple trees that are leaf eaten and old. Dont really want to cut them down but where is the best place to go for advice that wont cost a second mortgage.jenn |
| stumbling goat |
i am no expert but once a tree has filled it's useful life providing fruit, is no longer ornamental or is diseased what can you do with them?
they can be used as firewood, so not wasted if cut down. ow |
| Lorrainelovesplants |
You can rejuvenate old fruit trees with pruning and feeding, but if they are really far gone, then either reuse them as firewood and clear the land for other use/replanting, or infect the trees with mistletoe if you fancy a long term project.
RHS gardens such as Rosemoor do apple days in October which have fruit tree pruning/care workshops. Or contact a head gardener at a NT property. |
| tahir |
If they're old you're likely to have some varieties (especially on the cherries, there were some areas of Oxfordshire thatwere famous for cherries) that were possibly local and may be "missing" I'd try and find a local orchards group. Our local one is the East of England Apples and Orchards Project.
Most of them are voluntary and really only charge membership. What scale of land and plantings have you got? Holey leaves really aren't a problem and old orchards are stunningly beautiful and great for wildlife |
| Treacodactyl |
This article might help and there's some useful links that might be helpful:
http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Growing_food/Renovating_old_fruit_trees/ |
| Mutton |
Be a bit cautious - they might be the last examples of rare varieties! It is possible to take cuttings and graft onto new root stock and you have a new tree that will last a long time. (Which is not answering your question  ) They may indeed have had it, or they may need TLC like feeding and pruning.
Not quite sure from what you said whether you want all the trees out of your way, or just want them to be neater and more productive if you are giving space to them. Given the time it takes to get an apple tree large and fruiting, I would definitely look at alternatives to felling. This may be one of those times that it is worth asking someone to come and look at them - are there any tree people in your area who do free quotes? As in, say to them you'd like to revive your trees. If there is a good firm then they should be honest and say "Yes we can do this" or "No they've had it." In my past experience, people who love their work are prepared to give a small amount of free advice to stop something worthwhile being destroyed. Maybe try contacting the RHS at Wisley - see what sort of advice service they can give based on you sending a few photos. Not done it myself, but seem to remember they, or maybe Kew Gardens, certainly offer an "identify this" service which regularly receives envelopes full of squishy plums and the like. Last house we were at, we had a very pathetic plum tree, and we finally identified via a gardening book that it had a calcium deficiency so scatted a load of calcium carbonate around it and it was a different tree. There were also three weedy little Cox's apple trees - mature but pathetic. Then the sewer which ran through our back garden backed up and overflowed through the manhole cover next to said weedy trees. Gorgeous crops for years after that. Didn't do any pruning to get this, just loads of liquid manure.  I took to buying a couple of buckets of rooster booster and sharing it between the trees, including the ones that didn't get the sewer output and we did get steady apple crops from all but one.
That house was in gravel pit country, and there was a really packed layer of gravel 18 inches under the topsoil. When planting new trees and shrubs we learnt to dig an enormous hole and put in lots of compost or the plant just failed to thrive. We later thought that the people who planted the weedy trees hadn't dug deep enough. If you don't need to urgently deal with these trees, why not try feeding lots of manure or even the proper balanced artificial fertilizer (manure being largely nitrogen compounds I believe) to some of them and next year, or even later this year, see if there is a marked improvement compared to the ones that weren't fed. Wood ash if you have some to hand will also give them some minerals - but NOT coal ash. (Edit - When I started writing this reply there was one answer on the thread, by the time I posted it, there were lots. )
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| Home on the Hill |
To get the apples identified, RHS and Brogdale have services - but they cost around £12 each. Probably a bit expensive if you have lots. You can usually get apples id-ed for free at apple days in the autumn - Garden Organic have one that may not be too far away from you? But the queues are usually massive so be prepared to wait around.
Cherries are more unusual but I think Brogdale will id them for a charge - see www.brogdale.org I'd try some tlc - feed them and prune them. Also, try and find out what's wrong with them. RHS and Garden Organic have members' advice services that can help with this sort of thing. Or post some piccies on here. If you have to take them down, plant some new, or make a donation to a community orchard project (or similar) so that they can plant some for you. Good luck...Carrie |
| Hairyloon |
If all else fails, get the forum's resident tree surgeon to drop in next time he's passing. |
| jenn |
thanks for all the replies and advice, no we dont particularly want to cut them down, we have enough second/third growth from all sorts of trees to be able to clear the rubbish to leave themore mature ones, we have so many we cant identify, we have bsically 2 small woods and lots of trees in the garden,
Thanks so much for all the advice, really appreciated. when we first came here just before christmas we could hardly walk through the garden and you could hardly get in the house door, so alot is cleared, rubbish, weeds and likewise and we are beginning to see what is actually there, It was wonderful a few weeks ago the whole place was a mass of blossom. jenn |
| Mutton |
ooh, so envious. We like here much better than where we moved from (by a long way) but there were no fruit trees at all here. 
The garden at the old place was lovely with blossom, especially with the enormous perry pear tree at the bottom of the garden. We did manage to dig up some spurs before we left, so have four small ones to plant. (Two planted, two to go, have to have wind breaks planted round them.) Also have some damson spurs from the neighbour's tree. Yet to plant the rest of the orchard, but it will come. Incidentally, depending on your acreage, you may now want to think about some stock wandering around under the trees, keeping down all the vegetation so you don't have to clear it again. If you go for anything larger than geese, you may need to protect the bark of the trees. Geese are mostly grass plus some weeds and windfall fruit. Wouldn't do brambles. |
| goosey |
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. - That's BBOWT, are running a 'course' (which usually means a few hours on one day) in late autumn 2009.
The Identification and Management of Old Orchards. email Cathie Hasler - cathiehasler@bbowt.org.uk or, name address email address and 10 pound returnable deposit cheque to BBOWT. BBOWTCourse Bookings, FREEPOST OF2051 If I'm free, I will try and go. I don't own an old orchard, but this might be a situation where I can use the Shires for restoration and maintenance, as well as the woodland work. |
| Nick |
http://www.msog.btik.com/p_Home.ikml
Tenner to join and they'll help you spot species and manage your orchard. |
| jenn |
thanks for that nick, its actually not too far away and I can be really conservation minded and get there on the bus
Jenn |
| BahamaMama |
Have you tried your local agricultural college? Himself works for the forestry dept at our local college and they often get calls from people asking for help. His college is very happy to help identify/manage tree related things but the trade off is you get students crawling all over for the duration of the project. I guess it depends how many trees you need to deal with. |
| jenn |
we tried that bm but our local college has ceased gardening/horticulture, tree course and the nearest one is witney 30 miles away so I need to contact them but I think they wiuill say they are too far away, dont mind students theres enough space there for them to get well lost in and hopefully we wouldnt see them for weeks LOL
jenn |
| Acorns |
A dead tree will be home to many different types of insects providing food for birds in the winter......... 
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