Tarbert community orchard project starts to bear fruit
A COMMUNITY orchard in Tarbert is proving to be a growing attraction in the village.
A recent workshop on fruit tree after care was well attended, with some 20 people learning from expert John Hancox’s wide experience in Scottish fruit growing. The group was tested by John in Tarbert Healing Garden, as he asked participants to tie string to trees fruit trees where they might be tempted to prune them.
The biggest lesson learned was to deal with trees as early in their life as possible to achieve the ideal shape and open up the tree to encourage fruiting.
Also covered were topics including pests and disease, apple varieties and the best times to prune different fruits.
Castle volunteers thanked the team at the healing garden, who served up welcome food with apple cider courtesy of John Hancox. Tarbert Coop also supported the event with biscuits for coffee time.
Trees and bushes were later taken up to Tarbert Castle orchard, ready for planting.
Tarbert Academy S1 and S2 pupils helped volunteers plant 50 wetland species trees, supplied as part of a national programme by the Woodland Trust.
The school has been using the new woodland area as an outdoor classroom, helping with litter clearance and enjoying themselves with woodland crafts.
Enhance
Robert McPhail, of Tarbert Castle Trust, said: ‘The youngsters have worked at an exhausting pace – digging, applying fertiliser and securing the young trees, which will enhance the woodland as they mature.’
Biology teacher Francis Burlingham will be helping pupils to monitor the trees as an ongoing project.
Mr McPhail continued: ‘The community woodland is an excellent resource for the school, enabling the development of outdoor learning on the school’s doorstep. The children really enjoy their outdoor classroom, and engaging with the community through the castle trust has been a very positive experience for them. They are developing a sense of ownership and responsibility for their local environment.
‘In the coming weeks there will be more school involvement in the developing community orchard.’