If you would like to join the orchard team, please email Andy or call 01539 727772.

We see this as an opportunity to:

  • maintain some of the rarer Furness, Cumberland and Westmorland varieties, from which scion wood and/or buds can be provided for propagation
  • grow on grafts from unidentified trees to obtain fruit for identification
  • evaluate scab-resistant varieties under Cumbrian conditions
  • evaluate new rootstocks such as M116
  • evaluate the suitability of new varieties for Cumbrian conditions
  • etc etc (and it doesn't have to be just apples!)

    • Orchard Working Party Update May 4th 2012

    SLOG orchard May 2012

     

    A second working party on the 5th May saw Adam, Andy & Justin erect a second set of posts & wires; and plant the first five of what will be a row of about twenty Cumbrian varieties.

     

    The five Cumbrian varieties planted so far are:

    The following dozen Cumbrian varieties were grafted in March on MM106 for planting out in November:

    A few more Cumbrian varieties remain to be grafted March 2013 for planting out in November 2013.

    In addition, we planted another five Quince rootstocks donated by Hilary, and did some hoeing to ensure the young trees already planted can get established without weed competition.

    The new SLOG orchard

     

    Photo 1: Entire site with rootstocks in foreground and first row of cordons on left (Feb 2012)The new SLOG orchard is white under the new layer of lime

     

     

     

    Photo 2: Line of cordons running from south to north, smaller trees at south, bigger ones at north end so that all can enjoy whatever sunshine we get. (Feb 2012)

     

     

     

    The first row of cordons consist of experimental varieties, among which we are evaluating varieties with the scab-resistant Vf gene, and three pairs of varieties where we are evaluating the new M116 rootstock against the well-known and reliable MM106 rootstock, and also a few other new varieties to determine their suitability for Cumbrian conditions. The identity of the trees from north to south is as follows:

    Saturn/M26 LD, EMRS 1997, GDx, scab-res  
    Elstar/MM106 MD, Wageningen 1955, Ingrid MariexGD  
    Prima M26 EMD, USA 1970, Vf scab-res gene  
    Otava/MM106 LD,Czech,recent,scab,res,gene  
    Majka/MM106 LD, Czech, recent, (GDxLL)x?, Vf scab-res gene, may not ripen fully in N  
    Limelight/MM106 MD, H.Ermen 1985 DiscoveryxGreensleeves, res scab & mildew, frost-res  
    Limelight/M116 MD, H.Ermen 1985 DiscoveryxGreensleeves, res scab & mildew, frost-res  
    Delcorf/M116 EMD, France 1956, GDxStark Jonagrimes  
    Delbar Estival/MM106 EMD, France 1956, GDxStark Jonagrimes  
    Santana/M116 Dutch cv suitable for mild apple allergy sufferers, intro 2006  
    Pinova/MM106 LD, Germany, 1986, CliviaxGD, disease-res, good keeper  
    Santana/MM106 Dutch cv suitable for mild apple allergy sufferers, intro 2006  
    Northern Festival/M26Seedling raised by Freda in Southport  


    There is also a Taylors Favourite on M25 at the NE side of the plot which will be grown as a standard.


    The next row of cordons to be planted will be exclusively Cumbrian varieties.