David Domoney

Tag: community gardening

  • How to plant fruit trees and create a mini orchard

    How to plant fruit trees and create a mini orchard

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    There is nothing in the world as sweet as the taste of fruit you have grown yourself. But most of us don’t have the space for a full-blown orchard.

    Fortunately, plant breeders have created smaller dwarf versions of most fruit trees!

    You can plant several in one part of the garden for a manageable mini-orchard. Or if you’re really short on space, just plant one. They grow happily in borders, as a feature in your lawn or even in a container on the patio.

    I use the term orchard loosely – it doesn’t have to be apples. I grow pear, cherry and almond trees too in my orchard. Here are my top five fruit trees.

    How do I plan a mini-orchard?

    peach-tree how to plant fruit tree

    Most dwarf trees need to be planted about three metres apart. So if you have a 9m2 plot, you can have nine trees.

    But it doesn’t matter if you only have three or four trees – that’s still plenty of fruit! Choose a sunny site that’s quite sheltered.

    First, mark a bamboo cane at 3m, and use it to plan out your planting spots. Stick a marker in the ground where your trees are going to be planted. This should indicate how many you can plant.

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    Which fruit tree varieties should I buy?

    hwo to plant a pear tree planting instructions for fruit trees to create a mini orchard

    Bear in mind that apple trees need to pollinate each other. If you are in an urban environment, this should not be a problem. However, you can buy self-fertile varieties too.

    I have a mixture of early and late-harvest varieties in my orchard, so I have the longest picking season possible. But I sometimes get a glut, so here’s some ideas to use it up!

    I grow Worcester pearmains and Cox’s orange pippins, as well as Bramley apples to cook with.

    If you want to grow pears, choose a conference pear because it self-pollinates. Likewise, self-fertile cherries are the best option. I grow Cherry Stella.

    How do I plant a fruit tree?

    how to plant an apple tree planting instructions and build a small scale orchard

    First, remove any grass or weeds growing on the soil around where you want to plant the tree. I mark my space out with a plastic hula hoop, and remove any grass growing inside the ring.

    Dig a hole that is double the size of the tree’s root ball. Then dig over the base of the hole to loosen up the soil. This makes it easier for the tree to grow new roots fast.

    Stand the tree in the hole, making sure that the surface of the soil on its root ball is at the same level as the surrounding soil. A tree that is buried too deep will suffer poor growth.

    Backfill the hole with the soil you dug out. If your soil is quite poor, it helps to mix in some compost before you put it back in the hole. Use your heel to firm it all down.

    plum-tree how to grow fruit trees

    Stake the tree to stop it being damaged or uprooted by strong winds. Drive a wooden stake into the ground just outside the root ball, tipped backwards at a 45 degree angle towards the trunk. This will ensure the stake doesn’t damage the roots.

    Tie the tree to the stake using a special tree tie, which is like a belt buckle, or an old pair of tights. These are soft so they won’t cut into the tree as it grows.

    Finally, water in the tree really well. You can also add a weed-block material across the ring of bare soil around the tree, or put down a mulch of bark chippings. This stops water and nutrients being stolen by grass and weeds.

    Now you’re ready to enjoy the year-round benefits of a mini-orchard – blossom in spring, leafy canopies in summer and rich, sweet fruit in autumn.

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    For more garden planting ideas, check out my blog:

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    Or check out my Pinterest board for more ideas:

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  • Cultivation Street 2014 – Closing message from David

    Cultivation Street 2014 – Closing message from David

    cultivation-street-winners 2014 with David Domoney and Carol Paris of the HTA - Annie Street won the top prize

    Cultivation Street is over for another year. And it has been a great second year for the campaign. Thank you to everyone who took part and helped make the UK a nicer place to live.

    Thank you also to our fantastic entries. The quality of the entries has significantly increased this year – we’ve been blown away by everything you are doing!

    We have had so many exciting new entries from communities that are just starting their gardening projects, as well as those that are already well established.

    It has also been wonderful to see how the entries from last year have grown and developed – even more people are on board now. I hope the campaign gets people talking and encourages them to get involved in local gardening projects.

    We have also seen a stronger interaction with the wider gardening industry, from growers, suppliers and garden centres. It’s fantastic to see so many people joining in!

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    cultivation-street 2014 david domoney meets winner Karen
    With winner Karen

    This year we saw entries treble, and it was exceptionally hard to narrow them down.

    We were particularly impressed to see the quality of entries to Cultivation School. It’s hugely rewarding and inspiring to see such dedicated teachers helping youngsters learn about plants, gardening and the outdoors.

    Congratulations to all our regional and special category winners, and to our overall winners, Annie Street!

    Please keep in touch to let us know what you are working on – we love to hear about your projects.

    Best wishes,

    David[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • 2014 Cultivation School runner-up – Skipton Parish School

    2014 Cultivation School runner-up – Skipton Parish School

    Cultivation Street school winner skipton parish-school

    School volunteer Kath Pickard was talking to a dinner lady one day about the derelict area at the back of the school. It had been left as a tip – full of rubble left over from nearby building work. Together they decided to take on the challenge of transforming it into a school garden.

    Cultivation Street 2014 before photo of Cultivation School runner up skipton

    It took them endless hours of work. They roped in teachers, parents and other school staff to help out. Eventually, they had cleared the site and built a raised bed for each class in the school.

    They held a Class Crop Challenge and each group chose to grow a different crop. Kath told us “The results were amazing! All the children got stuck in, learned about gardening and tasted new vegetables at the end!”

    Cultivation Street 2014 Cultivation School runner up Skipton Parish school in the class crop challenge

    This year, they decided to take the challenge one step further. Each class had to design their own plot around a theme and grow produce for a big harvest festival.

    The children had complete freedom with their plot. The crops were then judged and trophies awarded to the winners.

    2014 Cultivation Street school runner up award Skipton Parish School

    The school also took on the extra challenge of marking the Grand Départ of the Tour de France. The race actually came through Skipton, in North Yorkshire.

    They decided to transform the garden at the front of the school into a ‘Sea of Yellow,’ using yellow plants to echo the infamous yellow jersey.

    Cultivation Street 2014 Skipton school runner up Cultivation School category

    Kath says “It’s great to see them getting involved and interested in the great outdoors. It’s amazing what can be achieved through gardening.”

    Skipton Parish School was awarded a runner-up Cultivation School prize from the judges.  The prize is £500 of National Garden Gift Vouchers.

    Cultivation School street Skipton parish school runner up

    The judges created the runner-up prize especially for the school to mark their incredible achievements. They praised Kath’s ability to see the potential in the site, and her initiative in turning it into a space for the whole school to enjoy.

    The pupils also submitted a diary to the competition, which charted the garden’s progress and all the new things they had learned.

    Congratulations to everyone at Skipton Parish School!

    See the 2014 Regional Winners and the Special Category Winners.