The 8 weeks of frozen ground was totally unforeseen this year and it prevented me from lifting my bare root trees for the many orders received. We have now gone from deep freeze to summer conditions and almost drought in a matter of weeks! Fab for getting new trees planted and next year’s rootstocks in the ground.

I have also been setting up a multi-cropping ‘agro-orchard’ research plot with currently 9 varieties under trial. The aim is for high production system for the supply of dessert quality apples to the Scottish Organic market. This will be extended year on year, with various vegetable and soft fruits planted between each long row of apples. The trees have been grafted onto M9 and M26 stocks for ease of picking and for high productivity at 1.2m spacing. I will report on this project regularly over the next few years.

This is March 19th, and my Jargonelle and Durondeau pears have opening buds, and the Scots Dumpling and Arbroath Oslin are vying to be be the first apple buds to open up.