The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Scrunyan on January 05, 2018, 04:49:07 pm
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Hi,
So we have just purchased 5 acres of orchard in Kent, 1200 Russetts and Cox, My intentions are to put a building up and produce some cider and apple juice. I have a normal job which is very flexible so dont have any financial worries and just want to enjoy the land.The trees have been left unattended for 2-3 years so need some attention which i am going to have to start very soon.
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Hello, sounds like a good plan! Welcome to the site :wave: hope you find it useful :thumbsup:
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Hello from Scotland, at 1000 feet, where we struggle to grow apples at all :apple: :apple: :apple: :(
Have fun doing all that pruning ;D
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Welcome. I moved to Cornwall in 2016 and inherited 50 odd apple trees. We have had great fun with pressing our apples. Much smaller scale than you and I am amazed how much we pressed (200 litres of apple juice and 90 pints of (attempted cider) given how many windfalls we had.
Lessons I have learned (and I know I will have a lot more to come):
1. It takes a lot longer than you think to prune an apple tree so with 1,200 I suggest you start two years ago :)
2. Come pressing time I hope you have plenty of friends. Recruit as many as possible as you will need them to collect, crush and press the juice. I take it you will be using fancy modern machinery which will make it easier.
3. Cider - I don't have the knack but I am still going to try and damn well drink it even if its more like paint stripper at the moment lol
4. The left over apples that you didn't get round to juicing - look for a local coder manufacturer to buy the apples, Cornish Orchards near me will buy as many apples as anyone has I believe.
Good luck
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Make some cider viniger ready market horse and goat keepers
even better mark up for human consumption take a look at prices
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:wave: and welcome from Shropshire. I have three apple trees which are russet and Worchester pearmain on one root, Braeburn and Bramley and I don't have much time for pruning. It's going to take you forever. Good luck.
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Hello and good luck with the orchard.
Quite a task to bring that many back into trim, but I imagine you knew/know that. However, if you are a bit pressed for time and/or help this winter, I would suggest you zip through with the basics for pruning (which even novice helpers can grasp) and consider a summer prune aswell to spread the task.
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Wow! Say a low average of 100kg fruit/tree so, say, 30L juice times 1200 trees.... The problem is more about finding a market than growing the stuff.
I just grow for myself.. got about 35 apples trees but being lazy the 25 I put in are all espaliered and i can prune that lot in an afternoon 'cos it's all in reach from the ground. Also as younger restrained trees their yeild is lower but way, way more than i can use (and easy to pick) so always enough even in bad seasons. I can't be bothered to juice, cos too much apple juice causes the runs but I do stew and freeze enough to keep me in apples all year and I can't say I've ever see frozen stewed apple in the supermarkets - may be another outlet? Eating apples processed like that don't need any sugar adding.
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If you freeze the apple juice in 2lt milk cartons then when it comes out and defrosts its as good as the day you juiced. Great for occasionally grabbing some all year round
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Scrunyan - hello, hello, hello - are you there?
(Has Scrunyan been pulled into the juicer I wonder?!)
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Went on a tree pruning course last Sunday. Trainer is a pro and had an amazing battery powered printer. Sounded like something from star wars charging up.
Have fun!!