MAY 2016 UPDATE

On Saturday a group met up at the Orchard to admire this year’s blossom….and pretty good it is looking too. The pears have all blossomed well this year showing how they are maturing (particularly the Buerre Hardy which takes a few years to establish) and all pears trees have set fruit for the first time.

This is Conference pear showing the tiny fruitlets

The apples have nearly all got good blossom too….and I am particularly pleased to see the trees which are near to the greedy Copper Beech flowering well. (Katy and Fiesta)  The Sunset tree which was nibbled by the rabbit in March, and now bandaged up looks amazingly good. I can’t believe it will make a crop this year with such devastating girdling, but who knows? Maybe it will surprise us all.

Sunset blossom

However the two George Cave which were struggling last year are now looking even worse. They are already mis-shapen following pruning to try to get rid of canker …..but now the trees look even more bedraggled. Why these trees? I have no idea why they should have been so affected. We’ll be watching them carefully this year….it could be their last!

 

George Cave looking poorly…….

We will be having a working party shortly for a tidying up exercise......and then in the Autumn (mid September onwards) we will gather together for the best meetings of the year.....Tasting and Harvest. We are going to try some Sunday afternoons.... we are very keen to include Limpsfield School children and their parents.