Orchard Trees and Grant

FX Meister

I'm planning on planting an small orchard pretty soon. Is the Irish Seed Savers the only place I can get apple trees from? I'm getting a grant as part of my reps scheme but can I apply for any other type of grant also? Any help much appreciated

FX Meister

So nobody here has any advice? No one here knows anything about either trees or grants on a forestry forum?

Oldtree

I have some vague recollection of a grant for Seed savers as a promotion: as The Irish Seed Savers Association (ISSA) is at the moment, the only outlet for the purchasing of Native Irish Apple trees

http://www.irishseedsavers.ie/article.php?artid=289

But I don't have broadband so the reps4 handbook will have to wait to be downloaded, so it is difficult to say what your choices are, unless you can put page 34 here for me to have a look at.

But Future Forests of cork are excellent, provide excellent mail order stock and they package their stock very well.

http://www.futureforests.net/

But it is getting very late in the season and you might like to know that trees are beginning to put out new roots from now on, so planting in my opinion is best done before the end of feburary.

Your post was late last night and the retort was early in the evening. You will have to get some patience if you are to grow apples. ;)

webels

Oldtree

Just happened to be reading Reps4 here is Pg 34 as requested

SUPPLEMENTARY MEASURE 2
TRADITIONAL IRISH ORCHARDS
This measure will lead to the planting and maintenance of apple orchards with specific varieties
of apples that are traditional to Ireland. Consult your planner for details.
If you choose this supplementary measure you must do the following things and any other works
your planner includes in your plan.
Before the end of your second year in REPS, you must plant at least 500 sq metres with
the specified apple varieties.
The trees must be grown as standard or half-standards on vigorous rootstocks and you
must plant them at least 6–7 metres apart. You must plan at least 12 trees. Trees on
dwarfing rootstocks do not qualify.
You must plant at least three approved varieties, and none of them can make up more
than half of the trees.
You must stockproof the orchard boundary for the duration of your REPS contract.

You cannot include Traditional Orchards in your REPS plan as both a biodiversity option and a
supplementary measure.

After-planting care
The orchard may be mown or grazed with sheep (as long as the trees are protected by a
tree guard). You must not mow before July, and you must never let cattle graze it.
Keep an area 1 metre in diameter free of vegetation area around newly-planted trees.
Inorganic/organic fertiliser or lime may not be broadcast throughout the orchard. If the
soil is poor, however, you may use well rotted farmyard manure and a small quantity of
chemical fertiliser and lime (taking care not to apply it directly around the base of the
tree) each year.
You must not use insecticides or fungicides unless there is a risk to the health of the tree.
Herbicides may be used to control noxious weeds by means of a weed wiper or spot
sprayer if mechanical means do not work.
You must replace any trees that fail.

FX Meister

Thanks for the info. I guess I'm in a rush to get them done this year. Our reps planner is useless. Very hard to get hold of and last time we were due to meet I had to take a day off work and drive to Mayo only to get a message from the neighbour that she wasn't coming. Irish Seed Savers won't post this late in the season so I'm going to drive to Clare Friday night and buy the trees Saturday and then plant them in Mayo that evening and on Sunday.

FX Meister

Ahhh, I was aware it had to be a minimum of twelve trees but didn't know it had to be 500 square metres or that they had to be 6 or seven metres apart. I thought the distance between them was just decided by the root stock used. I'm planning on planting 20 trees. I guess the long term plan is to make my own cider from the apples and I want to plant the orchard as there used to be an orchard there for generations until about 1960 or so.

Oldtree

Thank you webels

FX Meister i think the main point there is: "specific varieties of apples that are traditional to Ireland" and "approved varieties" Careful now.........
Irish Seed Savers should know what of their varieties are approved varieties.
As you intend to consume your own apples then I would suggest that you taste before you buy. Do you know what var were there in the 1960's? might be an idea to talk to a few of the older local lads to see if they can remember and to replant some of the same. Could also do a bit of your own grafting of vars in the area.

I have planted 5 of seedsavers apples chosen mainly as they are from this side of the island, hopefully they will do better here, also couldn't resist the oldest one they have. I got a cutting grafted of my wife's grannie's sister's husband's apple tree planted ages ago which is now in decline, but is a sweet cooker.

Enjoy the fruits of your labour.

i always put a bit of seaweed meal into the planting holes, plenty of trace elements to keep the trees healthy.

lanod2407

FX Meister

How did you get on in Clare?

I bought trees from Seed Savers last year, and to be honest I believe I got them in April!!!
Anyway, I checked them out on Sunday and they're doing fine - in fact one of the early trees looks like it's about to start pushing out a few buds.

If I'd seen this post earlier I'd have advised you to do your homework on the selections you wanted before you travelled to Seed Savers as I certainly suffered on that front the day I went to buy the trees ...... trying to figure out what you want on a busy afternoon with a persistent drizzle down your neck isn't ideal!!

FX Meister

Got on well. I arrived about lunchtime in Clare and it was raining. To be honest, the staff were not very helpful. I was told by a woman at a desk that I'd just have to look around for whatever I wanted and was told there was only one type of cider apple. When I looked myself there was three. Disappointed with their service but I got most of what i wanted anyway. I got fourteen trees alltogether including a pear tree.

red bull

what varities are acceptable for the grant ? Hope one of you can help me, need to plant soon to comply. Please

lanod2407

Are you talking about REPS grant?
if you are, then you need to plant traditional Irish varieties. The guys at Seed Savers will advise which varieties qualify - but you'll need to push them hard to give you proper advice on the varieties that you want from within the list. I wanted a good crunchy sweet apple that the kids would eat, but the guy there really couldn't help properly on the day I visited and I ended up trying to figure it out myself.

If I was going again I'd call ahead and specifically request a meeting with one of the staff who is expert / qualified to help with the selection.

Hope this helps.

red bull

Thanks Ianod. Yes its for reps4. Checked out Irish seed savers they are out of stock for this year. Is it possible to get them elsewhere ?

lanod2407

Try Future Forests in Bantry - http://www.futureforests.net/ - they also supply apple trees and will ship to you. I bought blueberry trees from them last year and they were great to deal with.
Saw them on tv recently - think it was on Ear to the Ground - impressive people with a great vision.

Hope this helps. DR

red bull

Thanks very much for your help. Looked at the webside looks like Im in business and cheaper than seedsavers to !

lanod2407

You're welcome - best of luck with your orchard.
Mine is in 2 years and I got an average of one apple per tree last year ..... hoping that the crop begins to take off this year.

jfh

called into future forests a month ago, best nursery i've been in & friendly bunch. do you know if the grant extends to other fruit trees?

guitard

FX Meister wrote: »

Got on well. I arrived about lunchtime in Clare and it was raining. To be honest, the staff were not very helpful. I was told by a woman at a desk that I'd just have to look around for whatever I wanted and was told there was only one type of cider apple. When I looked myself there was three. Disappointed with their service but I got most of what i wanted anyway. I got fourteen trees alltogether including a pear tree.

Hi FX Meister - I'm considering planting a small orchard - approx 10 trees, with a view to growing the apples for home cider production - just wondering how you got on with your trees and what varieties have been the most successful. I am living in Mayo.

9935452

guitard wrote: »

FX Meister wrote: »

Got on well. I arrived about lunchtime in Clare and it was raining. To be honest, the staff were not very helpful. I was told by a woman at a desk that I'd just have to look around for whatever I wanted and was told there was only one type of cider apple. When I looked myself there was three. Disappointed with their service but I got most of what i wanted anyway. I got fourteen trees alltogether including a pear tree.

Hi FX Meister - I'm considering planting a small orchard - approx 10 trees, with a view to growing the apples for home cider production - just wondering how you got on with your trees and what varieties have been the most successful. I am living in Mayo.

I think you wont get a response from FX. His last posts were nearly 6 years ago