Community Orchard volunteer session, Saturday 11th January 2020 10.30am

The Community Orchard fruit trees need a winter prune, and we also intend to do some grafting from the veteran pear trees in nearby Iona Close orchard. To do this we need to collect scions in January. Scions are pencil-sized twigs from last year's growth, which we will keep dormant until late February when we aim to graft them on to new root stocks.

The first volunteer session will be Saturday 11th January, 10.30am - 12.30pm. We'll be largely pruning but also checking guards and posts, then collecting scion wood. Please come along to help - no previous experience necessary. Rendezvous at the south end of Ladywell Fields, Bourneville Road entrance. Boots and old clothes recommended. Under 16s only with close supervision. Please bring your own (sharp) secateurs if you have them, but some will also be available to borrow. It is best to prune in dry weather, so if it is a very wet day we are likely to postpone. Email ladywellfields@yahoo.co.uk if interested, so we can gauge numbers and let you know if the weather causes plans to change.

There will be a follow up pruning session on 8th February and we hope to hold the pear grafting session on 22nd February.

Hope to see you there.