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LEICESTERSHIRE APPLES NEWS 2020

2020
Sat 8 Feb 2020, Scion gathering at Cotesbach with J.E. 10.00
Sun 9 Feb 2020, Tree pruning, private group, Cotesbach Hall with J.E. 12.15 Postponed/storms
Sat 15 Feb 2020, 9.30 for 10.00, All-day Grafting Course, Cosby Methodist Church; (nd/ad)
Tue 18 Feb 2020, Sileby: 2½ hour Grafting Workshop.(mw)
Sat 22 Feb 2020, 9.30 for 10.00, All-day Grafting Course, Cosby Methodist Church (nd/ad)
Sun 23 Feb 2020, 11-1.00: Mkt. Harborough grafting workshop, St. Hugh's Hall (nd/mw)
The coronavirus has put paid to most of our Spring /Summer/Autumn public events this year. Cotesbach Apple Day has had to be cancelled because of new restrictions announced by Boris yesterday, 24 Sept.

2021
Sat 13 Feb 2021, 9.30 for 10.00, All-day Grafting Course, Cosby Methodist Church; (nd/ad)

VERY POOR APPLE CROP
This is the worst apple year (in our part of Leicestershire) that we can remember. There were several hard frosts when the fruit had set, on May 18 and the following days. Nearly all of the fruitlets froze solid and fell off the trees. We will not be able to do any apple tastings this year. Of the miniscule crop, much is frost damaged and infested by sawfly. We will have no apple to store this winter.

24 Sep 2020

GRAFTING COURSES AND WORKSHOPS: MARKET HARBOROUGH
Another lively grafting session for Lubenham grafters & Growers, Judith Egan's fruit tree initiative, which has been in progress for many years. Fifteen students came to learn how to make their own apple trees (two each) and to log their trees in the 'virtual orchard' in and around Market Harborough. We were again at St. Hugh's Hall, Glanville Rd and the two hour workshop passed in a flash. The workshop was presented by Mel and Nigel, ably assisted by Judith and Dave. Pictures below.

24 Feb 2020

GRAFTING COURSES AND WORKSHOPS: COSBY 2
Second grafting course completed at Cosby, 22 Feb (Nigel and Alison), with apple tasting and apple cake. Pictures below; click on the thumbnails for more detail. Another late finish (after 4pm) after some interesting discussions and digressions during the theory sessions. Please send us pictures of your grafted trees in a few weeks!

The apples tasted were the same as a week earlier: Trabent, Huonville Crab, Burford's Redflesh, Mere Pippin, Melrose, Burford Red (from Burford, Oxfordshire), Croft Late, Stardance, Pink Pearl, Christmas Pink, Burford Yellow, MM106, Allens Everlasting and Park Farm. The most popular apples for grafting (each student made two trees) were Pink Pearl and Sweetings followed by Packington and Whitwick Pippin. Thirty varieties of apple were on offer for grafting.

24 Feb 2020

GRAFTING COURSES AND WORKSHOPS: SILEBY
Six students each went away with two trees made during their session at Sileby with Mel Wilson of LHAP on 18 Feb, including a person with an orchard in the Langtons. All were keen on using masking tape rather than plastic - strong green credentials, obviously! Unfortunately no pictures.

20 Feb 2020

GRAFTING COURSES AND WORKSHOPS: COSBY 1
First grafting course completed at Cosby, 15 Feb (Nigel and Alison), including a tasting of late apples and an excellent apple cake from Alison: A few pictures are shown below; click on the thumbnails for more detail. We finished somewhat later than usual (after 4pm); some of the discussions during the morning session were quite wide-ranging so grafting started later than expected. We hope to see pictures of your grafted trees in a few weeks!

The apples tasted were: Trabent, Huonville Crab, Burford's Redflesh, Mere Pippin, Melrose, Burford Red (from Burford, Oxfordshire), Croft Late, Stardance, Pink Pearl, Christmas Pink, Burford Yellow, MM106, Allens Everlasting and Park Farm. The most popular apples for grafting (each student made two trees) were Pink Pearl and Prince Charles, followed by Packington, Sweetings, Barnack Orange, Darcy Spice, Langton Nonsuch and Queen Caroline. The last two pictures show grafts being waxed. Thirty varieties of apple were on offer for grafting. Three of our students gave an update of progress at the 'Secret Garden' in Glenfield, where I gave advice and help last year in restoring some of the old apple trees. Cosby course 2 next Saturday.

16 Feb 2020





Nigel Deacon / Mel Wilson /Alison Deacon

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