The green and rolling countryside of Worcestershire, England, is home to the cider apple orchards which surround the gardens of Pear Tree Cottage. They enjoy a sunny south westerly aspect with sweeping views across to Martley Hillside, Woodbury and Abberley clock tower. The Teme Valley lies just over the hill and, not far away, is the Herefordshire border. Although our climate is temperate, our seasons are often uncertain and always a challenge to a gardener! This began in 2010 & follows the weekly ups and downs of garden work chronicling both successes and failures but, above all, demonstrates the fun enjoyed by three people who regularly garden in all weathers

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5 February 2015

Apple Pruning


It's that time of year when the real experts have been busy in the surrounding cider apple orchards pruning the apple trees.  Whilst we only have two (as opposed to 24000!) it was time to sharpen the secateurs, loppers and pruning saw. Now; this is exactly the sort of job where height is a very distinct advantage!  With Chris being 6'5" plus he definitely had the advantage over my meagre 5'5"!  What's interesting here is the fact that Bulmer's trees are pruned purely to maximise yield and they don't need to worry about shape.  We of course want the best of both worlds and prefer to keep a traditional shape to the tree as well as having plenty of fruit.  Our expert neighbour: Rob grafted a desert apple by the name of Falstaff on to our Bramley and this has to be born in mind especially when pruning!  Our other apple is a Katie - also a present from Rob.  Well, we done our best (as they say) with both trees' and time and season alone will tell.  We pruned the fruiting spurs back by a third to a bud and cut out all the misshapen and rubbing branches in both trees and then, in much need of a warm job, we cleared up all the prunings and went off to have a monster bonfire!

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