New Mills Community Orchard

Maintained with by the community

2019 Monthly Schedule

We sometimes hold our meetings in the orchard

Orchard Meeting

Lecture Room, New Mills Library, Hall Street Thursday 3rd - 7PM

Wassailing

Wassailing is an ancient Anglo-Saxon tradition which dictated that at the beginning of each year the lord of the manor would greet his assembled visitors with the toast Waes Hael, meaning "be well". The visitors would reply Drink Hael which meant "Drink Well" and so the New Year celecrations would start with a glass or two of a drink consisting of: mulled ale, cream, roasted apples, egg, honey and spices consumed in a noisy and lively way!

Pruning of the Cobnuts

(Corylus Avellana)
(if necessary)
Cobnuts are a type of Hazelnut and are the nut of the Corylus tree. They are also known as the Filbert Nut.

Pruning of the apple and pear trees

(if necessary)
We have many varietes of apples and pears in the orchard click here for more information

Orchard Meeting

Lecture Room, New Mills Library, Hall Street Thursday 7th - 7PM

Orchard Meeting

Lecture Room, New Mills Library, Hall Street Thursday 7th - 7PM

Pruning of the cherry trees

(if necessary)

Orchard Meeting

Lecture Room, New Mills Library, Hall Street Thursday 4th - 7PM

Pruning of mildewed twigs and cankers

MILDEW is a form of fungus which causes an infection in plants. It either slows down the growth of the plant or, in severe cases can kill it. CANKERS are dead sections of bark on a tree and are a symptom of an injury or open wound that has become infected by fungus. They may enlarge and strangle a twig or branch, killing the foliage beyond it.

Orchard Meeting

Lecture Room, New Mills Library, Hall Street Thursday 2nd - 7PM

Check any stakes and ties

Check all stakes and ties to make sure they are in place and protecting the trees and bushes.

Bird survey

Orchard Meeting

Lecture Room, New Mills Library, Hall Street Thursday 6th - 7PM

One World Festival

One of the High Peak's most popular events, is back for 2019! The free open air festival will be taking place on Saturday 6th July 2019, from 12pm until 6pm at High Lea Park, St Mary’s Road, New Mills. New Mills One World Festival: Celebrating themes of peace, environment, cultural diversity, community and world development. The theme for 2019 is: SEEDS OF CHANGE

Thin out apple clusters

(Late June)
Thining is the process of removing a selection of fruit from your trees while the fruit is still small. Thinning the trees ultimately benefits them as it:

Discourages overbearing of the fruit & early fruit drop

Improves the size of the remaining fruit, the colour & the quality

Helps to avoid limb damage to the tree from a heavy fruit load

Prune the Figs

Pruning figs in early summer will help the fig tree grow side branches for a bushier tree. Pinch or cut the tips of shoots when they have formed five or six leaves. Do not prune later growth.

Harvest Elderflowers

Elderflowers come from the elder tree. It generally grows as shrub or small tree to a height of around 5 to 10 metres. Flat-topped clusters of tiny, creamy-white flowers appear in June. To many people the fragrance is sweet and summery. The flowers and berries are the only edible part of the plant. They are mildly toxic and have an unpleasant taste when raw. Cooking destroys the toxic chemicals. Elderflowers are ready around late May to mid-June. They’re best picked when the buds are freshly open on a warm, dry, sunny day. The fragrant flowers are most famous for making elderflower champagne and cordial – perfect summer drinks.

Bird survey

Orchard Meeting

Lecture Room, New Mills Library, Hall Street Thursday 4th - 7PM

Pull out Ragwort

Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is a highly poisonous plant if eaten by horses or cattle. It thrives on uncultivated land and fields. It is a tall plant bearing large flat-topped clusters of yellow daisy-like flowers usually seen from July to October.

Harvest Tayberries

Fruiting season is in summer. Expect to harvest at least twice per week for several weeks. Tayberries are ripe when they easily pull off the cane, be sure to wait until fruit is ripe before picking. The fruit will ripen from red to black, but do not pick them as soon as they turn black, wait 3-4 days and pick when the color has a dull appearance. These will be the sweetest fruit. Pick in the morning or evening, when temperatures are coolest. Store in a shallow container in the fridge as soon as possible after picking. Fresh tayberries last a day or so, but they can also be frozen or used for preserves.

Harvest Red, White and Blackcurrants

Harvest whole trusses, rather than individual berries. Theyre ready to pick when theyve coloured up but are still firm and shiny. Pick currants on a dry day, as wet currants will quickly go mouldy. Store unwashed bunches of currants in the fridge for up to five days. Blackcurrants, redcurrants and whitecurrants all freeze well.