Wade Muggleton from the Three Counties Orchard Project looks at how to plan and plant your own orchard.
The planting season for bare rooted trees is essentially November to March, but as Wade states in the film, the best planting is before christmas before the ground gets really cold. The trees are then well watered and settled in before spring. Wade’s experience suggests the closer to March one plants the trees, the more vulnerable they are to dry springs.
But do not fear. If you do wish to plant before March, just ensure you look after and water your trees. Trees left to their own devices do seem to suffer higher mortality if we get a dry spring with low rainfall.
To accompany this film a series of Orchard guidance sheets can be downloaded for free at: http://tctop.org.uk/improving/practical-resources
The Three Counties Orchard Project have brought together volunteers with various funding opportunities, to restore 34 orchards in the Three Counties (Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire).