Inarch grafting

This tree has been damaged by hungry rabbits in the winter.
In order to rescue it I’ve planted two rootstocks next to it and grafted into the trunk above the damaged part.
The rootstock is cut to reveal the cambium, inserted under the bark and sealed with a grafting wax.

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Spring buds

Welsh Perry variety Gwehelog just starting to grow from bud grafted onto the Pyrus communis rootstock last August.
The new growth has a few aphids taking some of that fresh spring sap.
I’ll try my new home made ‘apichi’ pesticide on them tomorrow.
It’s made from garlic, black pepper, chilli powder, ethanol, water, molasses and a native microbe mixture…

Biochar

We recently had a go at making Biochar at the nursery.
Here’s what Biochar International have to say about Biochar
http://www.biochar-international.org/

Sustainable biochar is a powerfully simple tool to fight global warming. This 2,000 year-old practice converts agricultural waste into a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost food security, and discourage deforestation. Sustainable biochar is one of the few technologies that is relatively inexpensive, widely applicable, and quickly scalable.

Biochar is a solid material obtained from the carbonisation of biomass. Biochar may be added to soils with the intention to improve soil functions and to reduce emissions from biomass that would otherwise naturally degrade to greenhouse gases. Biochar also has appreciable carbon sequestration value. These properties are measurable and verifiable in a characterisation scheme, or in a carbon emission offset protocol.

Our experiment worked well. We made the charcoal using a traditional earth clamp.
About one third of the wood didn’t burn but we ended up with over four buckets of charcoal.
The next step is to crush the charcoal then ‘charge’ it by leaving it in a compost tea or pile.

Only a few trees left…

It’s very nearly the end of the planting season and I have a limited selection of trees left.
Here’s the list. Please get in touch if you’d like to order any.

Apples

M25
Gloucester Underleaf
Landore of Aberedw (Underleaf sport)
Sweeney Nonpareil
Credenhill Pippin
Pig yr Wydd
Pig Aderyn
Discovery
6 x Charles Ross

M26
Landore of Penmaes
3 x Red Devil
10 x Sweeney Nonpareil
Bringewood Pippin

M9
Gooseberry Pippin
Charles Ross
Fiesta
Byford Wonder

MM111/M9
2 x Grenadier
2 x Byford Wonder
Charles Ross
New German
Pomeroy of Herefordshire
2 x Jupiter
Tillington Court

MM106
Ashmead’s Kernel
Blenhiem Orange
10 x Browns (2yr)
2 x James Grieve
2 x Sweeney Nonpareil
2 x Dabinett (2yr)
5 x Kingston Black (2yr)

M116
4 x Dabinett

Brompton
2 x Shropshire Prune

Mycorrhizal fungi

All the rootstocks we plant in the nursery are inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi.
This kick starts a relationship between the roots and the fungal sphere in the soil.
The fungus acts as an extension to the root system, enabling a greater reach for nutrients and moisture.

This ensures the trees bought from me already have a head start on others.

Trees ready for collection…

Hazel catkins in the sunshine