real cider and perry
Stephen Hayes of Fruitwise shows us what a correctly pruned apple tree should look like, at the time of a special event called bud burst.
This tree is just beginning a bud burst, with the optimal number of buds filling the available space for fruiting.
Planting a very small tree, a one year maiden. Large rootball. Plant bare rooted trees in the winter from a local nursery.
Using the saw to remove low branches. Clearing away any rubbish, vines, young trees getting in the way. Take the big branches out first before using the secateurs. Remove crossed branches, anything that’s tangled up. leaving some new , healthy looking upright facing branches. Walk around the tree and look at it from different angles. Don’t take out more than a third of the wood, and don’t cut a bit off everything all round - pudding basin haircut.
Stephen Hayes of Fruitwise heritage Apples describes pruning a neglected apple tree in another tutorial video from the youTube series.
What to do with a neglected old fruit tree? Do you want maximum fruit or a big tree to sit underneath?
Here’s one to restore. Is the tree vigourous and in the right place.
Pruning a neglected apple tree is not difficult. A few simple principles and a sharp saw will see it all right. the main thing is to use the saw to remove whole branch systems that are diseased, too low, too crowded or crossing, and mostly leave the rest of the tree alone-at least for the first year.
There is a very good section in the RHS book ‘The Fruit Garden Displayed’ on pruning neglected trees, but sadly it’s out of print.
In this video Stephen Hayes of Fruitwise Heritage Apples describes how to graft over an apple tree.
Top working or grafting over an apple tree which is sound, but not the right variety for example. This example is a Crimson King that has been grafted over to other varieties. A pencil of the chosen variety is cut in February and kept cool until around April when the tree is getting going. Saddle grafts and cleft graft techniques. Probably best not to let the graft fruit the first year, let the joint strengthen first. Will fruit heavily in only three years from being top grafted over.
Just an off-the-cuff video of Linda and I opening the special bottle of Basque cider which was given to us by the kind woman who runs the cider house we visited en route from Bermeo to Astigarraga.
The new year’s cider at the Sagarotegia straight from the barrel and expertly poured was superb, and this bottle was excellent too.
Press release from Welsh cider makers Gwynt y Ddraig:
Wales’ largest cidermaker, Gwynt Y Ddraig will be opening their doors to the public over the weekend of the 26th and 27th April for a cider making and tasting weekend. Over the course of the weekend at Llest Farm, Llantwit Fardre, 12 of Gwynt Y Ddraig’s award-winning ciders and perries (fermented pear juice) will be available on their bar at Wales’ only ciderhouse.
According to Andy and Bill, cider makers at Gwynt Y Ddraig, “This is the third year we have opened our doors to our fans and it’s always a popular event with ciderlovers even coming over from England to see how we make our award-winning products. It’s also a chance for us to meet our customers and explain the effort that goes into making ciders and perries that have won awards from CAMRA, the Welsh Perry & Cider Society and Taste of Wales”.
As well as cider and perry being available there will also be an apple-pressing demo using the equipment that makes the award-winning Gwynt Y Ddraig ciders and perries. Welsh food will be available at the farm including bread and cheese as well as 100% handmade pork sausages, and beef and Wild Boar burgers from Cegin Crincae. Even homemade cider cakes will be available.
This year will see a number of “single variety” types of cider available at the open day. As the name suggests these are made from only one variety of fruit, often from a single orchard. The most familiar single variety is Kingston Black, which originated in Somerset but has been grown in the Welsh Marches, especially Monmouthshire for well over a century. “We try and source all our fruit from Wales”, continued Bill, “but we can only get three quarters of it from Welsh orchards, the rest comes from Herefordshire and Somerset.”
Other single varieties that will be available at the open day are Strawberry Norman, Brown Snout and Yarlington Mill. Gwynt Y Ddraig will also be showcasing a “Pider” - fermented from both apple and pear fruit.
One cider that cider enthusiasts will be looking forward to is a special 3 year old vintage that has been matured in oak barrels. “It’s something special”, says Bill, “We have not tried ageing for this long before but maturing in oak will give this cider a certain flavour and colour that you cannot get normally. We think it’s one for the connoisseur”.
As well as the single varieties and the perries, Gwynt Y Ddraig’s range of ciders is completed by names such as Dog Dancer, Haymaker, Fiery Fox, Black Dragon, Orchard Gold and Barnstormer. If you are unable to make the open weekend, Gwynt Y Ddraig’s products are available throughout Wales at food shows as well as at Tesco, Waitrose and in Brains and Wetherspoons pubs.
Gwynt Y Ddraig Facts:
Further Information:
Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider Making and Tasting Weekend
Saturday 26th April 11am-7pm
Sunday 27th April 11-5pm
Llest Farm, Llantwit Fardre, Pontypridd, RCT, CF38 2PW
Andy Gronow, Production Director Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider, 0779 106 6257
or
Bill George, Operations Director Gwynt y Ddraig Cider, 0779 106 6240
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