Fruit trees in East Anglia | pruning fruit trees | rejuvenating old fruit trees | apple, pear, plum, cherry, apricot, peach, nectarine, figs, walnut, crab apple, medlar, black mulberry, quince and many more

Dan Neuteboom pruning a mature tree

 

Rejuvenating old and abandoned orchards

Norfolk, Suffolk & Essex (East Anglia)

 

Do you have some old fruit trees to which you would like to give a new lease of life? We can help! This is a worthwhile undertaking if the trees are basically healthy.

  • We rejuvenate neglected trees
  • restore and prune old trees
  • identify existing varietes
  • recommend pollinators
  • optimize fruit production

Real English Fruit” is increasingly becoming a challenge. British fruit growers are turning to international varieties – Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady, Red Delicious and many others – in order to comply with supermarket demands.

But “real English fruit” is something different. Traditional English apples privilege taste over yield. They offer a fascinating blend of flavours and fragrance, differently to today’s commercial varieties that are relentlessly crisp, sweet and juicy, but often bland and even boring.

After decades of work in this area, we at RealEnglishFruit have seen that the British Isles have a huge heritage of old orchards, once productive but now abandoned after repeated changes in ownership.

Our mission is to help the new owners of old orchards to give their ancient trees a renewed lease of life, principally by restructuring them and ensuring that their environment is suitable for keeping them healthy. By reviving neglected trees, we can bring old orchards back into production and ensure the survival of this precious genetic heritage.

There are multiple benefits. A healthy, traditional orchard adds value to a property. It provides wonderful fruit and offers a unique environmental resource. It offers sustenance for a huge number of insects, birds and animals, adding to the genetic and monetary value of the property. It optimises the setting and helps preserve a unique facet of the British heritage.

Restoring old fruit trees Suffolk

Further information on how we can help restore your trees

Just send Dan Neuteboom an email (enquiries@realenglishfruit.co.uk) or use our web contact form,  with a description of your problem and preferably with a few photos. We will respond with an initial overview and an estimate for our services, which can be provided remotely or in person. Payments by bank transfer or cheque. See our Consulting page for further information.

century old bramley tree
A magnificent century-old bramley tree

January 2024 – garden orchard update

Fruit trees are now in dormancy, and so this is a good time of year for planting new trees. There are many other jobs that need to be performed in order to ensure that both the trees and their immediate environment are conducive to tree health and good cropping. and capable of producing good fruit.

Check stakes and ties. Make sure the supporting stakes have not rotted off at ground level. Loosen ties where needed, if too tight. Check that rabbit and deer guards are in good working order.

Start pruning applepear and mulberry trees that have reached regular cropping. Watch a video tutorial on winter pruning.

Apply farmyard manure where trees have been struggling.

If you have fruit stored for the winter, keep an eye on the fruit to ensure that it stays in good condition.

Click here to read more fruit tree care tips for January.

 

How to prune fig trees

We are receiving a lot of requests from readers asking how to prune fig trees. On this website we provide information on how to trim a fig tree, and there is also a video on how to grow fig trees successfully.

 

Growing quality fruit trees

This website presents information on the entire spectrum of fruit trees for the garden:

Use the menu at right or top, or the site map below (scroll down) to find the topics you need.

Video channel

The videos published on this website illustrate the critical stages of fruit development, from the period from blossom to fruit formation, in a chronological sequence throughout the year. Click here to see the videos currently available.

Watch a video tutorial about Tydemans Late Orange, a biennial-bearing apple variety.

 

Site map

Consulting

Consulting – advice by Dan Neuteboom on fruit growing in gardens and orchards
Blog – news, articles, and examples of Dan’s consultancy

Video channel

Video channel – videos in which Dan Neuteboom explains many aspects of fruit growing, providing tips on pruning, thinning, pollination, grafting and more. With camera work by John Paddy.

Planning a garden orchard

Index of fruit tree varieties – from Adams Pearmain to Worcester
How to choose which apple varieties to plant
How to choose the best site for fruit trees
Garden law, high hedges act, height restrictions
Climate
Soil
Shelter belts
Rootstocks and tree size
Trees for a tree house

Growing fruit trees

Pests and diseases

Natural and eco-sustainable solutions:

Diagnostic leaf atlas

Fruit growing year – a month-by-month list of tasks in a garden orchard

How to plant fruit trees

How to plant a tree bought online

How to train fruit trees

Growing trees in pots

Pruning

Grafting

Pollination

Fruit tree sports

Thinning

How to get trees into production sooner

How to grow an edible hedge (fruiting hedge)

How to look after fruit trees

How to look after old fruit trees

Harvesting and storage

Cider & fruit juice making

Apple recipes

How to remove tree stumps

How to grow a wildflower meadow

The healing power of nature

Fruit trees and climate change

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