All About Perth Community Farm - Spring 2022

 WHAT DOES THE FARM DO?

A small group of environmental and gardening enthusiasts started the farm three years ago on an area of waste ground rented from the council, part of the much larger Westbank project. We have worked hard to keep the farm going through Covid and the lockdown because we feel projects like these are vitally important at so many levels - whether it's simply to help more people to grow more food locally, or as a place where we can explore and demonstrate local solutions to the Climate Emergency.
We grow a wide range of fruit and vegetables which we share amongst our volunteer helpers or give away to local charities. We love to show people how to grow food, to get them started in their own gardens, but we aim to show people much more than that...

Strawberry picking last summer

FRUIT TREE PRUNING AND GENERAL TREE-CARE

We were really lucky with the weather for this course, the first time we've held it at Perth Community Farm. Somehow we managed to hit a calm slot right between two storms, and it started to rain just as we were finishing up...

Here's some notes for the folk who were on the course and for anyone who's interested in tree care generally. I think trees and woodland will prove to be the backbone of the sustainable future...

PRUNING, WHY AND HOW

We prune so that fruit will be accessible, to keep the trees open and at a reasonable height.

It's an opportunity to check them for any dead, damaged and diseased wood and remove it. Removing any branches that are crossing other branches at the same time, keeping the centre of the tree open,  removing most of branches going straight upwards.

30%

Generally, 30% is about the maximum you can take of in any one year. Sometimes there's no option other than being really radical with a damaged tree or one that's leaning right over. Very often trees will survive radical treatment and even come away really well.

FORMATIVE PRUNING

When pruning a tree for the first time look for the first major junction on the trunk, there might be three or four branches coming off round about here. Anything else below this point can be taken away. Dead, damaged wood can be taken away and this is a good time to lower the tree's overall height.

GROWTH RING

The best place to trim a branch is just beyond the growth ring, that kind of wrinkly area growing out just half an inch or so from it's junction with the trunk.

ON GOING CARE - MULCHING AND FEEDING

Trees compete with grass, so it's good to clear an area around their bases and maybe try planting up with a ground cover, possibly Comfrey (BOCKING 14 non-seeding variety). Comfrey is an amazing accumulator of deep nutrients and good to have anyway. We've been experimenting with borage, clover and buckwheat as well at the farm. Keep in touch about that if you're interested because it's a really important topic and it will be good to share experiences. 

DISEASES

I don't have much experience of treating tree diseases, generally I've focused on promoting the trees' strength and health. There's a good guide here at the RHS, includes a bit about canker.

Here's a few photos from my fruit tree adventures... 

Early pruning experiences with olives in Portugal

Radical pruning of an apple tree in Shropshire...

Same tree later that year, it came away fine

Orchards are a lovely meeting place - eg for Permaculture students

Our home in the woods, early days of the logcabavan conversion

Amazing amount of fruit from just on tree

Orchard companions...

Silver