Wednesday 15 May 2013

To fruit or not to fruit, that is the question

Three trees on our smallholding.
 First is a Morello cherry. Its quite old, probably about 30 years at least. When it was smaller we would pull a huge net over the top and peg it down all around to keep out the blackbirds. Now it's too big for that, so some years we have fruit and some years the birds take the lot. This year I know of at least 3 blackbirds nests nearby so it might be their turn. With the awful weather last  year it had NO fruit at all.
 Always last to have leaves  is a huge Walnut tree, we think it is as old as the house, so about 55 years old. Sometimes it has so many walnuts, we get to eat lots, other years the squirrels pinch them all before they are ripe. Last year with the awful weather we didn't get to eat a single walnut.
Probably also as old as the house, this is our HUGE old Bramley apple tree. Up until last year it had never let us down. It always had enough for us, some to sell and some windfalls to leave for the birds. Last year we were horrified to realise that the weather meant that there were NO apples, NIL, ZILCH, NOTHING.  Surely it won't be the same this year?

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