Lessons from an expert

A morning at the community orchard which occupies a stretch of thicket and thorn with a splendid view over the harbour. The orchard has been neglected in recent years but now Martin the tree man is back in town  and has secured a grant to rehabilitate it. 
(I've blipped him before when he pruned our own trees.)

Today we were planting a new hedge which will be backed by a dead hedge  to act as a wind break and to provide habitat. We also planted some more fruit trees (damson, apple) to add to the existing ones. The site is rabbit central so wire netting protection was put in place too (rather than plastic tubes.)

You never fail to learn from Martin's profound knowledge and experience. Today he brushed aside any notions of digging a big hole and filling it with compost etc. when planting bare rooted saplings. The opposite is what's required: one deep slice with a spade into firm soil, lever the spade to and fro sufficiently to insert the tree to half-way up to the graft, then close it up and press in the earth back around it. This way the tap root can rapidly get a firm grip and won't rock to and fro.

Support your community orchard if you have one - and plant more trees!