Steyning Community Orchard. Apple Day. 7th October. 1-4pm. FREE

Steyning Community Orchard. Apple Day. 7th October. 1-4pm. FREE

It's that time of year of mellow fruitfulness, misty mornings, AND Steyning Community Orchard's Apple Day!

It will still be a month away when you read this, so please put the date in your diary. Our banners will appear around Steyning in September, so you will see lots of reminders.

As for the last 3 years, it will be held on the Memorial Playing Field (Cricket Field), in the top left hand corner by the allotments. This article is being written in early August, so we are still planning the event, but it will definitely include:-
- Apple juicing area. We'll have 2 presses operating to press the apples you bring along into superb juice.
- Apple displays/apple tastings/apple trees for sale
- Refreshments.  Cakes and produce sales. Apples, Apple Juice, Preserves.
- Live Music from 3 local groups
- Riverside brewery. Providing us with local Beer and Cider.
- Crafts stall
- Childrens' activities area.   Face painting, Games, Quizzes, Story telling, Craft activities.
- Tree planting. Our 11th Sussex apple tree being planted.

We will also have some surprises, especially for children, so don't miss it.

Summer pruning of apple and pear trees.
Apples and Pears are either pruned in the dormant season (November to March), or in summer. The end of August/first week of September is ideal.
Winter pruning encourages growth the following season, and summer pruning encourages fruiting buds to develop for next year. if major work is needed on a large tree, this is best carried out in winter.

Summer pruning is essential if you have a restricted growth form such as a cordon or espalier fruit tree, otherwise the tree will produce a mass of new shoots in all directions and you will lose the shape you are trying to achieve.

But any apple or pear will benefit from a bit of attention now to maintain the balance of new growth and fruiting spurs, and to produce a strong framework of branches for the future.

The method is to work over the trees systematically, and reduce every new shoot, produced this season, back to about 4 leaves from its origin from a larger branch. Try and make the cut to a bud that faces out from the centre of the tree.  This will then develop into a fruiting spur system in subsequent years. (See picture)

You may want to keep some new shoots to fill in spaces, or replace damaged or poorly growing branches in future. You can reduce these during winter pruning if they are too long.

If you have a stone fruit tree such as a cherry or plum, pruning timings are different. These are only summer pruned which should have been completed by early August. This is because of the risk of introducing Silver Leaf disease if pruned at other times of the year. This is a serious disease of stone fruits and can kill the tree.

Finally, don't worry too much !  There are many examples of wild growing apple, cherry plum and damson trees around Steyning that are growing happily and producing lots of fruit without any pruning.   But if you want good quality fruit on a tree that fits the space you have for it, then summer pruning is a good idea.