Do you have land you think might work for an orchard? Have an eye on some land, but thought it too wet, too windy, or too shady for fruit trees? Worried your favourite varieties won't stand up to the site you have?
Join us for this session designed to help you learn how to evaluate your site and mitigate (as far as you can!) for water, soil, aspect, and wind issues. There will be recommendations for choosing varieties that are disease-resistant, productive, and can cope with increasingly wet winters and long, hot summers, with topics discussed by expert guest speakers.
About the speakers
Our guest speakers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience: Emma Maxwell from Ash and Elm Horticulture and Wade Muggleton from Marcher Apple Network and author of The Orchard Book.
Wade Muggleton is a long-standing member of the Marcher Apple Network (MAN), a charity working to revive and protect heritage apple and pear varieties with links to the Welsh Marches. During MAN's 30-year history, over 50 varieties thought to be lost have been rediscovered. Over 300 varieties have been identified over the years, with almost 100 currently being investigated. Wade is the author of The Apples and Orchards of Worcestershire, The Worcester Black Pear and The Orchard Book, all available from MAN's online shop, and has written for a range of magazines and taught courses on orcharding and fruit growing. Wade's The Orchard Book is full of tips on planning, establishing and maintaining an orchard, maximising harvest and minimising outlay. Wade grows a lot of fruit and veg. We are delighted to welcome Wade as a guest speaker on this webinar.
Emma Maxwell has extensive experience as a horticultural lecturer, mentor, and tutor, and has been a trainer for Farm Start trainees on the Pathways to Farming course (part of the Tyfu Dyfi project) for 7 years. Her expertise includes soil and plant science, propagation, edible and ornamental plant growing and relevant business marketing topics. In 2023, Emma was appointed as a coach to DEFRA's New Entrants Support Scheme, and she continues to mentor horticultural farmers for Farming Connect. Emma L. Maxwell and Dave Ashley are Ash & Elm, a vibrant five-acre off-grid market garden and CSA dedicated to agroecological and regenerative horticulture since 2011. Their one-acre orchard is home to a family of barn owls, and leads to 'Hazelnut Lane'. Social Farms & Gardens have collaborated with Ash & Elm for many years and know Emma to be a gentle powerhouse, a true master of self-sufficient horticulture. We are thrilled Emma is able to join us for this session.
This webinar is part of a series of events supported by the Social Farms & Gardens Community Orchards (Powys) project.
Where: Online (Zoom)
When: Thursday 12th March, 4.00pm - 5.15pm
To faciliate conversation, places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
United Kingdom
Event terms and conditions
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