2020 saw the start of production of our own juice and cider and the pressing service was established!
I used to drink gallons of apple juice back when I were a lad, so apples have always been on the mind. In 2016 I was lucky enough to spend 6 months working in a commercial apple and pear orchard, hand picking and completing general orchard maintenance. I loved the work, from the process of picking and being outside through to seeing the bees at pollination time and the other wildlife the orchard supported throughout the year, and not to mention the fruit itself, of which I sampled plenty! After picking we would pick fruit that had been dropped during the day and then juice the fruit in the evenings, that was the first fresh apple juice I had tasted and I realised just how delicious it was.
The gallery opposite shows Dominion Point 0rchard in Nelson, NZ which was the inspiration to plant an Orchard at home.
I was very keen to transplant what I had seen in NZ to our little corner of Derbyshire, and especially after seeing an orchard had been planted with the house on an 1895 OS map an orchard planting plan was hatched! The first phase was planted in 2018 followed by a slightly more extensive planting in the spring of 2019. The trees planted were a mixture of one and two year old half standard and standard bare rooted trees, in total just over 70 trees have been planted in the orchard with a mixture of 18 varieties.
The Trees planted are mostly traditional varieties primarily known for their fine juicing qualities, The orchard consists of Ashmeads Kernel, Newton Wonder (a local variety) Worcester Pearmain, Dabinett and Porters Perfection to name a few. It is an antagonising wait for the trees to come into fruit, There is light crop on some of the more established trees this year but the fruit has mostly been picked off to allow the trees to become more established.
When setting an orchard out the root stocks and varieties can be slightly overwhelming as there are so many choices. Being in a northerly and exposed location I was careful to choose hardy varieties that can withstand late frosts and cooler temperatures. The root stocks (separate to the tree variety) control the size of the final tree, vigorous root stocks were chosen which will result in a traditional Standard Orchard rather than the more productive and intense bush orchards where fruits trees are grown in a form more similar to a hedge row than stand alone trees.
The area of orchard habitat has decreased by nearly 60 % since the 1950’s and as a result traditional orchards are now recognised as a priority habitat by the People’s Trust for Endangered species and Natural England. So whilst taking a crop each year from the trees and producing the most fantastic Juice the orchard is also proving to be an important habitat for a whole host of species which I feel makes the juice even more enjoyable knowing what it gives back.
It is a subject that interests me hugely and feel passionately about, since planting my own orchard I have been lucky enough to help with the establishment of another Derbyshire Orchard, so if you would like some advice then please do get in touch.