A collection of all my own orchard experiences, fruit growing research, opinions and conclusions, organic pest and disease management whilst using a mixture of horticultural and agricultural practices.
Medlars and Medlarking
So, the Medlar harvest is in! A fantastically whimsical fruit. Very popular in medieval times but not so popular now, That said, everyone who I have met that grows them…love them. Medlars are native…
Visit to Coton Orchard
I said this year I would visit many orchards, however, for various reasons that sadly hasn’t happened. It is something I would still like to do as it’s very inspiring. It’s good to step…
Growing and cooking pears at Le manoir with Country living magazine
Heres a little video made alongside Country living magazine. It’s full of tips and tricks about growing and cooking pears from Le Manoir Aux Quat ‘Saisons. The introduction is by Raymond Blanc. Cooking tips…
My thoughts on this spring
I wanted to write a piece about this spring, the spring of 2025. It has been unusually warm, very dry and not at all windy. I was a little worried but also intrigued. How…
Why am I not getting fruit off my fruit trees?
Everyone keeps talking about their bumper crop this year. A lot of blossom, ample pollinators and now everyone is thinning due to such a heavy crop. Even after the June drop. I mean, it’s…
The importance of watering your Quince trees
The Quince are looking amazing, picture perfect in fact. There are lots of fruit and they are naturally perfectly spaced out. It’s great news but that puts the pressure on a bit. Quince trees…
Aphid wars on fruit trees
Ugh, when the aphids get to the trees long before you do. That’s another years rest for the Damsons then. (a bit of positivity there!) It was a bit of a shock when I…
Turning failed fruit tree grafts into a positive
Months back, you excitedly grafted your fruit tree with so much hope. Eventually, with some of your grafts, you have to admit defeat. However, this is by no means the end of the story…
Installing bird boxes in the orchard for pest control
A very exciting thing happened in the orchard a few weeks ago. We installed our first bird boxes which just happened to be a world wildlife day…a happy coincidence! So why would we actively…
Essential Winter Orchard Tasks for Fruit Trees
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. One of the best things about working with fruit trees is you get to see all four seasons. It’s one of the many things I…
- Beneficial insects (17)
- Diseases and disorders (12)
- Environmental Problems (24)
- Events (1)
- Foraging (1)
- Fruit growing (13)
- Kiwi (1)
- Mistletoe (1)
- Planning (3)
- Wild strawberries (1)
- Fruit Musings (11)
- Fruit produce (2)
- Fruit Propagation (2)
- Fruit related humour (2)
- Fruit tree maintenance (21)
- Fruit thinning (1)
- Pruning (3)
- Media (2)
- Pests (17)
- Stone fruit (2)
- Apricots (1)
- Cherries (1)
- Greengages (1)
- Peaches (1)
- Uncategorized (10)
- Varieties (1)
- Visits (5)
The Grounded Orchardist 