Oxhill News

www.oxhill.com / www.oxhill.org.uk

South Warwickshire, England.

The Oxhill News

July 2015

This months News

Contents

 

WOT2Grow - Community Orchard

Flaming June did not live up to its reputation! But the orchard is coping with the range of weather and was grateful when the rain arrived as everything was beginning to look a bit dry.

The Bee Team have been busy making more frames for the hives and have installed a third hive of bees. They bees settling in and the sensory garden, which is looking truly splendid, is a first stopping point for food before they move further afield.


The Sensory Garden

The first summer foliar spray of garlic and seaweed has been done across the orchard and a big batch of comfrey has been set to steep in water for a nutritious liquid feed for the coming months. The gooseberries yet again are showing signs of mildew so the milk sprays have been started which smother the fungus causing the mildew and are pretty effective.

As always aphids are present in the trees and bushes but we do have quite a lot of ladybirds who will help our fight as well as the squashing method which is messy but effective! This year we have some red currant blister aphid which turn parts of the leaves red and are little yellow aphids rather than black or green. The red currants are cropping so heavily we have had to introduce a support system!

There are plenty of apples set on a wide range of trees but the “June Drop” will sort out the weak ones and we will thin some of the larger clusters so the branches are not too heavily laden. Lots of other trees have fruit set including some greengages, it will be interesting to see if we manage to harvest them all this year.

The orchard is looking good but that is because a few people work hard to maintain it. Why not give a little of your time to ensure it stays in good order and to benefit from the produce. In any event do come along and enjoy the tranquillity and the wildlife.

Liz Atkinson (680045), Paul Sayer (680451), Sue and Mike Sanderson (688080)

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Last modified: July 01, 2015