The challenge with growing apples is what to do with the ones with imperfect skins that won't keep. I've been making dried apple rings a lot recently. I really enjoy them but they take a bit of production even with the help of a manual peeling, coring and slicing machine. It also seems a real shame to throw away the peel which has all kind of health benefits ('An apple a day..' looks as though it has some truth behind it - see this for example
Unusual Immuno-Modulatory Triterpene-Caffeates in the Skins of Russeted Varieties of Apples and Pears). So last night I tried making apple fruit leather for a change. I've made fruit leather plenty of times in the past but I tend to use soft fruit. This time I used up all the imperfect apples I had left over and used them with skins on. Here's the recipe: Ingredients: A small bag of apples A tablespoon of cinnamon A couple of tablespoons of sugar About 50ml water Method:
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I finally caught up with the tree and soft fruit pruning in the garden over the last month or so. I pruned the apple trees quite lightly this year as the framework has been developed for the bush and standard trees now. I concentrated on removing some of the overcrowded regions and making some space at lower levels. Pruning is one of those things that I think is potentially a real obstacle when starting out with a forest garden if you don't have background in growing fruit trees. Even for people with a strong background in gardening, pruning fruit trees can be daunting. I certainly spent a lot of time worrying about it in the beginning. For me it was the idea that by pruning you are having a permanent effect on the trees and you will have to live with the results. Without having experience of what effect pruning has it is difficult to work out what effect your choices make. I found watching YouTube videos really helpful to get started. In particular, I got a lot of help from Stephen Hayes' channel. It also inspired me to keep a record of what I had pruned and what effect it had so that I could learn from my mistakes. I thought it might be useful for others too. In the past I've posted some timelapses of winter pruning but I realised it might be useful to combine these with the growth in the summer too so the video below shows seven years of pruning one of the apple trees in the garden (it took me a while to learn how to do some simple video editing with Lightworks). The tree is a Redsleeves apple on M26 rootstock that I am growing in bush form. It is pretty much in its final shape now, although this year I took off one of the lower branches growing towards the adjacent boundary where it was shading a pear cordon. It's pruning time in the garden now. I'm a little bit late this year and I'm getting a bit twitchy that with the mild weather the trees might start growing before I'm done. I managed to lose my folding pruning saw so finally took the plunge and bought a Silky Fox Gomtaro. It arrived yesterday so I set about pruning the apple trees and a few others. The saw is great; very quick to cut through branches and leaves a very clean cut. Would definitely recommend it. One dilemma was what to do with trees close to the polytunnel. The polytunnel wasn't in the original plan for the garden. It seemed like a good solution to replace the old shed and was much cheaper than a greenhouse, but it was always going to be a compromise in a small forest garden. It has been a real success but I'm not sure that I want to alter the final design too much. In particular there is a hazel tree and a mulberry tree to the south of the polytunnel. The hazel is unlikely to get much taller than about 2 m and only shades the tunnel when the sun is low. The mulberry though has the potential to get really large and shade the tunnel. However, it is late into leaf so it doesn't shade the tunnel all year long. So on the one hand the tunnel can provide lots of produce but needs more input and on the other the mulberry provides some tasty fruit late in the season and is very attractive and will be a real feature when larger. Well I couldn't quite decide and for this year I pruned just some of the lower branches very close to the polytunnel surface and raised the canopy a little. I was pleased with the result although the wounds weeped a whte milky sap. Hopefully the tree will be ok. It left a sticky mess on my new pruning saw too! I also pruned the apple trees in the garden. The standard apples are getting pretty big now and I only pruned them lightly. I cut back some of the lower branches of the Tydeman's Late Orange which tends to droop down quite low. I am hoping that it will encourage more vigour into the higher branches. One of my cats decided to help me out too. So compared to last week the leaves are starting to fall now. The sweet cherry is bare and the apples nearly so. The mulberry is a wonderful yellow colour.
I took the opportunity to clear some grass from around the Court of Wick apple tree. The Babington leeks were coming up already at the base of the tree and I wanted to make sure they didn't get overwhelmed. In pulling up the grass I was encouraged to see that the log mulch around the tree was covered in mycelium. Hopefully it extends well underneath the logs and won't be too disturbed by being uncovered at the top. I cleared some of the vegetation that had taken over a narrow strip behind the polytunnel. I repaired the fence there earlier this year and have been thinking that it would be a good spot for some trained fruit trees. It it south facing and it protected but not shaded by the polytunnel on the south. It is about 4-5m long and has a corner with a short length (~1.2m) of east facing fencing. I can't make my mind up what to plant. Some things I'm considering are pear or apple cordons to complement the other varieties, an apricot fan (but I don't think I have the height) or a quince fan or cordon (anyone know if you can successfully train them as cordons?). I need to get moving if I'm going to be able to order something before the nursery stock run out. The other job for yesterday was carving a pumpkin for Halloween. Of course it had to have a forest garden theme... I've been taking photos of the garden as it develops. I started a few years ago now and occasionally I turn some of the photos into timelapse movies that highlight the changes over time. I thought it would be nice to focus in on the apple and pear trees closest to the house. The video shows developments over four and a half years. On the left is a Tydeman's Late Orange apple being grown as a standard and on the right a Redsleeves apple grown as a bush. In the middle is an arch with an Onward pear growing as a single cordon on the left and a Blue Pearmain growing as a double cordon on the right. If you look out for it you can see the blossom in spring, the trees putting on new growth, apples growing and bending down branches, leaves falling and even pruning. I've managed to get away for a couple of trips this summer, each of a week long. The garden has hardly noticed my absence. There has been plenty of rain that has stopped the small number of pots from drying out (mostly blueberries). The polytunnel coped ok with the doors left open at night and 30 minutes of watering through irrigation hose at ground level underneath the tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and peppers. The other side manged ok getting lots of watering before I went. On returning from the first week away most of the harvest was courgettes and cucumbers from the polytunnel, plus a few tomatoes and climbing french beans. The forest garden yielded lots of Japanese wineberries, some blackcurrants, blueberries and a few pears. After the second week away things have changed a little. The polytunnel is still producing lots of cucumbers and the tomatoes are accelerating. Outside the hazelnuts are going brown and I've started to pick them. I try to pick them a little early and dry them inside to beat the squirrels to it. I picked about 3 kg yesterday and there are still lots more to be picked. I picked the remaining pears, which haven't done very well this year. By contrast there are lots of apples in the garden. For each variety there are typical times for picking and storage in the books. My early Redsleeves tree was even earlier than the recommended picking time. It seems as though the others are ready earlier too. For example, the Court of Wick apples are supposed to be ready for picking in late September, but come away easily now when lifted up. I've picked a few, but am slightly nervous about picking them so early. They keep until October to December so I don't expect to be able to tell from the flavour whether they are ripe yet. Most of these are in good condition and look as though they will keep well. In general the apples have suffered from Codling moth quite badly. Many of the fruit have holes in. The tree that I grafted in 2011 with Egremont Russet and Merton Russet now has a good crop of both. Some of these have fallen off while I was away. Both varieties again have a later picking date according to the books. I picked some of the Egremont Russet yesterday as they came off easily. About half looked as though they will keep, others look too holey. Many of the apples have woodlice in holes in them too. I'm not sure if this is because of the Codling moth holes or from bird damage. I probably will slice and dry the ones that won't store. The Blue Pearmain apple is a really interesting one. I have a double cordon of this and the largest fruit are enormous, but it also has some very small ones too. Some of these have holes in too so I have picked all of them to see if the good ones will ripen inside. nest year I'm going to experiment with pheremone traps as I've heard positive things about them from friends. Late August harvest from the forest garden. From 12 o'clock, cucumbers, courgettes, tomatoes (from the polytunnel), Onwards pear (centre), Concorde and unknown pears (1 o'clock), Nottingham cobnuts (3 o'clock), Egremont Russet and Court of Wick apples, Kentish cobnuts (9 o'clock) and Blue Pearmain apples (11 o'clock). Just a quick post with a picture of a couple of Blue Pearmain apples growing on a double cordon around an arch. The name stretches the imagination a little, but they do have a bluish tinge and I love the texture of their skins. Hope they make it to harvest time unscathed!
Something of an unexpected bonus today - the first early apples!
I have a Redsleeves apple tree that grows well, is very vigorous and healthy. It tends to bear quite a lot of fruit too. However, every year the apples start to fall very early. At that point I start picking them, at least those that come off the tree easily. The down side with such an early apple seems to be that the fruit is still very tart. With later apples, they continue to ripen off the tree. However, with these they don't seem to ripen once picked. This year I tried some very aggressive thinning of the fruit in June. It seems to have resulted in some good sized apples, but they are still falling pretty early. One good thing though - the first one I ate today was actually not too tart to eat. It could definitely have been sweeter, but it was edible and with a very good texture. So if this is the natural time for the start of the apples in the garden, I could have a nearly year round supply if the Annie Elizabeth cookers keep right through to June as claimed in some of the books. A number of the fruit do have signs of codling moth as usual. I've been picking the ones that I've spotted with holes in early, but now I will pick them and use for freezing, drying or some other kind of preserving I think. I caught up with some of my timelapse photos of the garden and put together this short video of the fruit tree blossom this spring. It runs from the 4th April to the 22nd May. If you view it at full size you can see the different trees coming into flower. First up are the cherries, then pears, apples and finally quince. I haven't noted the times for the different varieties, but there is a definite order within the different apple trees. The warm weather has brought on the early Redsleeves apples even faster this year. I try to leave them to ripen on the tree as long as possible but every time I go outside more of them have fallen to the floor. I've given up waiting and picked most of them now. Straight off the tree they are a little sharp, but after a few days they are sweeter and edible without cooking. It's great to have some apples so early in the year although, to be honest, I would rather have them a little later in the season when the soft fruit in the garden is less plentiful.
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AboutA blog following the development of a small edible forest garden in Salisbury, Wiltshire, first planted in winter 2008.
AuthorA forest gardening enthusiast with an interest in growing food sustainably, locally and with minimal effort. More blogsAnni's Perennial Veggies
Bangor Forest Garden Project Forest Garden Plants Fruit Forum Graham Burnett Have Some Pi Help Save Bees Il Giardino Foresta Maddy Harland Moulsecoomb Forest Garden Mortal Tree Oak House Permaculture Project Of Plums And Pignuts Otter Farm PermaculturePower PermieHomestead Plants for a Future Plant Trees, It's Self Defence Really Useful Gardens SelfSufficientish Southwoods Forest Gardens Sustainable Forest Garden Farm Project The Cultural Wilderness The Field The Unconventional Gardener Transition Culture Two Go Forest Gardening Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Food Champions Ynysmon's Blog Other links
Check out the resources page for lots more forest gardening websites, books and videos.
Details of my young forest garden are here and photos here. Produce 20161 Jan - 31 Mar
0.640kg Babington leek 0.417kg Cabbage 0.742kg Celeriac 0.005kg Coriander 0.343kg Daikon 0.003kg Fennel 0.091kg Garlic shoots 0.005kg Goji berry leaves 0.259kg Lettuce 0.002kg Mint 0.020kg Pak choi 0.233kg Parsley 2.100kg Potatoes 0.041kg Radish 0.006kg Red veined sorrel 2.069kg Rosemary 0.888kg Ruby chard 0.002kg Thyme 0.065kg Winter purslane 1 Apr - 30 Jun 0.008kg Alpine strawberries 0.555kg Babington leeks 0.003kg Basil 0.989kg Beetroot 1.987kg Celeriac 0.019kg Chillis 0.076kg Chives 0.466kg Cleavers 0.227kg Coriander 0.075kg Courgettes 0.034kg Fennel 0.045kg Garlic shoots 0.004kg Gooseberries 0.048kg Holly leaves 0.006kg Lemon balm 0.541kg Lettuce 0.005kg Lime leaves 0.012kg Mint 0.108kg Nettles 0.440kg Oca 0.295kg Parsley 0.003kg Radish 0.241kg Raspberries 2.570kg Rhubarb 0.052kg Rocket 0.001kg Rosemary 2.338kg Ruby chard 0.022kg Sage 0.099kg Spring onions 0.464kg Strawberries 0.001kg Sweet violet 0.064kg Wild garlic 0.001kg Winter purslane 1 Jul - 30 Sep 0.030kg Alpine strawberries 22.360kg Apples 0.003kg Basil 0.317kg Blackberries 0.706kg Blackcurrants 0.595kg Blueberries 0.085kg Chillis 0.002kg Chives 8.255kg Courgettes 0.003kg Fennel 0.205kg Gooseberries 2.674kg Hazelnuts 0.429kg Japanese wineberries 2.404kg Jostaberries 0.209kg Loganberries 0.025kg Mint 0.167kg Mulberries 0.006kg Nasturtium 0.004kg Parsley 4.068kg Pears 4.097kg Rapsberries 3.988kg Redcurrants 0.016kg Rocket 0.522kg Rosemary 0.026kg Spring onions 0.837kg Sweet cherries 0.234kg Tayberries 2.142kg Tomatoes 1.229kg Whitecurrants 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2.263kg Apples 0.317kg Chillis 2.697kg Courgettes 0.060kg Mashua 0.030kg Mint 0.250kg Oca 0.080kg Parsley 0.581kg Pears 1.360kg Potatoes 0.011kg Rocket 0.056kg Rosemary 0.050kg Sage 0.651kg Tomatoes Produce 20151 Jan - 31 Mar
0.187kg Babington's leek 0.031kg garlic shoots 0.005kg mint 0.560kg salad 1 Apr - 30 Jun 0.021kg alpine strawberries 2.074kg Babington's leeks 0.017kg basil 0.975kg blackcurrants 0.434kg cabbage 0.016kg chives 0.095kg coriander 0.009kg dill 0.156kg garlic shoots 0.443kg gooseberries 1.801kg kohlrabi 0.297kg lettuce 0.015kg lime leaves 0.035kg mint 0.033kg mustard leaves 0.231kg nettles 0.089kg onion 0.470kg oregano 0.013kg pak choi 0.013kg parsley 0.626kg peas 0.107kg peppermint 0.871kg purple sprouting broccoli 4.219kg raspberries 1.406kg red onion 0.048kg red-veined sorrel 1.751kg rhubarb 1.618kg ruby chard 0.324kg spring onion 1.157kg strawberries 0.577kg sweet cherries 0.242kg tayberried 0.001kg thyme 0.160kg wild garlic 0004kg winter purslane 1 Jul - 30 Sep 0.003kg alpine strawberries 0.002kg apple mint 37.964kg apples 0.033kg basil 0.753kg blackberries 7.207kg blackcurrants 2.441kg blueberries 0.073kg cabbage 0.039kg celeriac 0.019kg coriander 6.329kg courgettes 15.960kg cucumber 0.012kg dill 0.466kg french beans 0.312kg garlic 1.447kg gooseberries 12.822kg hazelnuts 0.967kg Japanese wineberries 2.390kg jostaberries 0.205kg lettuce 0.001kg lime basil 0.848kg loganberries 0.018kg mint 0.203kg mulberries 0.005kg oregano 0.041kg pak choi 0.004kg parsley 2.010kg pears 0.006kg peppermint 8.529kg raspberries 6.138kg redcurrants 0.005kg rocambole 2.198kg ruby chard 0.024kg sage 1.605kg sour cherries 0.191kg strawberries 0.843kg strawberries 0.651kg tayberries 0.001kg thyme 15.138kg tomatoes 0.977kg whitecurrants 1 Oct - 31 Dec 0.117kg chilli peppers 0.018kg coriander 0.022kg courgettes 6.716kg cucumbers 0.008kg dill 0.223kg french beans 0.115kg hazelnuts 0.025kg lettuce 0.002kg mint 0.065kg parsley 0.524kg pears 1.412kg ruby chard 0.072kg spring onion 6.489kg tomatoes Produce 2014
1 Jan - 31 Mar
0.308kg Babington leeks 0.034kg garlic shoots 0.001kg parsley 0.004kg red veined sorrel 0.011kg rosemary 0.025kg sage 0.016kg thyme 1 Apr - 30 Jun 0.010kg alpine strawberries 1.350kg Babington leeks 0.104kg blackcurrants 0.012kg chives 0.210kg garlic shoots 0.092kg gooseberries 0.006kg lemon balm 0.529kg loganberries 0.015kg oregano 0.006kg parsley 0.035kg peppermint 5.655kg raspberries 0.177kg redcurrants 0.051kg red veined sorrel 7.180kg rhubarb 0.120kg salad 0.006kg salad burnet 0.896kg strawberries 0.509kg tayberries 0.084kg wild garlic 1 Jul - 30 Sep 5.121kg apples 0.008kg alpine strawberries 0.857kg blackberries 1.190kg blackcurrants 0.904kg blueberries 1.840kg garlic 6.102kg hazelnuts 0.467kg Japanese wineberries 0.716kg loganberries 0.313kg mulberries 3.742kg pears 2.752kg raspberries 2.349kg redcurrants 0.054kg rocambole 0.050kg sage 1.655kg sour cherries 0.021kg sweet cherries 0.298kg tayberries 0.242kg whitecurrants 0.078kg worcesterberries 1 Oct - 31 Dec 0.113kg salad 0.382kg oca 0.200kg potatoes Produce 2013
1 Jan - 31 Mar
0.024kg garlic shoots 1 Apr - 30 Jun 0.326kg Babbington leeks 0.222kg blackcurrants 0.363kg garlic shoots 0.147kg gooseberries 0.002kg lemon balm 0.121kg lettuce 0.004kg lime leaves 0.058kg mizuna 0.121kg oregano 0.010kg pea shoots 0.015kg peppermint 0.223kg raspberries 0.020kg red veined sorrel 3.900kg rhubarb 0.400kg salad 0.005kg salad burnet 0.008kg shitake mushrooms 0.076kg strawberries 0.013kg thyme 0.136kg wild garlic 1 Jul - 30 Sep 0.101kg alpine strawberries 13.653kg apples 0.276kg blackberries 2.816kg blackcurrants 1.380kg blueberries 0.159kg broad beans 0.965kg courgettes 1.340kg garlic 1.808kg hazelnuts 0.118kg Japanese wineberries 0.493kg loganberries 0.008kg mulberries 4.368kg pears 0.036kg peppermint 1.143kg potatoes 0.063kg quince 9.226kg raspberries 0.699kg redcurrants 0.223kg rocambole 0.150kg salad 1.448kg sour cherries 0.064kg spearmint 0.660kg spring onions 0.863kg strawberries 1.622kg sweet cherries 0.156kg tayberries 0.721kg whitecurrants 0.010kg worcesterberries 1 Oct - 31 Dec 0.938kg pears 0.095kg quince 0.091kg oca 0.242kg mashua Produce 2012
1 Jan - 31 Mar
0.050kg fennel 0.009kg garlic shoots 0.030kg goji berries 0.050kg rocket 1 Apr - 30 Jun 0.004kg alpine strawberries 0.480kg cabbage 0.323kg garlic shoots 0.050kg lemon balm 0.002kg loganberries 0.050kg mint 0.402kg mushrooms 0.360kg potatoes 0.730kg raspberries 0.030kg red veined sorrel 0.130kg redcurrants 4.000kg rhubarb 0.540kg rocket 0.020kg sorrel 0.134kg strawberries 0.007kg tayberries 01 Jul - 30 Sep 0.020kg alpine strawberries 0.180kg apples 0.552kg blackberries 0.178kg blackcurrants 0.711kg blueberries 1.020kg garlic 0.201kg gooseberries 0.263kg hazelnuts 0.051kg Japanese wineberries 0.028kg loganberries 3.354kg pears 1.610kg potatoes 0.910kg raspberries 0.353kg redcurrants 0.063kg sour cherries 0.049kg strawberries 0.014kg tayberries 0.192kg whitecurrants 1 Oct - 31 Dec 7.690kg Jerusalem artichokes 0.211kg oca 0.010kg peppermint 0.820kg potatoes 0.010kg thyme Produce 2011
1 Jan - 20 Mar
Firewood Rosemary Sage Chives Salad burnet 21 Mar - 31 May 0.035kg chives 0.070kg lemon balm 0.005kg nasturtium leaves 0.017kg raspberries 4.060kg rhubarb 0.060kg rocket 0.020kg rosemary 0.280kg sage 0.070kg salad burnet 0.050kg sorrel 0.065kg spearmint 0.429kg strawberries 0.012kg sweet fennel 0.003kg tayberries 0.010kg thyme 1 Jun - 31 Aug 35.2kg 29 different crops: 0.030kg alpine strawberries 8.884kg apples 0.492kg beetroot 0.258kg blackberries 0.377kg blackcurrants 0.337kg blueberries 0.010kg chives 7.095kg courgettes 0.001kg fennel 0.946kg garlic 1.481kg hazelnuts 0.001kg Japanese wineberry 0.007kg lemon balm 0.005kg mashua leaves 0.004kg nasturtiums 0.100kg pears 0.005kg peppermint 11.920kg potatoes 1.130kg raspberries 0.262kg redcurrants 0.005kg rocket 0.064kg salad burnet 0.460kg sour cherries 0.024kg spearmint 0.558kg strawberries 0.311kg sweet cherries 0.086kg tayberries 0.087kg whitecurrants 1 Sep - 31 Dec 11.633kg apples 0.040kg aronia berries 1.299kg beetroot 0.036kg blackberries 2.472kg courgettes 0.034kg hazelnuts 6.205kg Jerusalem artichokes 4.250kg mashua 1.801kg pears 37.135kg potatoes 0.371kg raspberries 0.024kg strawberries 0.044kg whitecurrants Produce 2010
A record of produce from the garden in 2010. I expect this list to get much longer in later years.
1 Jan - 20 Mar 2010: Firewood - kindling and small logs for wood burner Herbs - rosemary Vegetables - 5 leeks Greens - Handfull of sorrel, salad burnet and dandelions. 21 Mar - 4 Jun 2010 3.600kg rhubarb 0.250kg sorrel rosemary salad burnet mint chives rocket a few strawberries 5 Jun -> 1.120kg garlic 1.063kg raspberries 3.430kg rhubarb 0.165kg strawberries 0.104kg sweet cherries 0.065kg tayberries 0.130kg gooseberries 0.029kg alpine strawberries 0.100kg loganberries 1.710kg sour cherries 0.486kg blackberries 0.039kg blackcurrants 0.220kg blueberries 3.264kg courgettes 0.240kg lettuce 8.375kg pears 3.820kg potatoes 9.300kg apples 0.076kg hazelnuts See archives from October 2009 below for last year's produce. Archives
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