The Oxhill News

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WOT2Grow Community Orchard

So Autumn has arrived at last and the leaves are beginning to fall at the orchard but the autumn raspberries just keep on coming. They are not as sweet due to the lack of sun but they are still very tasty! Picking fruit on a bitterly cold morning with frozen hands just doesn't seem right but is well worth it.

The orchard is not looking as neat and tidy since we put a mole plough through to break up the compacted soil and allow the tree roots a better environment, it will settle down as it did this year. We have started digging the holes for the new trees, around 70 of them plus the cherries we grafted at the beginning of the year, and also producing the tree labels. This is a fun way to spend a few hours sanding the wooden stakes, tracing the names onto them and then writing with permanent marker pens.

Brailes School Environment Club visited the orchard recently and we all enjoyed it very much. We told them about the orchard and what we are doing and then they explored the orchard to find answers to some questions. But the best bit, according to the children, was picking raspberries which they weighed and recorded before tucking in to raspberries, chocolate biscuits, flapjacks and squash! Good to know we have the next generation of pickers!

We are planting trees on Saturday and Sunday 8th/9th December. John Edgeley, the fruit expert, will join us Saturday morning to explain about the different needs of the trees we will be planting. These include peaches,  nectarines, cider apples, perry pears and more apricots, damsons, greengages and nut trees. John will also be with us on Saturday 9th February to teach us about pruning all the trees, canes and bushes. Everyone is welcome to come along to these sessions and learn from a real expert who is a fantastic teacher.

Check out your orchard at www.wot2grow.co.uk

Find us off the Shenington Road behind the allotments – entrance gates at the far end of the allotments.

If you would like more details please contact one of the following who are co-ordinating the community involvement

This site is maintained by villagers of Oxhill for the benefit of the community and those interested in the history, news and activities that make the village such a pleasant place to live.

Last modified: November 25, 2012