Thank you for showing an interest in planting some fruit trees (or even an orchard!) at your school. Many schools around the country are now doing this worthwhile project, particularly as many orchards have vanished over the last 50 years in Gloucestershire and around the UK, with the loss of unique varieties of apple, perry pear, plums, damsons, cherries, loss of habitat/biodiversity and loss of local heritage & history. Fortunately, the tide has turned and orchards are now much more valued and have recently been given National Biodiversity Action Plan status. Please let GOG know if you are planning on planting as we have compiled a register of interested schools.
Funding & Advice
For schools in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire, money may be available from GOG’s Severn Trent Community Recovery Fund – please contact either Martin Hayes mobile 07900 985679/01242 579109 martin.hayes9@btinternet.com or contact us. If the funding has expired, we can put you on our reserve list, should extra money become available.
Advice to schools in Gloucestershire is also available from Alan Watson, County Arboriculturist at Gloucestershire County Council 01453 794923.
For schools in Gloucester City, the City Council will advise and help fund orchard planting (or any other tree planting) – contact Meyrick Brentnall, Principal Planning Officer, Gloucester City Council 01452 396829.
For South Gloucestershire, contact John Morris (or Richard Aston) of South Gloucestershire Council. 01454 863581/0777 8529566. johnV.Morris@southglos.gov.uk Mr. Fruit (Graham White) may also advise - 01454 778065, mobile 07894165026, email mrfruit@btinternet.com
GOG has a list of other grants available, including the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust, which is keen to fund community projects. Please contact us for a list.
Varieties
Please see varieties page for names and photographs of the 100 Gloucestershire varieties of apple, 100 of perry pear and 16 of plum/damson, many of which are rare and have been saved from extinction by county researcher Charles Martell (also producer of Stinking Bishop cheese). The names are fascinating and school children can be tempted by these and their cultural & historical significance. There are no known indigenous cherry varieties remaining, but these can still be planted if you wish. The contorted hazel was discovered in Frocester, Gloucestershire. There are several plums and apples associated with the Bristol/South Gloucestershire area. GOG and Mr. Fruit can advise. You can print off our website (just acknowledge GOG/Charles Martell please).
Nurseries
Many of these unique Gloucestershire varieties can be obtained from Rob Watkins of Lodge Farm Trees and Dave Kaspar 01452 813602 and others. Contact us as it may be possible to order on your behalf. You’ll have to wait till the winter for planting as the trees are bare rooted and need to be dormant when the sap is down. (Some garden centres sell Ashmeads Kernel in pots for all-round year planting, such as Highfield Nurseries and Buckingham Nurseries but you won’t get many Gloucestershire varieties, which is a great pity – it really is worth the wait till winter!).
See the nurseries page for a list of sources »
Rootstocks
Traditionally, apple trees on M25 (vigorous) rootstocks are grown in orchards, but MM106 rootstocks (final tree height about 5 metres) would be better for schools because the children can pick more easily/Health & Safety. Also, space may be at a premium. Trees grown on either rootstock are available from Rob Watkins.
Planting
Plant wide, shallow holes (not deep rich pits that become waterlogged) and some say avoid staking. See good planting advice on Thornhayes Nursery (they also sell a few Glos varieties) or ask Rob Watkins or Martin Hayes. Square holes may be better than round ones, to allow easier growth of roots at the corners into surrounding soil.
More information on planting is available on the new orchards page »
Protection & Aftercare
Use rabbit spirals and/or strimmer guards from day one. A designated mini orchard area is best, to protect from the county mowing team which can wipe out all your hard work with their big machines! And get the children to water regularly in dry weather. Nurseries often have rabbit spirals; strimmer guards can be obtained from e.g. Acorn Planting Products. Label your trees carefully and make a planting plan (some labels fade in sunlight).
Pruning advice and help is available on the pruning page and from Martin Hayes; mobile 07900 985679/01242 579109 martin.hayes9@btinternet.com
Wildlife
Encourage wildlife (dead wood piles, even standing dead wood) and don’t be too tidy. Orchards can attract hundreds (even thousands!) of flora and fauna, with resulting foodchains. The rare noble chafer beetle is unlikely to visit your fruit trees, but the children may be interested to see a photograph!
See the wildlife page for more information »
Celebrations and Cross-Curricular Activities
Common Ground initiated Apple Day in 1990 and have pioneered the celebration of local distinctiveness and community orchards around the UK. The Gloucestershire Orchard Group promotes not only Apple Day, but also Pear Day and Plum Day. Nationally, there are several big initiatives to encourage schools and communities to get involved with orchards, local food and wildlife. Here are some schools orchard packs which may help you:
- Gartmore Primary School, Main Street, Gartmore, Stirling FK8 3RJ has produced an Apple Day Starter Pack, price £2.50 (inc p&p). Tel Helen Webster 01877 382343. The school is very experienced with growing apples, Apple Day and cross-curricular activities.
- Bud to Beaker 01303 815170 www.kentdowns.org.uk linked to curriculum.
- Common Ground Learning Through Landscapes
Stop Press: Learning Through Landscapes Grant
2010 National Lottery Local Food funding and advice for 200 secondary and links to their feeder primary schools across England: www.ltl.org.uk/fruitfull_schools.htm fruitfullschools@ltl.org.uk Helen Robinson 0208 8503112 (ext. 210)
GOG has simple posters on How the Apple came to Gloucester from the Far East in the distant past (based on research by eminent Dr. Barrie Juniper from Oxford University); contact us for a copy. Ashmeads Kernel is 300 years old and was discovered by Dr. Ashmead at the now Primark store in Gloucester!
An apple press can be hired from GOG for juicing if you wish. GOG may be able to provide some apples for tasting and juicing, but we have limited manpower. Martin Hayes, for a fee, can run an Apple Day event at your school.
Training & School Visits: GOG offers ongoing training workshops and Dave Kaspar (Days Cottage organic apple juice) occasionally has schools to visit his juicing parlour at Brookthorpe, near Gloucester. He and Helen have recently built an Orchard & Rural Craft Centre (with yurt and roundhouse) which should be open to school visits in 2009 onwards. Julia Currie julia@juliacurrie.co.uk at Randwick is also geared up to school visits to her orchard and farm. Geoff Carr, science teacher at Chipping Campden School is able to offer Apple Day and orcharding advice/support materials through experience at his flagship school 01386 840216 gc@chippingcampden.gloucs.sch.uk The school use the produce they grow:
Extract: Chipping Campden School (secondary)
Geoff Carr wrote:we bought pulping, juicing & pasteurising equipment and have bottled lots of juice to sell to staff, students and parents and are selling hot spiced apple juice in the school canteen. We also bought a dehydrator to make apple chips. We held our first Apple Day on 21st October 2008, which featured an orchard tour, apple chomping competition, hands-on use of the apple coring/peeling machine, and demonstrations on how to make edible apple leather! With a poster organised by the art department, a Haiku competition and staff making apple-pies & cakes, it was a great success. This will be an annual event and other schools and members of the public will be encouraged to attend next year to see what we are up to.
GOG membership and Publicizing your School Orchard
We have several schools as members of GOG. Please contact us if you are interested in joining, or print off the membership form on the membership page. We can put any news about your school project in our newsletter. The local press may also be interested.
