apple blossom earlier in the year

Season 2024
Summer

Just walking round the orchard on a warm August night looking at this years harvest. Its been a strange season, some trees covered with fruit, but the usual high producers completely empty. Not a single apple.

Some of these trees are triannual, meaning they produce fruit for two years and then not for the next, others biannual. But I think in this case we probably had some awkward weather around flowering that stopped pollination, high wind and late frost for some trees

This means this years’ harvest will taste a bit different, reflecting the prominence of different varieties.

The Pearmain, not a single fruit where usually we will get a ton of fruit.

The Redstreaks, once considered the preeminent cider apple, in the 18th century bottles of Redstreak cider would sell for more than a premier Cru because we were at war with France at the time*.

Well, the Redstreak are doing very well, including new trees we planted five years ago that might have their first year of cropping. These trees supplied by John Worle, the year before he retired, from a life spent around orchards, are true standards, that is they will be full size trees, planted eight meters apart, grown out in the field, grazed below, a traditional layered permaculture solution.

They are so heavily laden with fruit that we might have to remove some of it. This is exciting as they are planted on an area of thinner soil, that as we ‘do and learn’, we were beginning to think was less suitable for apple trees, in favour of lower, lusher fields.

Traditionally it is thought that if the plants have to struggle a bit to produce fruit the result is that bit more intense. Lets see what the Redstreak has in store for us this year.

*We have had Redsteak growing in the valley since 1640.

Planting list
Redstreak
Permaculture