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| Golden floor around the orchard floor |
The floor of the orchard and it surrounds are beginning to be full of leaves and falling grass. In some places the floor was a stunning golden colour.
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| Rabbit warren empty this year |
The remaining leaves on the trees are getting paler, to me even the the almond trees leaves seem a little paler this week.
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| Quince leaves getting paler |
With the foliage on the orchard floor fast disappearing its clearer to see the homes of some of the creatures that live in the orchard. I can see rabbit holes and even homes that may belong to field mice or other creature.
I think I am seeing less rabbit holes this year it could be because the ground has been so wet this year and the water table would have come up. Some rabbit warrens may have flooded or made them too damp for rabbits to live in. The rabbits may have gone up the hill or further up the embankment. That being said I am seeing small mice holes around the orchard floor perhaps not as many as previous years, but I can see them.
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| Buds ready for next year |
The buds are now visible on lots of trees and to me they offer a promise of what could be next year. We still have months of dormancy before they will grow and actually open.
The rabbits have actually started to gnaw at a couple of trees. I have over the previous years made lots of rabbit guards some of they have fallen away and some just need to be checked. Its was nice to wonder around. The plan for the coming weekend is to spend a day weeding and fixing rabbit guards.
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| Tree trunk gnawed by a rabbit |
2 comments:
Hi Jitesh,
Been a while! How are you doing these days?
Your orchard is looking very mature now, plenty of apples to harvest in a few years hopefully (though this year it's been pretty dire!)
Just wanted to ask about setting up your orchard and if there was any form of funding or grants available to you?
I've just acquired some land which I aim to plant an apple orchard on and could do with gathering some info about potential funding.
Any help greatly appreciated!
Wayne
I didn't apply for funding but you can apply for it if your in some of the Natural England schemes Higher Stewardship scheme and from the forestry commission.
You have to then agree to the t and C. for 10 years etc. So they do tie you in a little.
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