Orchard Network

Site selection

Once, most farmhouses had an orchard providing fruit for the family, while areas like Kent and the Three Counties also had larger, commercial orchards. Today, while managing and restoring existing orchards takes priority, creating new orchards is important for wildlife and can reinforce landscape character. New orchard planting should fit in with the surrounding landscape, ideally on historic orchard sites. The ideal site is in a sunny, sheltered, south-west facing location, away from frost pockets such as valley bottoms.

Tree selection

Tree size: Maidens are cheaper and establish better, but standards have already had some formative pruning.

Rootstocks: Dwarfing rootstocks produce smaller trees, for bush-tree orchards and gardens. However, traditional orchard trees need vigorous rootstocks to support a tall trunk and to raise the branches above the reach of grazing animals.

Varieties: There is a huge choice of varieties, particularly apples. Many varieties are old, rare and confined to a small area, even a single village. They may be chosen for a number of reasons, such as cultural and historical value, suitability for local conditions, or their use (ie eating, cooking or juicing).

Downloads

Site Selection PDF - download the full guide