Community Orchard Pathway (3/4): Caring
Part three of guide created with Manchester Fruit Trees. There are 4 sections: planning; planting; caring; using.
Watering
Newly planted trees need watering, as much as 10-20 litres a week. If you’ve planted an orchard of 50 trees that could mean 4000 litres in a dry month! So if you don’t have a water source nearby what’s a community to do?
Before you’ve even turned on a tap we’d ask the question ‘Are your trees mulched’. Mulch not only retains moisture in the soil it acts as a natural barrier to avoid drying out. You’d be amazed if you put your hands through a good 5-10cm mulch, down to the soil, and feel how moist the ground is.
A great way to engage your community is to get different members, groups or families to adopt a tree. This way in dry weather each family can become responsible for 1 or 2 trees. Bringing the largest water vessels that you can carry like watering cans, 4 litre milk bottles, supermarket 5 litre water bottles, rolling camping water carrier, or H2Go wheelbarrow water bag. If you do have a water source then you could invest in hoses and/or kit such as a wheelbarrow water butt.
Resources:
Information board
A sturdy noticeboard is a simple way to share what plants are in the orchard or forest garden, and what events are happening. A noticeboard is better than a display panel because you can tell people about events, and changes. You could have seasonal information about what to look for around the site.
Formative pruning
Cutting off branches in the first few years encourages healthy growth. A great way to learn is to come on a course or buy the wonderful “How to Prune an Apple Tree: Guide for Real People with Imperfect Trees”.
Maintenance pruning
After a few years when the tree is established, the focus turns to pruning for fruit abundance in winter and summer, which is also covered in the “Guide for Real People with Imperfect Trees” book and our courses. A good place to start is with the 3 D's and 2 C's.
Scything
Allowing meadow grasses and flowers to grow adds to the biodiversity. A scythe is a good alternative to mowing machinery. The cut long grass can be used to mulch around the plants as well as encouraging biodiversity. A rake is useful here.
Check if you need public liablity insurance to fling a long sharp blade around!
Bug refuges
Fruit trees and bushes are more likely to thrive when there is a biodiversity of insects. Building simple bug hotels helps that happen. These simple bottle refuges are a good project.
Mulching
Maintaining a metre-wide thick layer of mulch will help the trees and bushes grow quicker and healthier. It also keeps mowers and strimmers away which can seriously damage the trees. Mulch retains moisture in the soil, reducing the need for frequent watering, and keeps your orchard looking beautiful with its circle of protective covering.
Additionally, mulch suppresses weeds, improves soil structure, and gradually adds organic matter to the soil as it decomposes. Importantly, it also fosters beneficial mycorrhizal fungi, which form symbiotic relationships with tree roots, enhancing nutrient uptake and overall tree health.
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