Steyning Community Orchard News.

Orchard Tree Donors and their families.

Memorial Playing Field. Community Orchard.
On a cold but bright mid-February morning volunteers met in the Memorial Playing Field (MPF) Community Orchard to clear vegetation, lightly prune some of the oldest fruit trees and generally tidy up in preparation of the planting of a further six trees in March. Our work was rewarded by glimpses of the green shoots of emerging snowdrops (which were in full flower on both sides of the Orchard by the end of February), and as we write this at the beginning of March, the cherry plum tree blossom is also in full flower.

Two tree planting ceremonies were held on Saturdays in early March when the fruit trees, all donated by local people were planted. At the first ceremony, held on the 4th March, one Michaelmas Red apple, one Warwickshire Drooper plum and two pear Beth and Concorde trees were planted. A week later two more apple trees,  Margil and Herefordshire Russet were planted in another ceremony.

Each tree is tied to a supporting chestnut stake, with four more stakes used to take the wire to form a protective cage - so a total of thirty posts were required to be banged in resulting in some aching muscles!

A couple of bumble bees have been spotted prospecting for nesting sites in the MPF orchard where last year wild bees chose to nest in the ground. Bees are welcome visitors to orchards as they boost pollination and fruit yields as they go about collecting pollen and nectar. As the apple, plum, pear, greengage and quince trees planted as part of our MPF orchard project grow, their blossom will provide important early food for bumble bees and bees. Other sources of early food for bees were the yellow crocus which were also out in February under the Orchard noticeboard and the previously mentioned snowdrops. As English bluebells bloom later they will lengthen the period a food source is available for our little friends - keep watch for a pop of blue beneath the perimeter trees this month.

The floor of the orchard area will be beautifully colourful this Spring following the planting of native primroses and varieties of bulbs by the SCO. It usually takes a few years for wild daffodil bulbs to produce flowers but those planted only last Autumn are pleasantly and surprisingly, flowering in March.  They must feel at home in Steyning!  

Primrose Court Old Orchard
We have now planted 12 new fruit trees in this old Orchard. The most recently planted trees are all apple and when mature will be large as they are planted on M25 rootstocks. They are as follows; Alfriston, a traditional Sussex cooker dating from 1800; Sunset, a Cox-like eater, raised in 1918, with a lovely blossom; Blenheim Orange, a classic late cooker/eater, dating from 1740 and finally Worcester Pearmain, a popular sweet early eater dating from 1870.

Steyning Downland Scheme/SCO Children's Orchard and Wild Play Area
The Steyning Community Orchard in partnership with the Steyning Downland Scheme has begun planting fruit trees in an area near the Big Picnic Field on the Rifle Range,  to create an Orchard which will both be fenced and provide a children's wild play area. All the trees are on MM106 semi-dwarfing rootstocks so will not grow too tall so that the fruit will be within easy picking reach for children.

The first three trees to be planted are all apples. Each will produce fruit of a different taste, colour and ripening season. Greensleeves is a sweet, golden yellow apple which is picked in September.  Idared is a crisp, sweet red apple picked in early October whilst Cheerfull Gold is ready in late October, and has an intense sweet/sharp Cox-like flavour and is a bright red colour.
Each tree has the same cage protection as the trees on the MPF Community Orchard. In this location, the main threat to these young trees is from rabbits and deer. So the trees need protection from both.

Grant Award
The SCO is delighted to have been awarded a grant of £500 from the W.S.C.C. (Chanctonbury) County Local Committee, Community Initiative Fund to fund the purchase of an Apple Crusher and Apple Press and a strimmer.   Special thanks to David Barling (WSCC Councillor for Bramber Castle) for supporting our application.
Look out for the Steyning Community Orchard stall at the May Day Fair to be held in Steyning High Street on 29th May.

More information about us and our Orchards:
Email:Steyningorchard@gmail.com
facebook.com/Steyningcommunityorchard
twitter:  @StCommOrchard
WebPage: steyningcommunityorchard.org