Its been a productive week

I haven't spent much time at the orchard recently however I have made up for it this week. I have actually checked on the bees I went into the hive. I didn't check the frames but checked that the bees were active. They were I gave them some additional food and they seem fine. I will make up some fondant in a couple of days and drop that off. I did it on Friday at 12:30 trying to get the warmest part of the day.

I also checked each tree and its guards, some needed new stakes and if any work was needed then it was carried out. All the trees are fine and I can see lots of lady birds etc, hiding around the branches and the guards some in nooks and crevasse . Many have gathered in small groups I guess to keep heat, and have company through the winter months.

Much of the tall grass has fallen and most if it is brown and dying. Which is good, when the mower arrives It will have to cut through it, and the first cut is going to take a while.

We have had lots of rain recently and that and the grass means that the ground is constantly wet, and I am guessing but I think it will help to decompose the grass. The grass that has been cut when we were testing the Hustler, is still lying on the ground and has not decomposed.

1 Year On

The trees have been planted for one year, this week. It seems longer to me.I have been to see the Turner Landscape people, and have used the mower they are selling me. Its has been used for 40 hours, it has a digital clock on it that shows how many hours it has been used.Even second hand its expensive and costs the same as my car.

The trees are fine and even the new tree that I grafted in Limburg is doing well. I have to get it planted soon.

A theft on the land

I know I havn't updated the site recently, but here's what's been happening. After the trip to europe I have checked the trees I have some pruning to do. The grass is long and really needs cutting, this will be done soon.

I had a couple of large 50kg bags of wood chip which has been stolen off the land. I have reported it to the police and they tell me its probably travellers. Apprently a number of thefts have occured in the area, things have been stolen like fencing chains and things that can been taken easily.

I am not spending huge amounts of time on the land as its dark early, so I only have the weekends to check on the trees etc. I know I have lots to do its just finding the time.

One of the people that attended the training in europe has won a contract to plant 6ha's of hazelnuts. That's cool.

9th October - 22rd October Eucan Belgium Trip

From the 9th - 22nd October I was in mainland Europe looking at orchards, working on them and being taught how to maintain trees (Grafting and various Pruning). I did some bush cutting using skills I picked up a couple of weeks ago. I also looked at some of the products that can be produced from the fruits, juice and syrup etc.

We also visited Europom 2009 and helped on the RHS stand and various other bits that the organisers wanted done.

Its wasn't a jolly and we did work hard; we being 14 people from around the country many with specialist skills and knowledge. The boys shared a dorm and we cooked together etc it was like being at school again. I did enjoy it.

I have loads off pictures etc

Found a Lawnmower

I have been talking with lots of suppliers that sell lawnmowers. I think I have found a suitable lawnmower. A hustler Hydro Trimstar. It was recommended and suggests by the Deere sales man.
It is expensive and may me that the landrover is going to have to be on hold for a while. It is push mower not a ride on. I am still looking at alternatives.

We are going to have a demonstration in a couple of weeks, when I get back from Belgium.

I have also started the second dose of Apiguard.

Late update

Its been a couple of weeks since I updated the site. I can only apologise. I have been busy with more conventional work.
Anyway some of the leaves on the trees have started to turn brown. Thankfully no more horse incidents. The grass is still going and I have started investigating what tractor/mower to buy and what 4x4 we will buy to tow the mower. Probably an old land rover, and either a John Deere, Mount field or Atco Mower
I did have an incident with the bees mind. On one occasion I opened the hive and they stung me three times on my left hand and once on my right, within the space of 20 seconds.
I managed to get the sting out of the right hand and one of the stings out of the left however the poison from the two remaining stings on my left had made my hand swell up enormously. It was a good thing I managed to remove my wedding ring ASAP. I had a terrible burning sensation in my hand for 2 days and the swelling doubled the size of my hand. It was freaky. It took at least 3 days for the swelling to reduce enough for me to clench my fist again.
I spoke to the people at the Apiary meeting and they informed me at this time of the year bees are more likely to sting due to the colder weather and the fact that wasps and mice, badgers etc are likely to steal the honey.
I also attended a lecture on Honey and is uses with the medical areana. The talk was fascinating, it was by a woman called Sarah Davies. Who is a associated to the Warkwickshire Beekeepers association. The information she presented, was very informative, on what illness honey and bees wax can help treat. She also told us how and why honey is good for us, and the properties that it contains which make it useful.
I have requested a copy of the presentation and the notes. I have not heard if she is willing to give me a copy, she said she would think about it.
I have applied the Apiguard treatment for Varroa and am feeling sugar to the bees in much larger quantities.

Long Weekend in Dorset meeting people and visting Orchards

I have met lots of people that are interested in the environment and some with specific interests in Orchards. Some of the people on the preparation weekend I attended come from specialist backgrounds and work within the environment and conservation industries, many were volunteers that are far more knowledgeable and informed than me. Some were young and a number were mature but from what I could see they were committed to learning and the improvement of wildlife and the environment. The fact is that if people were more like many of those that attended, the environment may not be in the state it is.

It was nice to meet people who are interested in orchards, this includes 2 ladies who are trying to create lots of small orchards in London. "The London Orchard Project". I like the idea.
I have learnt how you use a bush cutter correctly. I have been using the Ryobi bush cutter incorrectly, and also I wasn't wearing the correct safety equipment. I have picked up safety equipment and will be buying more soon.

I also looked around various orchards in Dorset and visited a couple of Cider producers. All interesting and many have given me ideas and things to ponder. Should I use Copper Sulphate. Should I allow more people to visit, could the local community benefit from the orchard. I was thinking on have sheep on the land perhaps I should wait till the trees are more mature.
I also bought a couple of bits and pieces like Honey, Cider and a couple of books on Cider and Dorset Orchards.

Back at my orchard things are well. Not horses on the land mean no damage and the bees are still building foundation and I have started planning for the second hive.

What a Disaster

I checked on the trees last week and found that more had been nibbled by horses. I have informed the farmer and he, and his jockey have remove the horses. I have not check exactly how many trees have been damaged but most seem to have at least some minor damage.

I can't blame the horses it my fault and again another mistake has been made. I will have to put it down to learning, this one was due to me not wanting to buy a large ride on mower. I guess I will have to now. I still have some large portions of the orchard with long grass.

Much of the grass has been eaten or trampled by the horses; so I can't complain. It has rained heavily for a couple of days and this has also left muddy tracks where the horses seem to have a preference for walking on.

I have checked the bees etc, and they are doing fine. I have seen a number of wasps trying to get again. The bee group are suggesting blocking up the holes with masking tape, sticks and even grass. They have even suggestion making the enterance small enough for just one bee to get in and out at a time. similar to how they woould in the natural environment.

Lots of bugs

I have checked the trees they have established themselves well. I have also been inside the fencing and removed the weeds that have had grown. Some of the weeds are well over a meter is height and I will be doing this more often now. Its a slow job but its has to been done.I have seen a couple of trees are missing a branch or some leaves. Looks like the horses that are eating the tall grass like a varied diet and a couple of cherry tree leaves do the trick.
I have seen loads of bugs and insects, including spiders, ladybirds, snails, crickets, bumblebees, moths, butterflies and small frogs, bio-diversity or what.

The honey bees are doing well expanding on to more frames, which is good, I'm still feeding them.

I'm a little worried about the horses, I reckon they should be on the land for a couple of weeks, no more as they could really do some damage to the trees. Which is a worry.

On Saturday I was meant to attend an Orchard event in Bewdley on RESTORATION PRUNING OF TRADITIONAL ORCHARD TREES however I had to miss the event as my daughter starts her swimming classes and my wife was a work. The course would have been good, I am lead to belive people from Natural England would have been there. However the guy who was taking the course has sent me a link to his web site which is interesting. http://www.uncllys.co.uk/

A quiet week

Its been an nice week, I have managed to get to grips with the petrol strimmer I have now cleared the parts of the meadow the horses were on. The horses have left some large weeds untouched. I have cut them down. It does make the meadow nice and clear.

The bees also seem to be laying eggs. This is good news but the eggs are being layed at a 6pm angle I was expecting them to be laying at 9:15. I am still looking at getting an additional hive.
I will have to ask the other bees keepers if the angle of the bees is correct. I was also meant to sprinkle icing sugar on the bees but I left the sugar at home. The sugar is to help the bees tackle verroa mite. I really don't want to use harsh chemicals. I have not seen any verroa mites, but you don't want to take the risk.

I am also looking at getting a tool box, as I seem to be collecting lots of tools and bits and pieces like matches, for the smoker, magnifying glass, Hive tool, hammer, strimmer string etc.

A disappointing week

In truth its been a disappointing week I left the bees alone all week then on Sunday I checked to see if the queen has started to lay eggs. No sign of eggs or lavea which is disappointing. I then call Bernard the Apiary Manager at Sutton Park. He advised me to wait another week. So I shall wait another week. I have added more sugar syrup they don't seem to be taking much but the frames are becoming fuller and the brood is still expanding and filling frames.
I have checked the trees, and have seen signs of aphids, I have see lots of lady birds about so I will leave them for a couple of days and will see if the situation improves. I don't want to spray anything even if its organic.
The horses have eaten a significant portion of the grass however some of them have been sold by the farmer and the show jumpers are at a show. So on Sunday not a single horse was left on the land. The horses have left some weeds which have grown considerably, so on Sunday I took the petrol strimmer and started to cut them down. I did a good portion then after adding 2 stroke oil and petrol the machine didn't start. I wasted much of the afternoon on this. I will try and start it again this evening and finish the job
Not exactly sure what's wrong. So it has been a disappointing week, in some aspects.

Horses have snacked on a couple of trees

Its been an interesting week. The trees are growing fast and lots of spurts of growth. It not all good news, 2 trees have had leaves eaten by the horses that are munching through the grass. Its not that bad I write optimistically. On one tree the damage in minor and on the other it is noticeable as the tree is about 10 foot high and from about 4ft - 7ft it no longer has leaves.
The horses should in a 10 meter x 30 meter pen which is fenced in via a movable electric fence. I have informed Chris the chap who owns the horses. He is taking care of it. What had happened was that the horses had managed to get out of the penned area.

Checked on the bees a couple of days ago with a chap from the Warwickshire bee keepers group. Bob Gilbert, who has been looking after bees 20 years +. I called him in as I have not seen any eggs or lavea. He found a new queen which may be a virgin. He has advised me to wait for a week and a half before manipulating the bees again. Then check to see if the new queen is laying eggs. I hope she will be. If not other steps will need to be made.

I have also been contacted my the Midshire Orchard Group, my local orchard group I joined last year. They also supplied most of the trees. They have informed me about a European Conservation Action Network. A project to meet people or are managing traditional orchards in mainland Europe. This would be a great opportunity for me. It would be difficult with work etc but they understand. I have applied and wait see if I will be joining this years interns. This would be a good opportunity, lets wait and see what happens.

The picture this week is one of my daughter. It was her birthday on Sunday and she has just turned 5. She usually comes with me to help.

A quiet week

Its has been a quiet week especially with the heat and the huge showers. I checked on the bees on Friday and after I checked the frames and sow everything was fine I got cocky and removed my veil and sat very close to the hive entrance when a bee came and was buzzing next to my right ear. I made some fast jerky moves and guess what it stung me, and it hurt and bled.

The problem with getting stung on the ear is that you can't remove the sting, you have to find someone to help. It took roughly 30 seconds to get to my wife who removed the sting and smoked my ear.

My ear swelled up and I look like I have a cauliflower ear. Its been 3 days and it is still swollen.

The bees seem happy but I still have not seen any eggs or lave I will be taking a magnifying glass next time. I hope that they do not swarm.

I haven't checked the trees properly, I'm afraid time has not been on my side. I hope to tomorrow on on Wednesday.

The horses have been moved further up the field and have eaten a great portion of the tall grasses. It is really good, I have also got a couple of horses in other parts of the orchard eating the grass. This may be something I should do on a regular basis.

Its ticking over

The horses on the land are munching through the grass. The bees have settled in are buzzing around. The trees are growing. Its been a good week.

I have checked the bees they are doing fine. I have see two Queen cups will they want to swarm? Not sure will be talking to some of the pro's in a day or so.

Busy Busy Bees and Horses

It been a busy couple of weeks. We have split the orchard into two, as the grass has gotten very long. The side with no trees has been turned into grazing land for a couple of horses that we have managed to loan. They are eating through the grass and are happy chasing and rolling around.

The owner of the horses is on site daily and they have plenty of water etc. They are show jumping horses and have won various awards for the owners and the riders.

The orchard itself is doing well, I have removed all the fruit, a small quantity of apples some plums and cherries and even some apricots.

This year we only want growth.


I have today managed to get the Bees and the hive set up and placed on the land. With help from Bernard Diaper and the Sutton Coldfield Bee Keepers. I still attend the classes and continue to learn and pick-up skills but from now on I can practise on my own hive.

The hive is in place on the land and surrounded by lots of new trees and small bushes. Some may take upto 40 years to start producing seeds. Most of the bushes and trees are bee friendly or produce fruit / nuts. The hive area is nice a large circle which could easily house upto five hives. I hope to have perhaps 3 in years to come. I had lots of help with this from my family. Selecting the plants, getting the land ready the digging planting and even the watering.

Wondering around

Its been a busy week. I havn't been on site at the orchard much this week. I checked the trees they are fine, and its a good thing I have put down the straw mulch around each tree.The grass is now getting very long, and thanks to the mulch the roots will be fine. The whole orchard is very pretty with thousands of yellow flowers.and walking through the field by wellies were covered in pollen.
I have built the beehive made a couple of mistakes, primarily on the supers but I have managed to get it fixed. I have been to various beehives this week. I've had a look around talked to people asked questions and learning practical skills. The hive still still not on site as I have not been given the bees that are being looked after by the apriary manager who is checking for diesase etc.
Later in the week we visited the Garden at the Garden Organic site in Coventry. I looked around the orchards, and they way they have set up and establised it. They are using losts more pest controls than me. Then have Grease bands, Lady bug nests, Phomone traps plenty of plants that will attract bees and other forms of wildlife. The pictures are from the Organic Garden Orchard.

2 weeks news its been pouring

Last week was a washout, It has rained daily and it has meant that I have not been on the land much.I checked the trees once, and sprayed a couple of trees that had large numbers of Aphids, these days very few trees have aphids. The natural predators are out and about.
I have ordered a number of books on Permaculture and am awaiting for delivery.
The books arrived on the 16th and I have started to read the first "Permaculture in a Nutshell".
This week has been better, I checked on the trees again and visited a number of large gardens to see how they have set up gardens and what they are growing.
I have also been to the bee course and attended the monthly meeting. I have been learning about bee diseases. I have ordered my hive and a jacket etc and await delivery.
I have also completed "Permaculture in a Nutshell" it was interesting and some of the ideas are interested however many of the ideas seem like common sense.

The trees are growing and look good to me.

Manure

I have checked the trees for aphids and caterpillars. I have also moved roughly 40 wheel barrows of horse manure on to the site. That was hard working. I did have help but it was hard. I now have access to as much horse manure as I could want, but if I ever want to move it I will be using a 4x4 dumper.

I have also had a couple of horses on the land eating some of the grass. The horses seems to love it they were running a rounding chasing each other and munching the grass. I must admit it was nice to watch them wonder around grazing and playing.

It looks like I am noting going to get any sheep at the moment. I will have to buy them from the auctions but I think I may have to wait until next year.

Aphids and Caterpillars 2nd May

I have found caterpillars and aphids on a number of trees. I discovered them on Monday the 27. I wasn't prepared to find them. I didn't know what to do, even though only a few weeks ago I had read a journal on pests and diseases for organic apple growing.

I knew that organic chemicals were available and that I should remove the aphids asap as they suck out the sap. So I collected in them in the only thing I had to hand an old crisps wrapper.

I dumped them in a bin, and started trawling the internet wikipedia and various organic websites. I also joined Organic Gardening and have received my membership card etc now.

I have also purchased an organic spray for the aphids its called Vitax 2 in 1 and have sprayed on the 29th April on any trees that I found aphids. I sprayed again on 2nd May again only on trees that I found aphids.

I am not worried as much by caterpillars, I know I should be worried about moths espcially this time of the year.

I have also show some friends and family around the orchard.

All the trees have a straw bed

I have now put straw under every tree, at least 4 inches worth. As it rains and get warmer it will mulch down. It should decompose and add to the soil, it should also suppress weeds.

The gate has been fixed. Acquired new hinges, I found a manufacturer in Cradley Heath. The gate is easy to open and close now. I may have to move the post closer, which will be an effort as I will require help.

I have also spoken to a couple more people about sheep. A couple of farmers have ewes that may be suitable and would mean I do not need to buy them. I even have a lady with ponies that could graze the grass, but only when I am around.

The grass is getting longer and in some parts it is lush, getting it cut may be difficult. I have looked at buying a second hand ride on mower they are both expensive and I'm not sure if it would be a good investment. Why would some one what to get rid of a perfectly good working mower.

I have started to look at wild flower seeds, perhaps have lines of wide flowers between the tree rows. Its expensive but would be beneficial for the bees.

I have also been to the WBKA Sutton Coldfield Apiary and seen inside a hive. Fascinating I wasn't stung and I wasn't that scared, it was exhilarating and interesting. It does look like lots of people are getting into bee keeping.

Natural England have also made some announcements about Britain losing traditional orchards, which has been interesting and we shall see what comes of it. I am already registered with Natural England and have been in touch recently with a lady called Anita, she has sent me some information, which was nice of her.

Sweet Blossom and pests

We have blossom on the trees finally, and its beautiful. Not all the trees but some and the rest will have blossom in a couple of weeks probably. A number of the trees still have small buds but they are growing.

We have fixed the fence and it looks good. I had purchased a number of new brackets for the gate but they were all the wrong size, they have now gone back to the supplier. It looks like I may have to find them from a different supplier.

We have found some pest or disease on a couple of leaves, I am looking into what it could be and what I should do. I will not be using chemicals.

Finally we have been mulching again. We have bought bales of straw and wood chip, we put the straw down within the fencing and then wood chip on top. This should stop the weeds from coming up. We have started getting lots of weeds but we have had good week with lots and rain and sun.

On the 19th I am going to Stoneleigh to the county Bee fair. This will be an opportunity to make some new contacts and look at what I'll need to keep bees.

Fencing, ants, mulch and blossom

Easter bank holiday so its been a busy weekend. My brother and I have been fixing some of the fencing, and we still have more to do next week. We had to give up as we have broken two hammers. We have been using the claw on hammers to remove old rusty nails, and then replace them with new screws. One of the hammers belongs to my dad and he must have owned it for a least 25 years the other was a hammer from Wilkinson, both have broken necks.

We then started work on the gate. The hinge was bent and we need to replace it. It took us a while to take it off and now I gave to find a replacement. This may take a while, I may have to go to a farm shop on the weekend and see if I can get one.

Lots more of the trees have larger buds ready to open and a couple have opened. I examined all the trees and I found ants and spiders crawling all over the trees. Not sure if its a good or bad thing.

My brother has also been adding leaf mulch to the soil. This is to stop the weeds that have been building up recently. We are going to need a lot more leaf mulch as we seem to be using lots and it just composts down into the ground, and encourage weeds.

I have spoken to a couple of the farmers in the fields nearby. I may be getting some help to get the grass cut and sheep may be on the way soon. Some of the farmers are using fertiliser on the fields, I will not be.

Fixing Fencing

This weekend I have checked on the trees, they are fine. I have fixed some of the fencing that was lose. I still have more to do and will get it done next week with help from my brother. The gate to the orchard is also broken and this will take two of us to repair. In fact we may have to get some new parts to fix it properly. I need to get all this done before getting the sheep.

Also yesterday I found one of the spare stakes had been put inside the fencing next to one of the trees. This was a bit worrying as it means someone has been around the orchard and been messing. The trees were not harmed so I guess I'll put it down to kids on the Easter break messing around.

Sandwell Valley

Its been a quiet week. I have checked on the trees and they all seem fine. The buds are getting bigger and I calculate that the peach trees will be in blossom next week, the others are still a couple of weeks away.

Driving around I have seen lots of trees in bloom and while in Nottingham I have noticed that the cherry trees their are in full bloom. It is worrying that my trees are not in bloom yet.

I visited Sandwell Valley over the weekend I know of a farm with a walled garden which has a number of fruit trees 100+, that make up a large orchard. Its open to the public and I had a good look around.

I have noticed that I look at trees in much more detail, and I am looking at trees waking up and then leaves start to open up slowly. However this process is not as slow as I thought it would be. It is a fluid movement almost. In fact it only lasts a couple of days then the tree is green. It is a case that if you don't look at this time of the year you will miss it. It is something I can honestly say, that I haven't noticed in as much in previous years as I do now.

At my orchard I have found that the peach trees are starting to bloom, the buds a red and they look like they are about to open.

I also checked the base of the trees at the orchard in Sandwell Valley and see that they are using lots of straw and manure around the trees. The trees within the orchard all look strong, the pear trees seem to have large buds which have not fully opened yet, and the apple trees are in the same state as mine.

I have had lots of information from the DEFRA agencies and now have a SBI number and a CPH number. This means that I can now keep sheep on the land. I still need to register with a vet the relevant DEFRA agency has sent me a list of suitable vet's practices which are reasonably close.

20th March 2009 Fencing

I ordered the plastic mesh and the posts on Monday. They arrived yesterday and today I started to get each tree fenced off. It has been slightly easier than I expected. I did have help from my parents, my wife and daughter who have been doing various things around the orchard to assist.

I hurt my finger, its not that serious but it did hurt. I managed to hit it with a sledgehammer it bled, I wrapped it up and continued working. We continued to use the sledgehammer however we have a new tool, a post hammer, which does the job and is twice as heavy as a sledgehammer. Chris the chap who owns the stables has lent us the post hammer.

We started about midday and my parents and wife helped till about 3pm then they went off and I carried on till dusk. We have put up wooden structures around 30 trees and and we have managed to put the mesh around 21 of those. We start back in the morning, we are hoping to get the rest of the trees all protected by tea time tomorrow.

It was such a beautiful day; we had a picnic on the land and it was fantastic, enjoying a meal with family sitting on the floor on mats talking laughing and munching your way through what I can only describe as a feast.

I have had news from Defra's agencies this week; the RPA (Rural Payments Agency) wanted more information which I have provided and the second agency Natural England have sent me information on environmental stewardship.

15th March Mushrooms and Horse Manure

Its been a busy week I have been looking at getting fencing around all the trees. I have looked at everything from metal frames, wire mesh to plastic mesh for all the trees; then stakes of varying sizes and shapes. I have not put an order in yet, but will have to get it in soon. Some of the options look very expensive and others are cheaper but I got to pay it, without them I would not be able to keep sheep on site, they may damage the trees.

I have also been talking to various government agencies looking into what subsidies and grants are available. I may be able to join the single payment scheme "Common Argricultural Policy (CAP)", the government also has help for Orchards, and as I'm going to have sheep it which falls under an additional scheme. I may also get help with the bees not sure about that though. I have had to talk to loads of people and I'm expecting paperwork through the door in couple of days.

The trees are fine and doing well, most have buds that seem like they are ready to blossom. As you can see I have mushrooms growing all over the place. They look nice. I haven't picked any and don't intend to take any home to eat. People are telling me that if I lived in France I could take them to the Pharmacist who would identify them and inform me which are safe to eat. Well I don't live in France and I don't know about mushrooms.

I spoke to Donna again today and she informs me that she can supply the sheep. She has given my details to the person who has them and they should be contacting me shortly.

7th March 2009 Met Donna

Checked on the trees and bought my wife the kids and my parents along. My parents have been on holiday for a couple of weeks and they wanted to see how the orchard is progressing.

The trees are fine they are growing well, even my mum agrees she also feels that the damaged trees will be ok in the long term, I'm not so sure.

Met a lady called Donna in the next field. She was with her dog clearing up the paddock.

We had a conversation regarding the the orchard and she asked my questions and gave me ideas. She asked if I was going to keep the grass short, or if I was going to let it grow. Hay would be useful to her. She also asked about the bees. I told her I planned to trim the grass using a sit on lawn mower. She and others have recommended sheep. The bees are still a while off as I still have not started the practical course.

I want to get sheep in the orchard but need to protect the trees. I had discussed sheep with my family a while back. The plan is to get a couple of sheep perhaps 5 or so and protect the trees using solid wooden pallets and building a square fence around all the trees. Similar to the compost heap that I have made. However to do this I would need roughly 400 pallets. The plan is to enquire how much they will cost on Monday. The sheep would be easy to acquire as its lambing session at the moment.

I also need to order the final 20 + trees.

The picture is of a small yellow flower that I first saw last week and now the number of these flowers is growing rapidly. They are pretty and definitely a sign of spring.

1st of March - Compost Leaf Mulch

Checked the trees, 3 had rabbit damage nothing serious. These three have now got additional protection. The extra protection does seem to be working.

I have also now taken most of the compost from my own garden to the orchard and the good compost has been spread around all the trees. I have rebuilt the compost holder that I had originally made with 6 wooden palettes with 4. I have uploaded a picture showing an empty compost heap and again later after we had dumped several bags of leaf mulch into it.

The large bird is back and with a friend or a mate. The two were soaring around the skies and they look neat. The birds are large, brown in colour with silver/white pattern underneath. They look great. I have uploaded a picture of the two flying around either playing or hunting perhaps even some mating ritual, as they seemed to be having fun, swooping and hovering. The picture is not great even with my full zoom on.

My daughter and brother have been helping me, and they spent some of the time feeding apples to the ponies and horses in the next field. My daughter is still afraid of the ponies and her excuse for not feeding them with her own hands was that she had hurt her finger in the last couple of days.

Lots of buds still no blossom, looking forward to it. I haven't water the trees yet, but the weather over the coming days is meant to be wet. Which should soak the ground for me.

Some of the compost that I had applied less that two weeks ago has be drawn into the soil, which is good news. The claying parts seems to get pretty dry when left on top.

Fiz was out and about and his usual barking loud self. Though I think he is getting more used to me being around.

Also I have intentional removed the rabbit guards on some of the trees that were ring barked, they have been annihilated by the rabbits. It shows the amount of damage that they can inflict on a young tree. Shocking.

Last tree guard in place

I have put the last rabbit guard in place. It was late in the day and I was unable check the trees.
I have also received good news, I am at the top of the list for a bee swarm.

If anyone in the Sutton Coldfield Bee Keepers Association no longer wants their bees or if any bees swarm I get to collect them and put them in a hive on the land. This is great news as I really need the bees to help with pollination.

I start the manual course in a couple of weeks so we shall see how I do.

21 February Apricots and Peaches

Its been a busy week I have planted 8 new trees, these include 4 Peach trees and 4 Apricot trees. I have also put compost on 63 trees. Each tree has received at least 1 bag of compost. I will get the remaining trees done within a couple of days. I have not seen any new damage to any of the trees. I still have to put 1 rabbit guard on the last of the new trees. I had to but the final tree guard on Sunday.

I have spent a number of days getting things done, with help from my brother and daughter. In fact as its been half term the whole family has been helping out.

The dogs have also been a little friendlier as they are seeing me more, I still don't trust them but they seem to not want to eat me. It may have something to do with me giving more dog biscuits in the last few days. Every one seems to like the pictures of the dogs that I have though. Are they cute ?

15th February 2009 Ah ha and compost

I took a friend down to the orchard Michael Wood along with my brother and daughter. Michael "Woody" used to be a Ranger in Scotland and is knowledgeable about land issues. He walked the land and looked for tell tale signs and has shown me some small holes in the land that are probably created by Field Mice. These are the likely cause of the new damage to the trees. It would also explain the birds of prey which have been seen on the land.

Michael has also shown me deer droppings and confirmed rabbit holes that I already knew about. He even found some fresh mice droppings in a small hole that was no bigger than the width of one of my fingers. The mice he claims will not be a major problem. I can do little about the mice at present without leaving out poison which may also kill birds and other small animals that may be around. They may even harm the birds of prey, so poison is out of the question.

I have added lots of compost from the house compost heap roughly 25 kg's for each tree, I have only managed to get 20 of the trees done, as transporting that much compost from the house to the orchard is difficult even with the help of my brother, woody and a small van.

My daughter has also been helping by putting out leaves as mulch around the trees. I have already prepared another 20 bags of compost which I need to get to the land asap then I need to spread it.

I have also purchased 8 new trees 4 of which are apricot and 4 peach. The plan is to plant them on Wednesday 18th February. These new trees are almost an experiment and we shall see how they do. As the climate changes they may do well in the UK, we shall see.

Friday 13th February More bad news

I decided to pop down to the orchard and check on the trees. Whist checking the trees I have discovered more damage. This new damage looks like it was caused by rabbits but higher up the tree, than I would have expected. The damage was also on the inside of the rabbit guards and not directly at the top of the rabbit guards.

It actually looks like the rabbit guards have been lowered slightly, then the bark has been nibbled. I can't be sure what animal could be doing it, perhaps it could be human damage ?

This was a disappointment I can't be sure what is causing this new damage and its frustrating.

7th February Snowy

Checked all the trees today. They seem fine. Lots if not all of the trees have buds ready to burst open in a couple months if not sooner.

It has snowed a great deal over the past few days and much of the snow is still on the ground. In fact I can see tracks laid by the Rabbits that have been hopping around. None of the paw prints actually get very close to any of the trees. It would have been easy to spot if any rabbit had even lingered around a tree trunk.

Some of the ground has ice and in some places its strong enough to hold my weight without breaking. In most however it breaks as soon as I step on it.

The cold should kill any germs or bacteria and insects that are around.

Grafting course at Stowe 1st February 2009

When to a grafting course at Stowe, organised by the orchard group. It was difficult but interesting. I have learnt two techniques to graft, they are both similar.

Both are based on the tongue and grove methodology.

I found it difficult and believe its a skill you can acquired with practise. Will I get a chance to practice it regularly, I'm not sure at the moment.

I may have to buy a special knife for it. The knife is a cross between a cheese knife and an Rose pruning knife.

Met some new people on the course, who all seem interested in orchards and some were even looking to acquire land for that purpose. Some were looking to improve gardening skills and some may have been looking for business opportunities.

31st January Large Bird

Went as usual to check on the trees lots more trees with buds. The trees are fine. They seem happy. The ground was very wet, I don't remember it raining loads this week but we are due to have a very cold snap. The papers claim it my be the coldest for 13 years.

Once I had checked all the trees I sow a large bird which hovered above, over the land. It was large with white feathers underneath. It hovered around and looked like it was searching for food, or pray. It may even have been interested in a flock of small birds that were in the next field. The picture shown above maybe the same bird. However the picture was taken on the 7th February a week later. I was some distance away from the bird when I took the picture, it is very large.

I also checked a number of the stakes that have been put into the ground to mark where the next lot of trees are going to be planted. Many of the stakes have absorbed water from the ground, don't think that its a good thing.

What is happening to the roots of the trees we have planted then. They must also be absorbing lots of water. I hope that this means they will grow better stronger etc and it is not weakening the trees.

24th January Icy

Checked all the trees they are fine. The weather was very cold and where the water build up is happening the water had turned to to ice. Many of the trees have buds and seem to have established themselves.

I have takes some pictures of the ice and they look very nice, almost artistic. Worried a little bit about the icy conditions will it have a detrimental affect on the roots. Hoping it will be fine.

17th Checked trees with Dad

Went to plant the last tree, that has been at at mums since we started the planting last year. I have planted, and checked the other trees. My dad came with me and he wondered around looking at the trees, he seems happy with the progress so far. The last tree we planted was a crab apple called Marcus K it is apparently the father of all apples.

11th January Pruning Course in Stowe

I had to leave early to drive to Stowe. The course the was interesting, the first part was theory which was stuff I already knew and the later half was a practical. I really enjoyed the practical and I took on one tree and pruned it well. That is my own opinion and time will tell. The orchard at Stowe is very small. I also helped on a couple of large trees that the group assessed and did work on collectively. I would have preferred more time to do more practical work perhaps next time.

Lots of people attended and some had lots of knowledge and experience this included gardeners from Stowe a National Trust Garden and house. One of the attendees was about to try and save an old orchard. Good luck to him.

One woman was picking up tips and knowledge to take out to Africa "Mali" to be exact.

I will probably visit Stowe with Leena and the kids when we perhaps in the summer.

10th January Lots of small birds

Checked the trees today bright and early. I had to climb over the ramblers stiles as I still haven't got the new key. The dogs weren't out today. The trees are fine, no new damage although it has been a very cold week, lots of frost, and the ground is solid. I have noticed that the stakes have bird poo on them. It must be caused by small birds like robins etc.

I have also noticed a number of mole hills probrably 5-6 which is nice at the moment at it means that wildlife is being arracted to the site.

During the week I saw a owl on the large tree. which I must admit was nice to see. It was large and brown in colour, I would say at least a foot in height and just sitting their watching the world go by.

3rd January 2009 Frosty Morning

I got to the land literally at sunrise,8am. It was minus 1 and in rubber wellingtons that's cold. Have checked all the trees. Two of the trees had minor rabbit damage. I have removed two more branches.

I was very worried about the frost as the ground was frozen solid. It was very hard to walk upon when compared to normal weather conditions.

Some of the plum trees have had bird damage in that some of the smallest branches have been broken I am blaming the birds but can't think of what else could have done the damage. The trees would be a good place to rest, if you were a small bird.

I have also found where the rabbits are living I am planning on leaving some dead wood or perhaps even a wood palette perhaps that may interest them more than my trees, as they are really only looking for somewhere to gnaw their teeth.