Forty volunteers help Forres Friends of Woods and Fields plant new community fruit orchard at Chapleton
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AROUND 40 people helped plant a new community fruit orchard behind Sanquhar pond.
Forres Friends of Woods And Fields (FFWF) – formed to restore woods and support food sustainability via fields at Chapleton – organised the event on Sunday, March 5 lasting from 11am-3pm in changeable weather conditions.
FFWF spokesman Nick Molnar confirmed heritage varieties of apples, plums, cherries and pears as well as damsons, greengages and cob and filbert nut trees are now taking root.
He said: “Despite an unpromising start with sleet and black clouds, the day became bright and warm. At half time we enjoyed a picnic of hot and cold local apple juice, dried apple rings and apple themed cakes. We planted, protected and staked all 43 fruit trees. Some are very local with names like Beauty of Moray, Gordon Castle and Longforgan.”
Each tree was given a cardboard collar and wood chip mulch to suppress weeds, as well as a treatment of biochar.
“This is a form of charcoal,” explained Nick. “It will play a small part in combating global warming by locking carbon in the soil for many centuries.”
The trees are expected to start bearing fruit in three or four years, at which point FFWF will begin an annual harvesting festival to share the produce. The next FFWF project will be at the Chapleton Community Garden in April.
Nick said: “We are building a polytunnel for an assortment of 100 tomato plants to be planted in it.”
More details at www.forresfriends.com
