…could be viewed as a list of chores but when the weather is as glorious as it is at the moment then being outside and working on the holding is anything but.
First up – a nice compact job of cutting down the autumn raspberry canes. We only grow primocane varieties now, (Polka, Autumn Bliss and Joan J), as I think these are the best-flavoured berries, plus All Gold for the yellow fruit. In the past, I have left this pruning job until the tail end of winter, so I’ll see how things fare with this change of tack. I did have a go at double cropping but found that too onerous to keep on top of, though looking at the stands I could have been
a bit more rigorous with cutting out the weaker canes.
As I cut, the lovely OH shredded and carted the whole lot off to the compost bays.
This year’s canes of the hybrids, tayberry and loganberry, will bear fruit next summer so have been left. Job done and cup of tea time! Next up – pruning the soft fruit and clearing suckers from the pears and medlars.
Whilst we try to keep on top of pruning and clearing in our productive areas elsewhere we are very untidy, as the wildlife wouldn’t thank us.
My favourite tree at the moment is an unknown apple variety in the ‘old orchard’, still laden with yellow gold fruit. Next year I may try to find out what variety this is.
Going into winter we still have good things for eating, plenty in the stores plus red and savoy cabbage, kales, chard, celeriac and parsnip in the kitchen garden.
Reading this week: The Making of the British Landscape by Nicholas Crane.
