Orchard Revival

Orchard Revival Cider and perry made using apples and pears from local traditional orchards.

17/04/2026

For lots of pruning the dormant season is the best time to do it. But if you haven't got around to pruning your pip fruit trees yet it's better to do it now than not at all.
Don't prune stone fruiT though till the sap is really rising in May or June. Also aim to prune these in a dry spell.

15/04/2026

In my last video I showed an example of a step cut that wasn't tidied up with the final cut. Proper step cuts are important to stop peeling and to allow the tree to heal. They are always worth doing when cutting long thick branches.

11/04/2026

Step cuts are a great way to ensure that there is no peeling down the stem when pruning larger branches.
They do need finishing off so they are left flat just above the collar. Leaving the step like this one means that the tree can't heal over the cut properly.

01/04/2026

I have been driving past Pursers Orchard in Wellard over the last couple of months when I have been working at the show ground . I kept meaning to stop and have a look at this orchard. I finally had time to stop. It was amazing!! So glad I did.
It really shows what community orchards are about. It doesn't matter if they are in the countryside or an urban area. It's all about the people - the community.
If you want to make a difference get involved in your local community orchard.

29/03/2026

New community orchards are a fantastic idea. They bring people together and provide new habitats for wildlife.
They are often planted as part of a new development as a requirement under planning.
However, so often I come across new orchards that have been planted badly with poor choices of rootstock and fruiting varieties. There is more often than not no plan in place to look after the orchard in the long term. Sometimes they are looked after by a landscaping maintenance company that have little idea how to look after fruit trees.
If you have a new orchard in a green space near you why not find out more about it and help look after it. There may be a group already doing that or you could start one with other like minded local people.
There are lots of groups or people like me out there that can give advice. Or you could message me with photos for some free advice online.

16/03/2026

These perry pear trees are probably about 250 years old. They are in the middle of an industrial estate in Stonehouse in Gloucestershire. They once formed part of a much larger Orchard that was cleared to make way for development.
Orchards are amazing for wildlife, they are part of our heritage and our culture. There are some Gloucestershire perry pear varieties which have been completely lost and some where we know only one or two trees are left.
Development is important for economic growth and job creation.
The difficult question I think is how we manage to balance both.

01/03/2026

There are a range of knives you can use for grafting. These are my favourites. Other people will recommend other knives. Generally grafting knives only have one sloping / bevelled edge. I find, especially with beginners, a straight edge helps. Sometimes beginners like to press down on a bench or table, and the hooked nose of a blade can get in the way.
Whatever knife you use make sure it's really sharp. The sharper the blade the easier it is and the less likely you are to cut yourself.

26/02/2026

I have made quite a few mistakes in the past. One of which was labeling up my newly grafted trees with a Sharpie. When I came to transplant the trees in the next year many of the labels had faded. It meant I had no idea what tree was what.
Now I use a UV resistant pen to avoid this. No more faded labels!

21/02/2026

The top of root stocks and the bottom of the scion wood dry out, so make sure a few centimetres of wood is cut off before grafting.

Address

The Orchard
Dursley
GL116EJ

Telephone

+447952938170

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